VOA标准英语2013--美国活动人士积极推动移民改革

 

Activists¹ Fast for Immigration Reform 美国活动人士积极推动移民改革

CAPITOL HILL — A group of activists has been fasting in Washington for more than two weeks to pressure Speaker of the House John Boehner to allow a vote on  comprehensive immigration reform. A landmark² immigration bill has already been passed by the Senate by a wide margin³, but House leaders say they are unlikely to take  up the bill this year.

Those who are fasting have captured the attention of some members of Congress and of President Obama; several members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus⁴ visited the  hunger strikers to express solidarity⁵.

Cristian Avila, from Arizona, said he is fasting because he lives in fear of his family being divided by deportation⁶.

“Fortunately my brother, sister and I are privileged with a deferred⁷ action, but my parents are still undocumented. So every day that goes by is another day that I  wonder if I am going to see my parents again, whether they are going to get picked up,” said Avila.

Democrat⁸ Ruben Hinojosa, who heads the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, wants the Republican majority in the House to act.

"There has been a lot of discussion about there not being any time left in the legislative⁹ calendar to do immigration reform, but that is not correct. The Speaker of  the House has the power to bring it to the floor and to allow all 435 members of Congress to have a vote on it," said Hinojosa.

Democratic Congressman¹⁰ Luis Gutierrez had harsh words for House Speaker John Boehner.

"So you might dictate¹¹ the schedule of the House of Representatives, but we dictate the movements of this fight and this struggle. And we will be consistent and  persistent," declared Gutierrez.

Speaking in San Francisco, President Obama said immigration reform is long overdue¹², and expressed support for those who are fasting.

“Right now, I'm seeing brave advocates who have been fasting for two weeks in the shadow of the Capitol, sacrificing themselves in an effort to get Congress to act,”  said Obama.

At that point, the president was interrupted by an immigrant from South Korea.

“You have a power to stop deportation for all undocumented immigrants in this country,” said the immigrant. “Actually, I don’t. And that’s why we’re here,”  replied Obama.

Obama explained that Congress has to act first. But House Speaker Boehner says the process takes time.

“Our committees are continuing to do their work, there are a lot of private conversations that are under way, to try to figure out how we best move on a common sense,  step by step basis to address this very important issue,” said Boehner.

Meanwhile, for hunger striker Avila, the fast is starting to take its toll¹³.

“At day nine, I think we are starting to see a little bit of the effects of the fasting.  Just walking, standing¹⁴ up for long periods of time, you feel the fatigue¹⁵ a  little bit more,” explained Avila.

Advocates of immigration reform say there is no time to waste. 

1 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》

2 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

3 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

4 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

5 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

6 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

7 deferred   

adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。
• a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划

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 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

10 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

11 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？

12 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

13 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

14 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

15 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。