2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Urges Action on Terrorist Surveillance Leg

By Paula Wolfson
Washington
01 August 2007

President Bush is urging the U.S. Congress to move quickly to rewrite rules for terrorist surveillance. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports the White House wants to see action before lawmakers adjourn¹ later this week for a month-long recess².

Tony Snow

White House Spokesman Tony Snow says reforming the current terrorist surveillance law, the 30-year-old Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) - is a top priority for the administration.

 "Prior to recess, probably the most important short-term goal for Congress, a requirement really, is to reform the FISA law," he said.

Under current law, the government must get a warrant from a special court before it can conduct surveillance on communications between people in the United States and contacts abroad believed to have terrorist ties.

Snow argues the law was drafted decades before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, and predated the advent³ of cellphones and e-mail. He says it is time to reduce constraints⁴ on the government's ability to conduct wiretaps without prior court approval.

"It is absolutely vital at the time of a heightened threat environment to realize the present system simply is not as responsive as it needs to be in terms of providing the flexibility⁵ and speed in acting⁶ on actionable intelligence," he said.

The president personally made the case for change to congressional leaders Wednesday during a private meeting at the White House.

After the session, the top Democrats⁷ told reporters they will do all they can to bring the issue up for a vote as soon as possible.

Alberto Gonzales, 24 July 2007

But Senate Majority Leader Harry⁸ Reid warned that the fate of the surveillance program has become intertwined with the controversy⁹ surrounding Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. He indicated many members will be reluctant to support reform legislation that is seen as giving Gonzales power to order warrantless wiretaps.

"The hang up as I see it now is what the involvement of the attorney general would be," he said.

Gonzales is already under fire on Capitol Hill from some senators who believe he has given misleading testimony¹⁰ about support for the surveillance program within the Justice Department. Some senior Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have called for an independent inquiry¹¹ into allegations the attorney general committed perjury¹².

1 adjourn   

v.（使）休会，（使）休庭

参考例句：

• The motion to adjourn was carried.休会的提议通过了。
• I am afraid the court may not adjourn until three or even later.我担心法庭要到3点或更晚时才会休庭。

2 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

3 advent   

n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临

参考例句：

• Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。
• The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。

4 constraints   

强制( constraint的名词复数 )； 限制； 约束

参考例句：

• Data and constraints can easily be changed to test theories. 信息库中的数据和限制条件可以轻易地改变以检验假设。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• What are the constraints that each of these imply for any design? 这每种产品的要求和约束对于设计意味着什么？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

5 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

6 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

7 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》

8 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

9 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。

10 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。

11 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。

12 perjury   

n.伪证；伪证罪

参考例句：

• You'll be punished if you procure the witness to commit perjury.如果你诱使证人作伪证，你要受罚的。
• She appeared in court on a perjury charge.她因被指控做了伪证而出庭受审。