VOA常速英语2018--卡瓦诺的提名给参议院带来无尽考验（在线收听）

The Supreme Court is the ultimate arbiter of what is permitted under the US Constitution. Its members reach the bench through a process that begins with the president.

最高法院是美国宪法允许的最终仲裁者，其成员经历总统提名的过程才能位列法官席。 

“Tonight, I speak to you from the East Room of the White House, regarding one of the most profound responsibility of the President of the United States, and that is the selection of a Supreme Court justice.”

今晚，我在白宫东厅就美国总统最深远的责任之一向你们发表讲话，最高法院法官的选拔 

Once nominated Supreme Court picks, faced rigorous scrutiny starting with the Senate Judiciary Committee.

一旦被提名为最高法院候选人，就会面临从参议院司法委员会开始的严格审查。 

“Judge Brett Kavanaugh came before us for a job interview, a lifetime appointment to the highest court land.”

布雷特·卡瓦诺法官来到我们面前接受面试，关乎终身任职最高法院法官的工作面试。 

For days the committee grills the nominee on his judicial philosophy and his interpretation of the law and the Constitution.

一连几天，委员会都在询问被提名人的司法理念，以及他对法律和宪法的解释。 

“Can an American citizen collaborating with other terrorists or not American citizens be held as an ‘enemy combatant’.”

美国公民可以与其他恐怖分子合作吗？或者美国公民不能被当作敌方战斗员？  

Then the committee votes on whether to recommend the nominee to the full Senate.

然后委员会投票决定是否向全体参议院推荐被提名人。 

Last week the committee narrowly advanced Kavanaugh, one day after Christine Blasey Ford testified that the nominee sexually assaulted her as a teenager. Kavanaugh denied the charge. The FBI has been given one week to investigate sexual misconduct allegations before a final Senate vote.

上周，在克莉丝汀·布拉西·福特证实这位被提名者青少年时期曾性侵她，一天之后，委员会以微弱优势推进了卡瓦诺的竞选。而卡瓦诺否认了这一指控。美国联邦调查局被要求在参议院最后投票前一周对性不端指控进行调查。

“The full Senate will begin considering judge Kavanaugh’s nomination today.”

参议院全体议员今天将开始考虑对卡瓦诺法官的提名。 

Legal scholars say constitutional duties are being met even if the process is extraordinarily messy.

法学专家说，即使这个过程非常混乱，宪法职责也会得到满足。 

“Indeed the president has nominated a potential justice to fill the vacancy and the Senate is considering it. However it was very questionable whether the Senate is actually doing a good job, of considering the issues that have come up.

事实上，总统已经提名了一位潜在的法官来填补这个空缺，参议院正在考虑这个空缺。然而，参议院是否真的很好地考虑了已经出现的问题，这是非常值得怀疑的。

51 votes are needed to confirm a nominee in the 100 member chamber. Republicans have 51 members a number that could change in next month’s elections. If Democrats vote lockstep against Kavanaugh they would need two Republicans to join them to defeat the nominee, since Vice President Mike Pence would cast the deciding vote in the event of a 50-50 split.

在100个成员的议院中，需要51票才能确认提名。共和党有51名成员，这个数字在下个月的选举中可能会改变。如果民主党与卡瓦诺势均力敌，他们将需要两名共和党人加入其中，才能击败提名人选，因为副总统迈克?彭斯将在两党平分秋色的情况下投出决定性的一票。