美国有线新闻 CNN 2012-10-12

 No less than 30 years and no more than 60. That’s the prison sentence for Jerry Sandusky. He is the former football coach at Penn State University who was convicted in June of sexually abusing young boys. An investigation¹ blamed Penn State officials for covering up the situation. Sandusky’s lawyers say they plan to appeal his conviction. The night before he was sentenced, Sandusky maintained his innocence². He said, quote, “They can make me out as a monster, but in my heart I know I did not do these alleged³ disgusting acts.” One of Sandusky’s victim said that the prison, quote, “will never erase⁴ what he did to me.” The judge in the case told the victims that they would be remembered for their courage.

 

I’m Jonathan Mann, with another political jargon⁵ buster. What are super PACs? Their campaign attack ads are all over U.S. TV right now. Conservative Super PACs that back Mitt⁶ Romney.

And under Obama, nearly 800,000 more women are unemployed⁷.

 

The private sector⁸ is doing fine.

And liberal Super PACs that support President Obama.

And Mitt Romney will never convince us he’s on our side.

Technically⁹ known as independent expenditure¹⁰ only committee, they are new kind of political action committee only without many of the same restrictions¹² thanks to a pair of federal court cases, Super PACs can raise and spend unlimited¹³ amounts of money for or against political candidates. There is one key restriction¹¹. They are not allowed to work in conjunction with the candidate they support. But critics say Super PACs open election up to potential corruption¹⁴.

 

And on both sides we have this incredible amounts of money, and I guarantee you there will be a scandal, there is too much money washing around politics.

 

As of late September, nearly 900 Super PACs has spent more than $270 million on this year’s campaign. According to the campaign spending watchdog group, opensecrets.org, their millions could influence the elections. Super PACs.

 

Another issue that can have an impact on this year’s elections, voter ID laws. Many of you have a photo ID that you might wear for school. In some states, voters are required to show ID in order to vote. The rules are different from state to state. In some places, the IDs have to have photos on them, in other places they don’t. And this voter ID laws are controversial. Professor David Schultz explains why.

 

Voter fraud, voter ID, one of the big issues affecting the 2012 elections. 37 states have already enacted¹⁵ legislation or are considering enacting¹⁶ legislation requiring people to provide photo ID when they show up to vote in person in elections. Supporters of photo ID argue that it’s necessary to prevent fraud, opponents argue its voter intimidation¹⁷, or that voter fraud is not s serious problem in the United States. How does this debate start? It goes back to Florida, 2000. And in that race between George Bush and Al Gore¹⁸ out of 6 million votes cast, George Bush wins the election by 537 votes. Some claim that outcome was effected by fraud or by voter intimidation.

 

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

3 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

4 erase   

v.擦掉；消除某事物的痕迹

参考例句：

• He tried to erase the idea from his mind.他试图从头脑中抹掉这个想法。
• Please erase my name from the list.请把我的名字从名单上擦去。

5 jargon   

n.术语，行话

参考例句：

• They will not hear critics with their horrible jargon.他们不愿意听到评论家们那些可怕的行话。
• It is important not to be overawed by the mathematical jargon.要紧的是不要被数学的术语所吓倒.

6 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

7 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

8 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

9 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

10 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

11 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。

12 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

13 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

14 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

15 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

16 enacting   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Generally these statutes apply only to wastes from reactors outside the enacting state. 总之，这些法令只适宜用在对付那些来自外州的核废料。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• In addition, the complexion of enacting standards for live working is described. 另外，介绍了带电作业标准的制订情况。

17 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

18 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。