VOA标准英语2013--Washington Week: Focus on Filibusters
时间：2019-01-14 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2013年(七月)
Washington Week: Focus on Filibusters 2
Until recent years, filibustering 3 meant holding the Senate floor and speaking non-stop to prevent a vote, as portrayed 4 by Jimmy Stewart in the 1939 movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
Backers of racial segregation 5 famously - or infamously 6 - filibustered 7 civil-rights legislation in the 1950s and 60s. Earlier this year, Republican Senator Rand Paul held the floor for 13 hours to draw attention to the use of domestic drones.
Most modern filibusters are never seen. A senator files a motion to prevent a vote, and unless a three-fifths supermajority disagrees, the vote is blocked. Once a rare practice, almost all Senate votes of consequence must now overcome a filibuster 1.
“Is there anybody out there in America that thinks this body is functioning well," asked Majority Leader Harry 8 Reid.
The Nevada Democrat 9 says his party will move to change filibuster rules this week unless Republicans allow confirmation 10 votes on high-profile nominees 11 submitted by President Barack Obama to lead federal agencies. Reid says the ability of the government to function is at stake.
“The constitution gives the president, whoever that president may be, the right and the power to choose his team. It grants the Senate the right to advise and consent on those choices. But consistent and unprecedented 12 obstruction 14 by the Republican caucus 15 has turned ‘advise and consent’ into ‘deny and obstruct’," he said.
Republicans warn of dire 16 consequences for American democracy.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “That [rules change] would violate every protection of minority rights that have defined the U.S. Senate for as long as anyone can remember. Let me assure you this Pandora’s Box, once opened, will be utilized 17 again and again by future majorities."
In 2005, Democrats 18 were in the minority and defended the filibuster to block judicial 19 nominees submitted by then-President George W. Bush.
“They [Republicans] think the Senate should be a rubber stamp for this president," said Senator Reid at the time.
Then-majority leader Bill Frist accused Democrats of abusing the filibuster and setting a dangerous precedent 13. “To enshrine new tyranny of the minority into the Senate rules forever," he said.
Changing the Senate rules by a simple majority vote has been dubbed 20 the “nuclear option”, given its potential to forever alter America’s legislative 21 landscape.
- A senator dragged the subject in as a filibuster.一个参议员硬把这个题目拉扯进来，作为一种阻碍议事的手法。
- The democrats organized a filibuster in the senate.民主党党员在参议院上组织了阻挠议事。
- This Republican leadership has waged 78 filibusters and we still have six months to go. 而这届参议院上台才一年半，共和党领导层已经应用了78次。 来自互联网
- Yes, there were filibusters in the past-most notably by segregationists trying to block civil rights legislation. 没错，过去也有使用阻挠立法手段的——尤其是种族隔离分子阻止民权法案使用过。 来自互联网
- 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》
- Many school boards found segregation a hot potato in the early 1960s.在60年代初，许多学校部门都觉得按水平分班是一个棘手的问题。
- They were tired to death of segregation and of being kicked around.他们十分厌恶种族隔离和总是被人踢来踢去。
- They will not have much cause of triumph when they see how infamously I act. 当他们看到我演得那么糟糕时，他们就不会有多少理由感到胜利了。
- Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
- Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
- The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
- About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。
- We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
- We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。
- She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
- A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网
- The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
- A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。
- Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
- This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。
- She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。
- The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。
- This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
- It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。
- There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
- We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。
- In the19th century waterpower was widely utilized to generate electricity. 在19世纪人们大规模使用水力来发电。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The empty building can be utilized for city storage. 可以利用那栋空建筑物作城市的仓库。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- 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》
- 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。
- Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
- Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
- 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。