【英语时差8,16】残疾人教育法

The I.D.E.A – Today on Congressional Moment

 

    Since 1917, education has been compulsory¹ for American children, but even by the 1970s, the educational needs and rights of children with disabilities were addressed only sparsely², at the local level. Most schools deemed them "too difficult to teach," and many children spent unfulfilled, dismal³ lives at home or in impersonal⁴ state institutions.

 

    The Disability Rights movement drew national attention in the 1960s, when Ed Roberts, paralyzed from the neck down, gained admission to the University of California at Berkeley. He was housed in the campus hospital, and protested. Fellow students joined his protest, and he was eventually given an independent living facility on campus.

 

    The issue came before Federal courts in 1972, which determined⁵ that the right to a basic education was tied directly to the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment⁶. Proponents⁷ in Congress seized that connection, and began working on a law requiring all states to provide disabled children with an education, and financial assistance to create and maintain this service within local communities.

 

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or I.D.E.A., was enacted⁸ by Congress in 1975 to guarantee free and appropriate public education for children with disabilities, in the least restrictive environment possible.

 

    The I.D.E.A. continues to help millions of children with disabilities become productive members of society.

 

    STANDARD CLOSING: This is Lee Hamilton. Congressional decisions impact all our lives. To find out more about how Congress works, or to get involved in your government, visit the Center On Congress Web site at congress.indiana.edu.

1 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

2 sparsely   

adv.稀疏地；稀少地；不足地；贫乏地

参考例句：

• Relative to the size, the city is sparsely populated. 与其面积相比，这个城市的人口是稀少的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The ground was sparsely covered with grass. 地面上稀疏地覆盖草丛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 dismal   

adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的

参考例句：

• That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
• My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。

4 impersonal   

adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的

参考例句：

• Even his children found him strangely distant and impersonal.他的孩子们也认为他跟其他人很疏远，没有人情味。
• His manner seemed rather stiff and impersonal.他的态度似乎很生硬冷淡。

5 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

6 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

7 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句

8 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