美众议院通过一份强硬的移民法

US House Passes Tough Immigration Law

美众议院通过一份强硬的移民法

 

With a vote of 261 to 161, the House approved the Real ID Act, taking what the bill's Republican sponsors describe as an important step in safeguarding Americans against future terrorist attacks.

 

Last year's report of the independent commission that investigated security and other lapses² before the September 11, 2001 al-Qaida attacks said terrorists were able to take advantage of system loopholes and travel documents, especially drivers' licenses⁴.

 

The Real ID Act, to which still must be taken up by the Senate, directs states to ensure that applicants⁵ for licenses are U.S. citizens or are in the country legally.

 

Judges would get more power in deciding on deportation⁶, and applicants for asylum⁷ would have to show clearly that a central reason for their request was persecution⁸ due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.

 

The Department of Homeland Security would get new powers to tighten⁹ border security and track illegal immigrants.

 

In debate on the floor of the House of Representatives, Republicans such as Congressman¹⁰ J. D. Hayworth, argued that the attacks of September 11, provided indisputable reasons for passing the legislation.

 

J. D. Hayworth: In the wake of September 11, in the wake of clear and demonstrable evidence that there are those who come to this nation with the intent of harming and killing¹¹ Americans, who are bent¹² on the destruction of our nation, and our system of government, at long last this body should take the steps necessary to preserve our security and our liberty.

 

Democrats¹³ contended that the legislation would have a chilling effect on civil liberties and the ability of people seeking to immigrate¹⁴ for legitimate¹⁵ reasons.

Congressman Howard Berman called the asylum provisions of the legislation flawed.

 

Howard Berman: If Section 101 (referring to asylum) becomes law, people with a well-founded fear of persecution as a result of these changes will be denied asylum. There will be no effort whatsoever¹⁶ to enhance our effort to protect this country against terrorism, but we will have struck a fundamental blow against a tradition which I think is very important to maintain in this country and that is that we are a haven¹⁷ for refugees from persecution, for political, ethnic¹⁸, religious, gender¹⁹ reasons.

 

Republicans also pointed²⁰ to the September 11 attacks in promoting a key provision of the bill, which directs that a drivers' license³ in the hands of someone with a temporary visa would expire at the same time the visa expires.

Republican Congressman Pete Sessions offered an amendment²¹ aimed at ensuring that once someone is ordered deported²², they are speedily returned to their home country.

 

Pete Sessions: Sadly, according to our government's best statistics, only 13 percent of the aliens arrested entering the country illegally and ordered deported, are actually removed. As a result, people entering the country illegally and with criminal or terrorist intent have quickly learned that if arrested they can be quickly released on their own word, and that they can be confident in the knowledge they do not have to show up for their hearing knowing they will likely never be deported.

 

The bill was opposed by many civil liberties groups and organizations working to protect immigrant rights, and by state governors and motor vehicle departments who said it would impose unnecessary burdens on the driver's license approval process.

 

President Bush this week announced his support for the legislation, which Republican lawmakers had wanted to place in a much larger bill approved last year reforming the U.S. intelligence system.

 

The Senate would have to pass its own version of the legislation, and the two congressional chambers²³ would have to work out differences, before the law could go to President Bush for signature.

 

Dan Robinson, VOA news, Capitol Hill.

 

注释：

lapse¹ [lAps] n. 失误，丧失，过失

al-Qaida 基地组织

loophole [5lu:phEul] n. 枪眼，射弹孔

deportation [7dipC:5teiFEn] n. 移送，充军，放逐

asylum [E5sailEm] n. 庇护，收容所，救济院，精神病院

indisputable [7indis5pju:tEbl] adj. 无争论之余地的，明白的

chilling effect 激冷效应

haven [5heivn] n. 港口，避难所

alien [5eiljEn] n. 外侨

1 lapse   

n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效

参考例句：

• The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.这一事故被看作是一次严重的安全疏忽。
• I had a lapse of memory.我记错了。

2 lapses   

n.失误，过失( lapse的名词复数 )；小毛病；行为失检；偏离正道v.退步( lapse的第三人称单数 )；陷入；倒退；丧失

参考例句：

• He sometimes lapses from good behavior. 他有时行为失检。 来自辞典例句
• He could forgive attacks of nerves, panic, bad unexplainable actions, all sorts of lapses. 他可以宽恕突然发作的歇斯底里，惊慌失措，恶劣的莫名其妙的动作，各种各样的失误。 来自辞典例句

3 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

4 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

5 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

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 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

8 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

9 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

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 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

12 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

13 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 immigrate   

v.（从外国）移来，移居入境

参考例句：

• 10,000 people are expected to immigrate in the next two years.接下来的两年里预计有10，000人会移民至此。
• Only few plants can immigrate to the island.只有很少的植物能够移植到这座岛上。

15 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

16 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

17 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

18 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

19 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

20 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

21 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。

22 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》

23 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网