2006年VOA标准英语-Republicans Try to Maintain Control of US Congr

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
13 October 2006

Several issues are expected to be key in influencing how people vote in next month's U.S. congressional elections, from public perceptions about President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq, [and] the state of the U.S. economy, to concerns about the issue of misconduct by lawmakers. VOA's Dan Robinson reports on the latest developments in investigations¹ involving members of Congress.

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The latest polls contain numbers that many political analysts² say do not bode³ well for Republican party members trying to maintain their majorities in the House and Senate.

On Iraq, a CNN poll says 51 percent of those surveyed say Democrats⁴ in Congress would do a better job of handling the Iraq situation, versus⁵ 34 percent for Republicans. 

Rep. Mark Foley (file photo)  
  
Republicans also face depressing figures when it comes to perceptions of their performance on Capitol Hill, further underscored in polling questions about the scandal involving former Republican lawmaker Mark Foley.

The Foley matter involves allegations about the former lawmaker's sexually explicit⁶ Internet messages, and other questionable⁷ behavior, with young congressional pages.

The larger issue for Democrats is what Republicans knew about Foley's activities, when they knew it, and what they did about it - and whether key leaders or staff attempted a cover-up.

All this week, a special House [of Representatives] ethics⁸ committee meeting in a basement room of the U.S. Capitol has interviewed members of Congress, and current and former staffers, while a separate federal probe continues.

Republican Congressman⁹ John Shimkus was among those meeting the inquiry¹⁰ panel on Friday.

"[The committee is trying to find out] who knew what, when and where and we answered their questions honestly and forthrightly," he said.

House Republican Leader John Boehner and others are expected to go before the panel next week.

 
Dennis Hastert (file photo) 
  
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, has resisted calls for his resignation over the Foley controversy¹¹, but questions remain about the actions he or staff members took to deal with the situation.

But Hastert remains¹² under pressure because of testimony¹³ by Kirk Fordham, a congressional aide who resigned recently, that he told senior Hastert staff members several years ago about Foley's behavior - and some other contradictory¹⁴ accounts.

On Thursday, President Bush made a personal appearance with Hastert in Chicago.

"I am proud to be standing¹⁵ with the current Speaker of the House, who is going to be the future Speaker of the House," the president said.

Where the Foley scandal will rank in voter's minds when they go to the polls on November 7 cannot be predicted.

But a USA Today/Gallup poll showed those believing Republicans sought to cover-up the Foley problems for political reasons outnumbering those who didn't by 54 to 34 percent, with several polls showing Americans believe Hastert should step down.

Adding to the Republicans' woes¹⁶, Republican Congressman Bob Ney formally entered a guilty plea Friday to criminal conspiracy¹⁸ charges in connection with the influence-peddling scandal involving former Washington lobbyist Jack¹⁹ Abramoff.

While he is the first lawmaker to confess to criminal charges in relation to that scandal, the Abramoff matter earlier led to guilty pleas by two former aides to ex-Republican Majority Leader, Tom DeLay, and the conviction of a former White House official, David Safavian.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said the Ney matter demonstrated the need for a change in Congress.

Asked if Ney's admission of guilt¹⁷ underscored ethical²⁰ problems of Republicans, White House spokesman Tony Snow had this response.

"It's important that everybody be policed, Democrats or Republicans," he said. "If you have got money in your freezer, or skeletons in your closet, you better make sure that you're taking care of what's going on. I think it is incumbent²¹ on everybody to behave in a model way."

Snow's reference was to a Democratic House lawmaker, William Jefferson, who has denied bribery²² allegations after he was found with $90,000 in his home freezer, although he has not been formally charged as part of a federal corruption²³ probe.

The Jefferson matter has received substantially less media attention in the weeks leading to the November election, despite Republican attempts to highlight it as a double standard in the congressional ethics debate.

1 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 bode   

v.预示

参考例句：

• These figures do not bode well for the company's future.这些数字显示出公司的前景不妙。
• His careful habits bode well for his future.他那认真的习惯预示著他会有好的前途。

4 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

6 explicit   

adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的

参考例句：

• She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
• He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。

7 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

8 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

9 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

10 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

11 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

12 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

13 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

14 contradictory   

adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立

参考例句：

• The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。
• What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。

15 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

16 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

17 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

18 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

19 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

20 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

21 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

22 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

23 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。