VOA标准英语2014--US Immigrant Families Push for Reform 美国移民家庭推动改革

 

US Immigrant Families Push for Reform 美国移民家庭推动改革

CAPITOL HILL — Advocates for immigrant rights are calling on President Barack Obama to suspend deportations of otherwise law-abiding residents who are undocumented while Congress considers reforming the nation's immigration laws.

Allies of the president are criticizing the Obama administration for deporting² more than 1.9 million undocumented immigrants. 

Immigrant rights groups are increasingly frustrated³ by the Obama administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants.

Two of those groups hosted an event on Capitol Hill, calling on Congress and the president to suspend deportations they say are tearing families apart.

Maria Perez is a U.S. citizen who never thought she would see her husband deported⁴ to Mexico. She came to the event.  

"Even though my husband was undocumented, I always believed President Obama that the focus of deportations were violent criminals and felons," she said. "My husband is neither. He’s a good father, a good husband who provided for his family. But on October 16, three officers came to our house..."

Perez says the arrest traumatized their children.

"They handcuffed him, they arrested him, in front of my children," she said. "To this day, my son goes white when he sees officers."

Many families face the same fate, including U.S. citizen Seleste Wisniewski, whose husband has been granted a one-year reprieve⁵ from deportation¹.  He's the primary caregiver of four American children, including her adult son who has cerebral⁶ palsy.

"I can speak firsthand that the family life is not taken into consideration," she said. "What goes on in the home - if they would have just listened and seen, I was begging them - put two ankle bracelets⁷ on every member of my household, don’t take this man, please. Don’t take my husband!"

Advocates for reform say the Republican-controlled House of Representatives should act.  The Senate passed immigration reform last year.

"Too many voices on the other side of the aisle⁸ are saying ‘go slow’ or ‘not now’ and it’s up to all of us who know that reform is urgent to say that’s not good enough," said Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren. "The time is now to move forward."

But Speaker of the House John Boehner was pessimistic about immigration reform passing this year. He said Republicans don't trust the president.

"... I think the president is going to have to demonstrate to the American people and to my colleagues that he can be trusted to enforce the law as it is written," he said.

Republicans say border security should be the priority before any talk of legalizing the undocumented.     

 

Immigration rights activists⁹ vow¹⁰ to keep up the pressure - on the president and Congress.

1 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。

2 deporting   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的现在分词 )；举止

参考例句：

3 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 reprieve   

n.暂缓执行（死刑）；v.缓期执行；给…带来缓解

参考例句：

• He was saved from the gallows by a lastminute reprieve.最后一刻的缓刑令把他从绞架上解救了下来。
• The railway line, due for closure, has been granted a six-month reprieve.本应停运的铁路线获准多运行6 个月。

6 cerebral   

adj.脑的，大脑的；有智力的，理智型的

参考例句：

• Your left cerebral hemisphere controls the right-hand side of your body.你的左半脑控制身体的右半身。
• He is a precise,methodical,cerebral man who carefully chooses his words.他是一个一丝不苟、有条理和理智的人，措辞谨慎。

7 bracelets   

n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The lamplight struck a gleam from her bracelets. 她的手镯在灯光的照射下闪闪发亮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• On display are earrings, necklaces and bracelets made from jade, amber and amethyst. 展出的有用玉石、琥珀和紫水晶做的耳环、项链和手镯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

9 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》

10 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。