2007年VOA标准英语-US Attorney General to Testify Thursday Before

By Deborah Tate
Washington
18 April 2007

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday about the controversy¹ surrounding the firing of federal prosecutors². VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

Alberto Gonzales

In testimony³ released in advance of his appearance before the Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Gonzales apologizes to the eight federal prosecutors who were fired, but says none was removed for improper⁴ reasons.

The Judiciary Committee is probing whether the dismissals were politically motivated, and whether the attorney general misled Congress about his role in the matter.

In his prepared testimony, Gonzales acknowledges that some of his past statements about the matter have been "imprecise," but he says it was not an attempt to mislead the American people.

But several lawmakers on the committee say the attorney general's prepared remarks are inadequate⁵. Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the panel's top Republican, says Gonzales needs to disclose more facts about the firings. He made his comments on ABC's This Week program.

"At a minimum, he ought to have a case-by-case analysis and either justify⁶ the reasons for replacing them, or concede that he was wrong," he said.

Senator Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat⁷, echoed those comments at a news conference Wednesday.

"I hope the attorney general cooperates with full, complete and unambiguous answers. We expect nothing less. We hope that by the end of Thursday, we are closer, not further, from the truth," he said.

Democrats⁸, and some Republicans, have called for Gonzales' resignation over his handling of the matter.

But at the White House, spokeswoman Dana Perino reiterated⁹ President Bush's support for Gonzales.

"The attorney general has the full confidence of the president. The president wanted the Justice Department to be fully¹⁰ responsive and they have been," she said.

The growing controversy has prompted the resignations of two top aides to Gonzales, including his chief of staff. The attorney general says he has done nothing that would warrant his own resignation.

1 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。

2 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

3 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。

4 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

5 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

6 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

7 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。

8 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》

9 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

10 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。