VOA标准英语2010年-Thousands Rally in US Capital, Demandi

Thousands of immigrant rights advocates pack the National Mall during an immigration reform rally in Washington, DC, 21 March 2010

Thousands of supporters of immigration reform rallied in the nation's capital on Sunday, voicing their frustration¹ with the government's pace of handling the complex issue. The gathering² was both a serious and lively gathering that brought together politicians, labor³ representatives and religious leaders to try to push the issue back on to the table.

Many participants at the rally waved American flags and held signs that were written in both Spanish and English.

Some had stark⁴ messages such as "Reform Immigration Before Others Die." Others carried signs that read: "Change Takes Courage."

On a massive stage and in crowds, participants of the "March for America" urged U.S. President Barack Obama to follow through on his promise to overhaul⁵ the immigration system.

Leyda Lopez came to Sunday's rally with her mother who entered the country illegally from Equador nearly two decades ago.  Leyda says she is concerned about the state of the immigration reform debate.

"It's a lost, because like the president is saying he is going to do something and he never do it, we are waiting for that," she said. "And we want justice."

Leyda's mother, Mely, says that because of her status, she has been unable to return to Equador to see the rest of her family for 18 years.

Mely says that while the push for immigration reform is difficult, it should not be impossible. She says that those who are here illegally want to be legalized.

Yulmi Rock, a middle-aged⁶ worker who came to the rally with other members of his family says many who have come to the United States are professionals who just want to work for this country and make a contribution.

Yulmi says many work 15-16 hours a day, holding two jobs and are underpaid because they are undocumented. He says frequently they are taken advantage of and exploited and that is not just.

Immigration reform failed in Congress in 2006 and 2007 and President Obama promised to make the issue a top priority during his first year in office.

However, since stepping into office last January, Mr. Obama's agenda has been overwhelmed by the issue of health care reform, the economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The president addressed participants at the rally in a video message, pledging to work together with Congress this year and fix what he called the United States "broken immigration system."

Mr. Obama said that some of problems with the system include families being torn apart, employers gaming the system and the struggles police officers face trying to keep communities safe.

Just last week, Mr. Obama praised the bi-partisan efforts of two Senators who put forward an outlined framework for immigration reform legislation.

The bill from Democratic Senator Charles Schumer and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham seeks to reinforce border controls and calls for the creation of a high-tech⁷ Social Security card to ensure that employers hire only legal workers.

The outline also includes proposals for a temporary worker program and penalties that would allow illegal immigrants to stay such as paying fines and back taxes and performing community service.

As key mid-term elections near in November, the immigration issue is likely to draw more attention. Many Republicans have opposed immigration reform without tougher enforcement of immigration laws and border enforcement. There are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrations in the United States.

Some political analysts⁸ argue that the issue is unlikely to gain any traction⁹ before then, especially if concerns over the near 10 percent unemployment rate and health care continue to dominate the political agenda. 
 

1 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 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。

4 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

5 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

6 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

7 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

8 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

9 traction   

n.牵引；附着摩擦力

参考例句：

• I'll show you how the traction is applied.我会让你看如何做这种牵引。
• She's injured her back and is in traction for a month.她背部受伤，正在作一个月的牵引治疗。