VOA标准英语 Lawmakers Urge More Action to Prevent Flu-Infected T

Members of the U.S. Congress - particularly those representing states along the border with Mexico and Canada - are calling on the Obama administration to do more to prevent travelers infected with swine flu from entering the United States. They made their appeals to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano during a Senate hearing looking at the federal response to the swine flu outbreak.

A number of lawmakers have suggested closing U.S. borders as a way to stop swine flu-infected travelers from entering the country. Their concern was heightened by news that the first death from the virus in the United States was a 23-month-old boy from Mexico who died in Texas.
　
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano (r) and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in Washington, 29 Apr 2009

Testifying before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano said closing U.S. borders would cause immense trade and economic disruption and would be ineffective in controlling the spread of the disease.

"Making such a closure now has not been merited by the facts," she said. "It would have very little marginal benefit in terms of containing the outbreak of virus within our own country."

Some senators said if border closures would not be considered, the U.S. government should step up monitoring of travelers entering the United States.

Former Republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain, is from the southern border state of Arizona.

"I really hope we would pursue vigorously better technological¹ and scientific and closer observation of people going across the border than is presently the case," he said.

Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from the northern border state of Maine, suggested the United States could follow the example of a number of Asian nations.

"Other countries are being far more aggressive in their screening," she said. "Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, and the Philippines, are all using thermal² scanners. These scanners are able to detect if a passenger has a fever, and then the person could be set aside."

But Secretary Napolitano said such technology is ineffective.

"With respect to the thermal scanners, they are not always accurate," said Napolitano. "They are not as precise as what we wish. In addition, you have travelers who actually have the flu who do not have a temperature. So they don't really sift³ out travelers who are ill from those who are not."

Napolitano said border patrol officers are actively⁴ monitoring travelers who wish to enter the United States. She said those who appear ill are interviewed about their current health status and travel history.

Napolitano said she would consider additional steps to better screen the health of migrant agricultural workers who are given temporary visas.

Meanwhile, Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the panel that efforts are underway to develop a vaccine⁵ against the swine flu, and it could be ready as early as September.

1 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

2 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

3 sift   

v.筛撒，纷落，详察

参考例句：

• Sift out the wheat from the chaff.把小麦的壳筛出来。
• Sift sugar on top of the cake.在蛋糕上面撒上糖。

4 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

5 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。