2006年VOA标准英语-House Approves Extended Barrier Along US Southe

By Dan Robinson
Washington
14 September 2006

The House of Representatives has approved by a vote of 283 138 a bill proposing construction of a 1,100 kilometer barrier along with U.S. southern border with Mexico. Debate was infused with election year politics, as Republicans portrayed¹ the legislation as vital in strengthening homeland security, while Democrats² called it a political measure to divert attention from stalled immigration reform efforts.

With a little more than two weeks before Congress adjourns³ to prepare for legislative⁴ elections, Republicans are using last-minute legislation in an effort to boost the chances of their candidates.

So politics formed the backdrop for the Secure Fence Act, which is composed mostly of provisions drawn⁵ from a border security bill the House had already approved last December.

That previous legislation caused a rift⁶ with the Republican-controlled Senate where lawmakers approved a more comprehensive immigration bill favored by President Bush who wants a guest worker program providing a path to citizenship⁷.

The bill approved by the House proposes a double-layer fence in five separate areas of the U.S.-Mexico border, including virtually all of the Arizona boundary with Mexico.

Republicans Roy Blunt and Jeb Hensarling drew connections with efforts to protect Americans from terrorists crossing today's porous⁸ borders:

"BLUNT: Today we continue our efforts to undertake emergency measures to ensure that the operational control of the border will continue to improve.

HENSARLING: Iraqis have been caught trying to infiltrate⁹ our southern border. Iranians have been detained trying to cross our southern border. Jordanians and people from countries where al-Qaida recruits."

In mandating¹⁰ that the government achieve operational control, the Republican-crafted bill calls for maximum use of high-technology such as un-manned aircraft, cameras and electronic ground sensors¹¹.

Democrats such as Congressmen Rueben Hinojosa and Lloyd Doggett asserted the legislation is more about politics, and ignores the need for broad immigration reform:

"DOGGETT: This is not so much about broken immigration policies, as it is about a House leadership that is desperately¹² trying to cling to power.

HINOJOSA: Fix immigration systems and you are assured better border security. The answer to this issue is comprehensive immigration reform."

Republicans say public hearings they held across the U.S. over the summer recess¹³ demonstrated that Americans want an extended physical barrier along the border with Mexico.

"The realities are that comprehensive [immigration] legislation is not going to be moving [approved], but again the American people are crying out, they are demanding that we take action," said Peter King, the Republican chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

But the final vote also highlighted Republican divisions.

Jim Kolbe, an Arizona Republican, explains his opposition¹⁴ to the barrier, while fellow Republican and Arizonian J.D. Hayworth urged support:

"KOLBE: The time has come to reject these kind of partial measures, more of the same that we have been doing, and get at the root of the problem. And the root of the problem as we well know is the job magnet in this country that pulls migrants in.

HAYWORTH: [These are] reasonable and necessary lines of demarcation between nation states, to ensure the sovereignty and security of those nation states in the post-9/11 world."

Democrats assert the legislation does nothing to address the situation on the northern border with Canada. And the bill mandates¹⁵ only a study of vulnerabilities there.

Republican Marsha Blackburn said Republicans understand that a border fence alone will not solve the problem.

"We know this is not the be all and end all, that it is one part of this important process. We get it, we hear the American people," she said.

House Republican leaders intend to move a package of related bills before the end of the month.

However, to become law the Senate would also have to act to get any of the measures to President Bush's desk for signature.

So it is no surprise that all of this was a subject of discussions between House and Senate Republicans and President Bush, who came to Capitol Hill on Thursday.

Also, a House committee approved a measure that would require anyone registering to vote in U.S. federal elections to show a photo identification by 2008, and provide proof of U.S. citizenship by 2010. Democrats oppose this, saying it will make it harder for many people to vote in elections.

1 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 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》

3 adjourns   

（使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Congress adjourns in 3 weeks, we can't do this alone. 距国会开会只有3个星期，我们不能单干。
• And so, at six in the morning, a victorious Convention adjourns. 这样，早上六点，胜利的国民议会休会了。

4 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

5 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

6 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

7 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

8 porous   

adj.可渗透的，多孔的

参考例句：

• He added sand to the soil to make it more porous.他往土里掺沙子以提高渗水性能。
• The shell has to be slightly porous to enable oxygen to pass in.外壳不得不有些细小的孔以便能使氧气通过。

9 infiltrate   

vt./vi.渗入，透过；浸润

参考例句：

• The teacher tried to infiltrate her ideas into the children's minds.老师设法把她的思想渗透到孩子们的心中。
• It can infiltrate as much as 100 kilometers into enemy territory at night.可以在夜间深入敌领土100千米。

10 mandating   

托管（mandate的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Current requirements mandating that committees keep minutes are too general. 目前对委员会要保持详细记录的指令性要求，还是太过一般化了。
• Mandating that workers who quit without permission forfeit a month's wages. 规定工人私自离岗将受到罚没一个月工资的处罚。

11 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

12 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

13 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

14 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

15 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。