2006年VOA标准英语-States Take on Task of Dealing With Illegal US

By Zulima Palacio
Washington, DC
27 July 2006
 
watch Immigration report

 
Day laborers³ witing for work 
  
The controversy⁴ over illegal immigrants in the United States has been heating up during the last few months. Efforts in Congress to curb⁵ illegal immigration have stalled. But many state governments have taken the initiative to create their own solutions.   Melinda Smith narrates⁶ this report.

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Illegal immigration and the need for cheap labor² have created a difficult political fight that is being debated in the halls of Congress and in many state legislatures.

 
Lindsay Lowell  
  
Lindsay Lowell is Director of Policy Studies at the Institute for the Study of International Migration¹ at Georgetown University. He says the U.S. would not have some industries if it did not have access to cheap labor.

"The data seems to indicate employers surely do benefit when they are able to pursue business opportunities they would not be able to pursue otherwise and consumers benefit to a small amount because they get certain kinds of goods cheaper than they would otherwise."

It has been against U.S. law to hire illegal immigrants since 1986.  The law has been enforced with audits⁷, raids and fines levied⁸ against businesses that hired illegal workers.  Experts say the number of fines has fallen during the last six years. 

 
John Keely 
  
John Keeley is the Director of Communications at the Center for Immigration Studies. He says, "Of the 12 million illegal aliens the federal government estimates that are here today, we believe seven million of them are in the workforce⁹.  We further believe about half of them, 3.5 million, are working "on the books" and the other half, obviously, are for cash payments on the ground, on an underground economy."

It is this underground economy that worries many states and local jurisdictions¹⁰. The cost of educating the children of illegal workers and the cost of health care fall on local governments. So they increasingly are taking on the role of enforcement. During the last six months at least 30 states have considered more than 75 bills targeting illegal immigrants and those who hire them. 

In Colorado, for example, the state legislature recently passed one of the toughest immigration reform bills in the nation.  Governor Bill Owens has promised to sign it in the next few days.  It would require a state identification card for every citizen who wants government services.

"We have one standard: if you are going to receive federal benefits, you are going to have to prove you are a citizen," said the governor.  "(There are) a million people in Colorado that will have to prove that."

A measure has been approved in Pennsylvania that would revoke¹¹ the business licenses¹² of companies that hire undocumented workers. The city council of Hazelton, Pennsylvania made English the city's official language despite protests from the Latino community. Hazelton also cracked down on landlords and businesses that assist illegal immigrants with housing or jobs. 

Mayor Lou Barletta  
  
Hazelton Mayor Lou Barletta said, "Anyone who is in the city of Hazelton illegally, they need to be concerned. For those that are here legally, this is their home, and I am their mayor, and this is our community.

Experts say more than half of illegal immigrants in the U.S. pay income taxes.  They also say that while some states are trying to integrate illegal immigrants into the community many others are tightening¹³ laws to discourage them from settling in their states.  Either way, the debate over the nearly seven million illegal workers in the U.S. will continue for many months.

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

4 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

5 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

6 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

7 audits   

n.审计，查账( audit的名词复数 )v.审计，查账( audit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Requires that use of all bond funds is subject to independent audits. 需要使用的所有债券基金是受独立审计。 来自互联网
• Support the locations during customer-visits, audits and quality-improvement programs. 支持客户参观，稽核和提高品质等项目。 来自互联网

8 levied   

征（兵）( levy的过去式和过去分词 )； 索取； 发动（战争）； 征税

参考例句：

• Taxes should be levied more on the rich than on the poor. 向富人征收的税应该比穷人的多。
• Heavy fines were levied on motoring offenders. 违规驾车者会遭到重罚。

9 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

10 jurisdictions   

司法权( jurisdiction的名词复数 )； 裁判权； 管辖区域； 管辖范围

参考例句：

• Butler entreated him to remember the act abolishing the heritable jurisdictions. 巴特勒提醒他注意废除世袭审判权的国会法令。
• James I personally adjudicated between the two jurisdictions. 詹姆士一世亲自裁定双方纠纷。

11 revoke   

v.废除，取消，撤回

参考例句：

• The university may revoke my diploma.大学可能吊销我的毕业证书。
• The government revoked her husband's license to operate migrant labor crews.政府撤销了她丈夫管理外来打工人群的许可证。

12 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

13 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。