2006年VOA标准英语-US Senate Begins Debate on Proposal to Ban

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
05 June 2006
 
The U.S. Senate Monday opened debate on a proposed Constitutional amendment¹ to ban gay marriage in what is seen as an appeal by Senate Republican leaders to their party's conservative base this congressional election year. But the measure lacks the necessary support to survive a vote later this week.

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George W. Bush speaking against gay marriage 
  

The proposed Constitutional amendment has the support of President Bush, who called on the Senate to act on the measure out of concern that judges in several states have overturned laws defining marriage as between a man and woman.

"Marriage is the most fundamental institution of civilization, and it should not be redefined by activist² judges," said President Bush.

Senator Wayne Allard, a Colorado Republican who is a sponsor of the proposed amendment, agrees.

"Activists³ and lawyers have devised a strategy to use the courts to redefine marriage," said Wayne Allard. "This strategy is a clear effort to override⁴ public opinion and the long-standing opposition⁵ to traditional marriage and to force same-sex marriage on society."

But critics say the only reason President Bush and Republican supporters are promoting the measure is to appease⁶ members of the party's conservative base, who - according to public opinion polls - have grown disaffected⁷ with the Bush White House and the Republican Congress over the war in Iraq, immigration reform and other issues.
 

Senator Patrick Leahy
  
  
Senator Patrick Leahy is a Vermont Democrat⁸:

"The Republican leadership's strenuous⁹ efforts to move this proposed amendment to the Senate floor for debate shows how important it is to the Republican leadership of the Senate to cater¹⁰ to the extreme right wing and special interest groups agitating¹¹ for a fight over this issue," said Patrick Leahy. "They intend to stir up an election year fight and use it as a campaign tool in a political strategy."

Many social conservatives applaud the push for a Constitutional amendment. But others see it as purely¹² political.

Bruce Fein, former Associate Deputy Attorney General in the Reagan administration, questions why President Bush and Senate Republicans waited until five months before the congressional elections to address the issue.

"The political motivation behind this is simply not to advance a conservative political principle, but simply to advance the agenda that is essential to the Bush administration's popular support and the Republican Party's popular support going into the 2006 elections," said Bruce Fein. "That seems to me, when it comes to a matter of such high moment as amending¹³ the Constitution, to rank no higher than a very squalid motive¹⁴."

The Senate is to vote on the measure later this week. But it faces stiff opposition from Democrats¹⁵ and Republican moderates, who believe the issue should be decided¹⁶ by the states.

A similar amendment failed in both the Senate and House of Representatives in 2004.

Public opinion polls show a majority of Americans oppose same-sex marriages, but that opposition has been eroding in recent years

1 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

5 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

6 appease   

v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足

参考例句：

• He tried to appease the crying child by giving him candy.他试图给那个啼哭的孩子糖果使他不哭。
• The government tried to appease discontented workers.政府试图安抚不满的工人们。

7 disaffected   

adj.（政治上）不满的，叛离的

参考例句：

• He attracts disaffected voters.他吸引了心怀不满的选民们。
• Environmental issues provided a rallying point for people disaffected with the government.环境问题把对政府不满的人们凝聚了起来。

8 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

9 strenuous   

adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的

参考例句：

• He made strenuous efforts to improve his reading. 他奋发努力提高阅读能力。
• You may run yourself down in this strenuous week.你可能会在这紧张的一周透支掉自己。

10 cater   

vi.(for/to)满足，迎合；(for)提供饮食及服务

参考例句：

• I expect he will be able to cater for your particular needs.我预计他能满足你的特殊需要。
• Most schools cater for children of different abilities.大多数学校能够满足具有不同天资的儿童的需要。

11 agitating   

搅动( agitate的现在分词 )； 激怒； 使焦虑不安； （尤指为法律、社会状况的改变而）激烈争论

参考例句：

• political groups agitating for social change 鼓吹社会变革的政治团体
• They are agitating to assert autonomy. 他们正在鼓吹实行自治。

12 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

13 amending   

改良，修改，修订( amend的现在分词 )； 改良，修改，修订( amend的第三人称单数 )( amends的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Amending acts in 1933,1934, and 1935 attempted to help honest debtors rehabilitate themselves. 一九三三年，一九三四年和一九三五年通过的修正案是为了帮助诚实的债务人恢复自己的地位。
• Two ways were used about the error-amending of contour curve. 采用两种方法对凸轮轮廓曲线进行了修正。

14 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

15 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》

16 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。