PBS高端访谈:俄勒冈州有11人失踪

NICK SCHIFRIN: In Oregon tonight, there are 11 people missing, 11 state lawmakers who are nowhere to be found, as part of a partisan¹ standoff now in its fifth day. And, as William Brangham reports, there is no end in sight.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: This was the scene today in Oregon's State Senate chamber², once again, much emptier than normal. The body's 11 Republicans didn't show up for work again, after launching a walkout five days ago to stop the state Senate from acting³ on a contentious⁴ climate bill. That bill would make Oregon just the second state in the nation to put in place a so-called cap-and-trade system to try and limit the carbon emissions⁵ that are driving climate change. The state House has already cleared the bill, with strong backing from environmental groups. But opponents, which include workers in the state's logging industry, rallied at a weekend protest at the state capitol, saying that a cap-and-trade system would hurt certain industries.

MAN: This bill is going to destroy the logging industry, and frankly⁶, is going to make people like me, who are a wildland firefighter, it's going to make our jobs more deadly.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: With the legislative⁷ session set to conclude at the end of this month, Senate Republicans last week telegraphed that they were considering a walkout.

BRIAN BOQUIST (R), Oregon State Senator: We're at the 11th hour. If you don't think these boots are for walking, you're flat wrong, Mr. President.

And if you send the state police to get me, hell's coming to visit you personally.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: That same state senator, Republican Brian Boquist, also issued a threat, that if Democratic Governor Kate Brown were to order state police to try and forcibly return him and other legislators, there could be violence.

BRIAN BOQUIST: This is what I told the superintendent⁸. Send bachelors and come heavily armed.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Brown has, in fact, ordered state police to bring back the senators who walked out.

GOV. KATE BROWN (D-OR): Senate Republicans failed to show up, and failed to do their jobs.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: She has also said she'd force lawmakers to convene⁹ even if the clock on the legislative session runs out. For the PBS NewsHour, I'm William Brangham.

尼克：今晚，俄勒冈州有11人失踪。这11人是州议员，他们人间蒸发了。与此同时，一场党派僵局已经持续了5天。根据我台记者威廉发回的报道，这件事看不到头。

威廉：我身后就是俄勒冈州参议院的现场情况，今天依然和前几天一样，空荡荡的，这不符合常情。这11名共和党议员并未现身上班。他们5天前罢工了，目的是阻止州参议院对备受争议的气候法案采取什么行动。该法案会让俄勒冈州成为美国第二个实行限额体系的州，而实行限额体系的目的是限制碳排放量，缓解气候变化。俄勒冈州众议院已经通过了这项法案，此举得到了很多环保组织的支持。但该法案的反对者，比如俄勒冈州伐木业的工人，则聚集在一起，于周末在州国会大厦处发起了抗议。他们认为，限额体系会损害现有的一些行业。

男：坦白讲，该法案会损害伐木业的利益，会让像我这样的森林消防员增加工作的危险程度。

威廉：随着立法会议结束日期的迫近，上周，参议院的一些共和党议员发电报称他们正在考虑罢工。

布莱恩，俄勒冈州参议员：我们已经罢工11小时了。如果你认为我们不会这么干的话，你就大错特错了，总统先生。而如果你要派州警察来抓我的话，恐怕被找上门的人会是你。

威廉：参议员布莱恩还发出威胁，称民主党州长布朗如果下令让州警察尝试强迫将他和其他议员遣送回家的话，那这就是暴力行为。

布莱恩：我已经告诉过警视了，大可以派人全副武装地来抓我。

威廉：实际上，布朗已经下令让州警察把罢工的参议员带回来了。

州长布朗：参议院的一些共和党议员没有来上班，他们渎职了。

威廉：布朗还说自己会迫使这些参议员一起参会，虽然会议快结束了。感谢收听威廉发回的《新闻一小时》报道。

1 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

2 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。

3 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

4 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

5 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

6 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

7 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。

8 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

9 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。