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英語流利說 第8天

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帶著問題聽講解

1、文中的“anchor baby”指的是什麼?

2、你能找出幾種“違憲”的表達?

3、作者認為特朗普的舉動一旦成功會有哪些危機

紅色表示註釋

藍色表示句子主幹

Donald Trump’s Unconstitutional(違反憲法的) Dreams

In an interview with the news program “Axios on HBO,” President Trump announced that he plans to issue an executive order(專指美國總統釋出的行政令)

ending birthright citizenship, the principle(原則) that everyone born in the United States, with a handful of exceptions(除去少數的例外), is automatically a citizen of the United States.

“It was always told to me,” the president declared, “that you needed a constitutional amendment(修改,修正). Guess what? You don’t.”

In fact, such an order would undoubtedly(毫無疑問的) be unconstitutional. It would also violate a deeply rooted American idea — that anybody, regardless of race, religion, national origin, or the legal status(合法身份) of one’s parents, can be a loyal citizen of this country.

Birthright citizenship is established by the Civil Rights Act(民權法案)

of 1866, still on the books today, and by the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, ratified(指正式場合的簽署) two years later. Adopted as part of the effort to purge the United States of the legacy of slavery(奴隸制), the principle of birthright citizenship remains an eloquent statement(一份有力的申明) about the nature(性質) of American society, a powerful force for assimilation of the children of immigrants and a repudiation(拒絕接受) of our long history of racism(種族主義).

Mr. Trump’s prospective order would deny citizenship to children born in the United States to noncitizens. It is especially aimed at undocumented(未登記的,違法的) immigrants who supposedly(據說) pour into the country to have “anchor babies” — one of the president’s numerous exaggerations(n,誇大,誇張) when it comes to the dangers posed by immigration.

Mr. Trump’s order, if issued, will not only violate both the Constitution and deeply rooted American ideals(美國理想), but also set a dangerous precedent(先例). If the president can unilaterally(一方的) abrogate(撤銷,廢除) a provision(條款) of the Constitution by executive order, which one will be next?

重點詞彙

birthright:與生俱來的權力; birthright citizenship:出生公民權

amendment:修改,修正

deeply rooted:根深蒂固的

purge:指人的時候,表示暴力,肅清,purge sth of sb;purge sb from sth;指某物的時候,表清除,清洗不願有的記憶 

legacy:某事的後遺症

eloquent:有說服力的,be eloquent  of sth:清楚表明

assimilation:同化成為一部分

deny sth to sb:拒絕某人享有某種權利(正式);