VOA标准英语2009年-Hundreds Attend Public Hearing on Plan

Supporters and opponents of a plan to transfer about 100 detainees from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to a prison in the U.S. state of Illinois attended a public hearing on the matter Tuesday.

Kane Farabaugh | Sterling¹, Illinois 23 December 2009

 
Photo: AP
In handout² photo from Department of Defense³, Taliban and al-Qaida detainees in orange jumpsuits sit in holding area under watchful⁴ eyes of military police at Camp X-Ray at Naval⁵ Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (file)

While many residents in the area support the move because of the jobs they hope it will bring, many across the state oppose any plan to house detainees on U.S. soil.  The hearing in the town of Sterling, Illinois, offered a chance for the public to hear from officials on the plan.

In mid-December, President Barack Obama directed the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to purchase the under-utilized Thomson Correctional Center in western Illinois from the state to house about 100 detainees from Guantanamo.  The proposed sale touches on two major issues for residents in the area: providing jobs and money to an area suffering high unemployment during the recession, and concerns about security if terror suspects are housed there.

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn's Chief Operating Officer Jack⁶ Lavin said selling Thomson to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons would help create jobs.

"The White House Counsel of Economic Advisors⁷ has estimated that up to 3,800 jobs and more than $1 billion of economic activity in Illinois will be generated in just its first four years of operation," Lavin said.

Lavin spoke⁸ before members of the State of Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability gathered at a high school auditorium⁹ in Sterling, about 30 kilometers from the Thomson prison, for the only public hearing on the proposal.

He also sought to allay¹⁰ concerns about security.

"No detainees transferred from Guantanamo to the United States will be released domestically," Lavin said. "No detainees transferred to Thomson will be tried in Illinois Federal Courts."

That did not convince many of the several hundred people - supporters and opponents - in attendance.

Though not an Illinois resident, Debbie Lee traveled from Arizona to attend the hearing.  Her son, Marc, a U.S. Navy Seal, died in Iraq in 2006.  She says she visited the military prison at Guantanamo Bay in 2008 and opposes bringing terror suspects to the United States.

"I'm here today to make sure that they hear my voice and hear what I personally saw down there," Lee said. "My son gave up his life fighting terrorists so that we wouldn't ever have them back here in this country again."

 Tom Brackemeyer, however, said he supports the sale of the prison.  He said the benefit to the local community would go beyond jobs at the prison itself.

"We've lost jobs, we need jobs," Brackemeyer said.  "It's not only the jobs inside the prison.  It's the jobs it will create outside the prison.  There's going to be expanded jobs outside."

Todd Pustelnik, currently a prison guard at Thomson, worried the proposed sale could jeopardize¹¹ his job because the federal and state prison systems have different requirements.

"We don't have rights to slide over into the federal prison system," Pustelnik said.  "We would have to go ahead and apply just like everyone else, and the requirements to work in a federal facility versus¹² a state facility are a little difficult for me." 

The 12-member commission will deliver its findings to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. Even if the commission members oppose the sale of the prison, Governor Quinn is not obligated to follow their recommendations.
 

1 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。

2 handout   

n.散发的文字材料；救济品

参考例句：

• I read the handout carefully.我仔细看了这份分发的资料。
• His job was distributing handout at the street-corner.他的工作是在街头发传单。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 watchful   

adj.注意的，警惕的

参考例句：

• The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。
• It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。

5 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

6 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

7 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

8 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。

9 auditorium   

n.观众席，听众席；会堂，礼堂

参考例句：

• The teacher gathered all the pupils in the auditorium.老师把全体同学集合在礼堂内。
• The stage is thrust forward into the auditorium.舞台向前突出，伸入观众席。

10 allay   

v.消除，减轻(恐惧、怀疑等)

参考例句：

• The police tried to allay her fears but failed.警察力图减轻她的恐惧，但是没有收到什么效果。
• They are trying to allay public fears about the spread of the disease.他们正竭力减轻公众对这种疾病传播的恐惧。

11 jeopardize   

vt.危及，损害

参考例句：

• Overworking can jeopardize your health.工作过量可能会危及你的健康。
• If you are rude to the boss it may jeopardize your chances of success.如果你对上司无礼，那就可能断送你成功的机会。

12 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。