2007年VOA标准英语-New Majority in a New Congress

By Peter Fedynsky
Washington, DC
04 January 2007
 
watch New Congress report

 
The new, 110th session of the U.S. Congress opens today with Democrats¹ enjoying majority status in both houses for the first time in 12 years.  But whether they can translate a slight numerical advantage into legislation is an open question.  As VOA's Peter Fedynsky reports, a successful session could depend not only on the ability of Democrats to rise above partisan² interests, but also above personal ones.

Incoming congressional Democrats are promising³ to raise the minimum wage, cut interest on student loans, expand stem cell research and control energy company profits -- all within the first 100 hours of the new session.  But the president can veto measures he does not agree with, and the Democrats do not have enough votes to override⁴ him. 

In an op-ed article in "The Wall Street Journal" on Wednesday, President Bush offers to cooperate in a spirit of bipartisanship.  But he also warns lawmakers: "If they choose to pass bills that are simply political statements, they will have chosen stalemate." 

Amy Walter is a political analyst⁵ with the Cook Political Report. She says, "The president is saying to Democrats, you're not the only ones who control the agenda here.  I am the president; I am the bully⁶ pulpit.  I am going to put my agenda forward."

Analysts⁷ say the president is likely to compromise on issues such as minimum wage and social security reform.  But unlike Democrats, Mr. Bush supports tax cuts and opposes stem cell research.  The president is also likely to spark controversy⁸ if, as expected, he proposes a troop surge in Iraq. 

 
Bruce Riedel, Middle East Analyst, Brookings Institution
But prominent Democrats, including several with presidential ambitions, oppose a troop increase.  Bruce Riedel is a Middle East Analyst at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, D.C.  "It will be no surprise to anyone that all of this will be intimately connected with presidential maneuvering⁹, as all of those people will be thinking about where their position on a surge places them in regards to 2008."

Analysts expect the Democrats to use the committee process to oversee¹⁰ the administration's handling of Iraq policy and other important issues. Bob Cusack, managing editor of "The Hill," a newspaper about Congress, says successful legislation depends on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's ability to control the personal interests and agendas of her committee chairmen. "If she can work with them cooperatively, and not get into a lot of public spats¹¹, I think that's going to be the key to her success."

Pelosi, the new speaker of the House and the first woman to hold the position, says American voters have demanded a change of direction in Congress.

"They spoke¹² out for a new direction to bring integrity - integrity - back to Washington.  And we will make this the most honest, ethical¹³ and open Congress in history," she said.

 
Bob Cusack, managing editor of "The Hill"
Bob Cusack says Democrats know that voters expect them to pass ethics¹⁴ reform, although many lawmakers would prefer not to. "It's always tough passing lobbying/ethics reforms, because the Congress is, therefore, regulating itself.  And a lot of lawmakers don't like those rules; they don't like having to report quarterly.  They just don't like record-keeping requirements; they just don't like all of these onerous¹⁵ requirements on themselves."

The new Congress begins with bipartisan calls for … bipartisanship.  But Congress is a human institution, where the ideal of political cooperation often collides with the realities of partisan interests.  The 110th Congress has two years to determine if that collision will be hard or soft.

1 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》

2 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

3 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

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 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

6 bully   

n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮

参考例句：

• A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。

7 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。

8 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。

9 maneuvering   

v.移动，用策略( maneuver的现在分词 )；操纵

参考例句：

• This Manstein did, with some brilliant maneuvering under the worse winter conditions. 曼施坦因在最恶劣的严冬条件下，出色地施展了灵活机动的战术，终于完成了任务。 来自辞典例句
• In short, large goals required farsighted policies, not tactical maneuvering. 一句话，大的目标需要有高瞻远瞩的政策，玩弄策略是不行的。 来自辞典例句

10 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

11 spats   

n.口角( spat的名词复数 )；小争吵；鞋罩；鞋套v.spit的过去式和过去分词( spat的第三人称单数 )；口角；小争吵；鞋罩

参考例句：

• Gasoline is a solvent liquid that removes grease spats. 汽油是一种能脱去油迹的有溶解能力的液体。 来自辞典例句
• Then spats took a catnap, and the bird looked out for dogs. 然后斯派茨小睡了一会儿。小鸟为它站岗放哨，防止狗跑过来。 来自互联网

12 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

13 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。

14 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。

15 onerous   

adj.繁重的

参考例句：

• My household duties were not particularly onerous.我的家务活并不繁重。
• This obligation sometimes proves onerous.这一义务有时被证明是艰巨的。