VOA常速英语2018--卡瓦诺的提名给参议院带来无尽考验

The Supreme¹ Court is the ultimate arbiter² of what is permitted under the US Constitution. Its members reach the bench through a process that begins with the president.

最高法院是美国宪法允许的最终仲裁者，其成员经历总统提名的过程才能位列法官席。 

“Tonight, I speak to you from the East Room of the White House, regarding one of the most profound responsibility of the President of the United States, and that is the selection of a Supreme Court justice.”

今晚，我在白宫东厅就美国总统最深远的责任之一向你们发表讲话，最高法院法官的选拔 

Once nominated Supreme Court picks, faced rigorous scrutiny³ starting with the Senate Judiciary Committee.

一旦被提名为最高法院候选人，就会面临从参议院司法委员会开始的严格审查。 

“Judge Brett Kavanaugh came before us for a job interview, a lifetime appointment to the highest court land.”

布雷特·卡瓦诺法官来到我们面前接受面试，关乎终身任职最高法院法官的工作面试。 

For days the committee grills⁴ the nominee⁵ on his judicial⁶ philosophy and his interpretation⁷ of the law and the Constitution.

一连几天，委员会都在询问被提名人的司法理念，以及他对法律和宪法的解释。 

“Can an American citizen collaborating⁸ with other terrorists or not American citizens be held as an ‘enemy combatant’.”

美国公民可以与其他恐怖分子合作吗？或者美国公民不能被当作敌方战斗员？  

Then the committee votes on whether to recommend the nominee to the full Senate.

然后委员会投票决定是否向全体参议院推荐被提名人。 

Last week the committee narrowly advanced Kavanaugh, one day after Christine Blasey Ford⁹ testified that the nominee sexually assaulted her as a teenager. Kavanaugh denied the charge. The FBI has been given one week to investigate sexual misconduct allegations before a final Senate vote.

上周，在克莉丝汀·布拉西·福特证实这位被提名者青少年时期曾性侵她，一天之后，委员会以微弱优势推进了卡瓦诺的竞选。而卡瓦诺否认了这一指控。美国联邦调查局被要求在参议院最后投票前一周对性不端指控进行调查。

“The full Senate will begin considering judge Kavanaugh’s nomination¹⁰ today.”

参议院全体议员今天将开始考虑对卡瓦诺法官的提名。 

Legal scholars say constitutional duties are being met even if the process is extraordinarily¹¹ messy.

法学专家说，即使这个过程非常混乱，宪法职责也会得到满足。 

“Indeed the president has nominated a potential justice to fill the vacancy¹² and the Senate is considering it. However it was very questionable¹³ whether the Senate is actually doing a good job, of considering the issues that have come up.

事实上，总统已经提名了一位潜在的法官来填补这个空缺，参议院正在考虑这个空缺。然而，参议院是否真的很好地考虑了已经出现的问题，这是非常值得怀疑的。

51 votes are needed to confirm a nominee in the 100 member chamber¹⁴. Republicans have 51 members a number that could change in next month’s elections. If Democrats¹⁵ vote lockstep against Kavanaugh they would need two Republicans to join them to defeat the nominee, since Vice¹⁶ President Mike Pence would cast the deciding vote in the event of a 50-50 split.

在100个成员的议院中，需要51票才能确认提名。共和党有51名成员，这个数字在下个月的选举中可能会改变。如果民主党与卡瓦诺势均力敌，他们将需要两名共和党人加入其中，才能击败提名人选，因为副总统迈克?彭斯将在两党平分秋色的情况下投出决定性的一票。

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 arbiter   

n.仲裁人，公断人

参考例句：

• Andrew was the arbiter of the disagreement.安德鲁是那场纠纷的仲裁人。
• Experiment is the final arbiter in science.实验是科学的最后仲裁者。

3 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

4 grills   

n.烤架( grill的名词复数 )；（一盘）烤肉；格板；烧烤餐馆v.烧烤( grill的第三人称单数 )；拷问，盘问

参考例句：

• Backyard barbecue grills could be proscribed. 里弄烤肉店会被勒令停业的。 来自辞典例句
• Both side inlets have horizontal grills and incorporate impressive fog lamps. 两侧进气口的水平烤架并纳入令人印象深刻的雾灯。 来自互联网

5 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

6 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

7 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

8 collaborating   

合作( collaborate的现在分词 )； 勾结叛国

参考例句：

• Joe is collaborating on the work with a friend. 乔正与一位朋友合作做那件工作。
• He was not only learning from but also collaborating with Joseph Thomson. 他不仅是在跟约瑟福？汤姆逊学习，而且也是在和他合作。

9 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

10 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

11 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

12 vacancy   

n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺

参考例句：

• Her going on maternity leave will create a temporary vacancy.她休产假时将会有一个临时空缺。
• The vacancy of her expression made me doubt if she was listening.她茫然的神情让我怀疑她是否在听。

13 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

14 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

15 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》

16 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。