2006年VOA标准英语-Deep Rifts in US Senate Over Immigration

By Michael Bowman
Washington
02 April 2006

U.S. senators are voicing sharp divisions on what should become of millions of illegal immigrants, as they consider a variety of proposals to reform America's immigration system. Meanwhile, immigrant-rights rallies continue, with a march in New York City.

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In what has emerged as a fierce and polarizing immigration debate, there is one idea that senators agree on: that the United States must have greater control over its borders, through which hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens pass every year. But there is little agreement on how to accomplish that goal, or how to treat the more than 11 million undocumented aliens estimated to be living in the United States.

 

 
Barack Obama 
  

Speaking on ABC's This Week program, Illinois Democratic Senator Barack Obama said he favors a three-step approach.

"Improving border security, tightening¹ employer sanctions [penalties for those who hire illegal workers]. The second provision is providing a pathway to citizenship². We have 11 to 12 million undocumented workers in the country. We want to regularize their lives. The third component³ is a guest worker program," said Obama.

Also appearing on This Week, Republican George Allen of Virginia said there must be no reward for breaking U.S. laws.

"There is a consensus⁴ in America that we need to secure our borders," commented Allen. "If we have a reward of illegal behavior, all we will get is more illegal behavior. There are many people who have come into this country legally."

Backers of the citizenship path counter that illegal aliens would have to pay fines and submit to background checks, among other steps, in order to be considered for eventual⁵ citizenship.

Senator Obama says it is the only practical option available.

"The notion that somehow these 12 million people are going to get on a bus and go back across the border just is not realistic," he added.

But Senator Allen disagrees, arguing that, if labor⁶ laws prohibiting the employment of undocumented workers were rigorously enforced, illegal aliens would return to their native lands on their own.

"The main point is: enforce the law. Right now, it is illegal to hire those who are [here] illegally. And if there is a workable, efficient, practical way of hiring legal workers in this country, employers will do that. Then, those who are here illegally will see that they cannot find work in this country, and they are going to have to leave," he argued.

Yet U.S. business groups warn of dire⁷ consequences for the U.S. economy, if the supply of inexpensive labor from abroad were to disappear.

Immigrant-rights groups point out that many illegal aliens have U.S.-born children, who are American citizens, and that forcing the parents to leave the country would tear families apart.

Protesters pray during the The Great Walk in Solidarity⁸ With Immigrants in New York, April 1, 2006,   
  
A bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives would designate illegal aliens as felons⁹, and mandate¹⁰ constructing more than 1,000 kilometers of new fence along the U.S. - Mexico border. What action the Senate may take is unclear, but many immigrants and immigrant-rights supporters have vociferously¹¹ protested the House legislation as an abdication¹² of America's history as a welcoming nation.

Sunday, demonstrators marched across New York's Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan. Dozens of other demonstrations¹³ have been held across the country in recent weeks.

 
 

1 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

2 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

3 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

4 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

5 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

8 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

9 felons   

n.重罪犯( felon的名词复数 )；瘭疽；甲沟炎；指头脓炎

参考例句：

• Aren't those the seats they use for transporting convicted felons? 这些坐位不是他们用来押运重犯的吗？ 来自电影对白
• House Republicans talk of making felons out of the undocumented and those who help them. 众议院共和党议员正商议对未登记的非法移民以及包庇他们的人课以重罪。 来自互联网

10 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

11 vociferously   

adv.喊叫地，吵闹地

参考例句：

• They are arguing vociferously over who should pay the bill. 他们为谁该付账单大声争吵。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Annixter had cursed him so vociferously and tersely that even Osterman was cowed. 安尼克斯特骂了他的声音之大，语气之凶，连奥斯特曼也不禁吓了一跳。 来自辞典例句

12 abdication   

n.辞职；退位

参考例句：

• The officers took over and forced his abdication in 1947.1947年军官们接管了政权并迫使他退了位。
• Abdication is precluded by the lack of a possible successor.因为没有可能的继承人，让位无法实现。

13 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。