精听+精析-----------奥巴马提名最高法院法官

529 President Radio Address

 

Sonia Sotomayor，索尼娅•索托马约尔，奥巴马提名的最高法院法官

 

 

 

 

现年54岁

女性

拉美裔（波多黎各人）

普林斯顿大学毕业，耶鲁法学院博士

成长于纽约布朗区某政府保障性大楼内

现任纽约第二巡回上诉法院法官（克林顿提名）

1991年任联邦地区法院法官（老布什提名）

极端自由派人士，支持平权措施、堕胎与控制枪支

司法能动主义者，曾公开宣称“上诉法院是制定政策的地方”（杜克大学演讲）

接替的退休大法官为大卫•苏特尔(David Souter)，老布什提名，自由派

预计在任命过程中将有一番争斗，但共和党参议员能否凑足41票以杯葛议事则还不确定

 

 

 

段落1-This week, I nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the U.S. Court of Appeals to replace Justice David Souter, who is retiring after nearly two decades on the Supreme Court. After reviewing many terrific candidates, I am certain that she is the right choice.  In fact, there has not been a nominee in several generations who has brought the depth of judicial experience to this job that she offers.

 

 

解析：

Court of Appeals 上诉法庭， the second highest court in U.S.

Justice David Souter 前最高法院法官

Be retiring 即将退休

Supreme Court, 最高法院; 容易听成Spring Court, 很多人抓不准这个Supreme, 需加强

Bring the depth of judicial experience to this job 将司法系统工作经验带到这个工作上

 

 

段落2-Judge Sotomayor’s career began when she served as an Assistant District Attorney in New York, prosecuting violent crimes in America’s largest city. After leaving the DA’s office, she became a litigator, representing clients in complex international legal disputes. She was appointed to the U.S. District Court, serving six years as a trial judge where she presided over hundreds of cases. And most recently, she has spent eleven years on the U.S. Court of Appeals, our nation’s second highest court, grappling with some of the most difficult constitutional and legal issues we face as a nation. She has more experience on the federal bench than any incoming Supreme Court Justice in the past 100 years.  Quite simply, Judge Sotomayor has a deep familiarity with our judicial system from almost every angle.

 

 

解析：

Assistant District Attorney 地区检察官助理

DA: District Attorney

Litigator 诉讼律师

Complex international legal disputes  复杂的国际法律纠纷

Preside over 负责=be responsible for

Grapple with difficult issues 努力解决困难的问题

On the federal bench 在联邦法官这一职位上

Incoming 后起(之辈)

Have a deep familiarity with…from almost every angle 对…的了如指掌

 

 

段落3-And her achievements are all the more impressive when you consider what she had to overcome in order to achieve them.  Judge Sotomayor grew up in a housing project in the South Bronx; her parents came to New York from Puerto Rico during the Second World War. Her father was a factory worker with a third grade education; when she was just nine years old, he passed away. Her mother worked six days a week as a nurse to provide for her and her brother, buying the only set of encyclopedias in the neighborhood and sending her children to Catholic school. That’s what made it possible for Judge Sotomayor to attend two of America’s leading universities, graduating at the top of her class at Princeton University, and studying at Yale Law School where she won a prestigious post as an editor of the school’s Law Journal.

 

 

解析：

All the more 备受，更加

Housing project 公共住房(工程), 政府掌管供穷人使用，类似廉租房

Bronx 布朗克斯区，纽约市最穷的地区

Puerto Rico 波多黎各 (美国属地,位于西印度群岛东部的岛屿)

Third grade education 三年制教育

Provide for 供养，准备

Set of encyclopedias 一整套百科全书

Catholic school 天主教教会学校

Graduate at the top of her class at….University 以全班第一名毕业于…

Princeton University 普林斯顿大学

Yale Law School 耶鲁法学院

Win a prestigious post 赢得富有盛名的职位

Law Journal 法律刊物

 

 

段落4-These many years later, it was hard not to be moved by Judge Sotomayor’s mother, sitting in the front row at the White House, her eyes welling with tears, as her daughter – who had come so far, for whom she sacrificed so much – was nominated to the highest court in the land.

 

 

解析：

Front row 头一排

Well with tears  泪水涌出

Have come so far 感叹的说法， 以后再说，“经历那么多，真不容易啊！” 别说 it’s not easy.

Whom容易听成home，有时候老美读why, 听上去上 “坏”, 把w,发成“hua”

 

 

★值得背诵

段落5-And this is what makes Judge Sotomayor so extraordinary. Even as she has reached the heights of her profession, she has never forgotten where she began. She has faced down barriers, overcome difficult odds, and lived the American dream. As a Justice of the Supreme Court, she will bring not only the experience acquired over the course of a brilliant legal career, but the wisdom accumulated over the course of an extraordinary journey – a journey defined by hard work, fierce intelligence, and the enduring faith that, in America, all things are possible.

 

 

解析：

Reach the heights of one’s profession 达到事业的高峰

Never forget where you began 从未忘本

Face down barriers 面对困难毫无畏惧

Overcome difficult odds 克服各种挑战

Live the American dream 实现了美国梦

Experience acquired 获得的经验

Wisdom accumulated 积累的智慧

 

 

段落6-It is her experience in life and her achievements in the legal profession that have earned Judge Sotomayor respect across party lines and ideological divides. She was originally named to the U.S. District Court by the first President Bush, a Republican.  She was appointed to the federal Court of Appeals by President Clinton, a Democrat.  She twice has been overwhelmingly confirmed by the U.S. Senate.  And I am gratified by the support for this nomination voiced by members of the legal community who represent views from across the political spectrum.

 

 

解析：

Party lines 党派界线

Ideological divides 意识形态的分歧

Gratified by…满意

From across the political spectrum 来自各种政治势力, 这个political spectrum “政治光谱”， 很抽象的概念，这里我就意译了。

 

 

段落7-There are, of course, some in Washington who are attempting to draw old battle lines and playing the usual political games, pulling a few comments out of context to paint a distorted picture of Judge Sotomayor’s record. But I am confident that these efforts will fail; because Judge Sotomayor’s seventeen-year record on the bench – hundreds of judicial decisions that every American can read for him or herself – speak far louder than any attack; her record makes clear that she is fair, unbiased, and dedicated to the rule of law. As a fellow judge on her court, appointed by Ronald Reagan, said recently, "I don’t think I’d go as far as to classify her in one camp or another. I think she just deserves the classification of outstanding judge."

 

 

解析：

Draw old battle lines 划清久的党派斗争的界线

Pull a few comments out of context to paint a distorted picture of….record  

从字面上提取一些只言片语对索尼眼的履历进行一番丑化

Speak far louder than any attack 事实胜于任何的攻击

Unbiased 公正的

Rule of law 法治

 

 

段落8-Congress returns this week and I hope the confirmation process will begin without delay. No nominee should be seated without rigorous evaluation and hearing; I expect nothing less. But what I hope is that we can avoid the political posturing and ideological brinksmanship that has bogged down this process, and Congress, in the past. Judge Sotomayor ought to be on the bench when the Supreme Court decides what cases to hear this year and I’m calling on Democrats and Republicans to be thorough, and timely in dealing with this nomination.

 

 

解析：

Rigorous evaluation and hearing 严格的评估和听证会(程序)

Nothing less  完全

Political posturing 政治上故作姿态

Brinksmanship 边缘政策 a policy of pushing dangerous situation to the brink of a disaster

Bog down 拖延，使陷入困境

 

 

段落9-As President, there are few responsibilities more serious or consequential than the naming of a Supreme Court Justice. The members of our highest court are granted life tenure.  They are charged with applying principles put to paper more than two centuries ago to some of the most difficult questions of our time. And the impact of their decisions extends beyond an administration, but for generations to come.

 

 

解析：

Consequential 重要的

Be granted life tenure 授予终身任期

Impact of their decisions extends beyond an administration 他们所做的决定将会有深远的影响，者不仅仅只是在一届政府中体现

 

 

段落10-This is a decision that I have not taken lightly and it is one that I am proud to have made. I know that Justice Sotomayor will serve this nation with distinction. And when she ascends those marble steps to assume her seat on the Supreme Court, bringing a lifetime of experience on and off the bench, America will have taken another important step toward realizing the ideal that is chiseled above its entrance: Equal justice under the law.

 

 

解析：

With distinction 凭借卓越

Ascends those marble steps to assume her seat 踏上通往最高法院法官宝座的大理石台阶

On and off the bench 无论是否在职

Chiseled above its entrance 凿刻在（最高法院）入口上方

Equal justice under the law 法律面前司法平等

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0