(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Join us now for Words and Their Stories, a program from VOA Learning English.
Each week, we tell the story of words and expressions used in American English. Some of them are old. Some are new. Together, they form the living and always changing language of the American people.
In the United States during an election, voters go to the polls to cast their votes.
When deciding on which candidate to support, voters consider many things. They consider the issues a candidate supports. They also consider from whom the candidate receives money or campaign donations.
And that brings us to our word for this Words and Their Stories. It's a political word: "lobby." "Lobbying" is an attempt to influence a legislator's vote on a bill.
Lobbying has been a legal activity since the earliest days of the United States.
The First Amendment to the Constitution says that no law may prevent people from petitioning or requesting the government to change things the people feel are wrong.
The right of the people to petition the government has led to lobbying. Lobbying is a type of free speech.
English speakers have used the word "lobby" for almost 400 years.
The lobby was the large room next to the House of Commons in the British Parliament. The lobby was a public area where private citizens could meet with legislators to make requests. So, people who met in the lobby with legislators were called "lobbyists."
Besides politics, a lobby is also part of many large buildings. Many apartment buildings and hotels have lobbies. You also can meet your friends in the lobby of a theater or concert hall during the intermission of a performance. This, however, does not make you a lobbyist.
During the early years of the United States, lobbyists had a bad name.
There were many cases of lobbyists buying the votes of lawmakers. They were seen by the public as dishonest people who influenced legislation illegally for their own private gain.
In later years, Congress and state legislatures passed laws to restrict dishonest lobbying activities. Lobbyists must register with the government and they must follow many complex regulations.
Legislators and the public began to recognize the value of the job done by honest lobbyists. There are many honest lobbyists who try to influence legislation.
Lobbyists and lobby groups have an active part in making laws. They help inform Congress and the public about problems and issues.
Lobbyists provide technical information about legislative proposals. And lobbyists let lawmakers know whom a bill would help and whom it would hurt.
As the federal government has expanded, so has the number of special interest groups: industries, labor unions, professional organizations, citizens groups and representatives of foreign interests. These special interest groups all lobby Congress.
A lobbyist represents a group and tries to advance its interests. When a bill is proposed that affects that group, a lobbyist meets with lawmakers to explain the group's position.
There are so many lobbyists that almost every side of an issue is represented. Some experts say the number of registered lobbyists is decreasing.
However, other experts don't agree. They claim the number of lobbyists actively lobbying the U.S. government is actually growing. However, to avoid the lobby registration system and regulations these lobbyists have gone underground -- or they do their lobbying out of public view. This does not help their public image.
And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories.
I'm Anna Matteo.
重点解析
1.concert hall 音乐厅
This piece really belongs in the concert hall.
这曲子很适合在音乐厅演奏。
2.public image 公众形象
They were aware that their public image was rapidly going down the drain.
他们意识到他们的公众形象正迅速被毁掉。
3.labor unions 工会
At the same time, labor unions won long-term employment contracts and other benefits for their members.
同时工会为其成员争取到了长期雇用合同及其他利益。
参考译文
一起加入《词汇掌故》，一档来自VOA学英语的节目。
每周我们会给大家介绍美语里的单词和表达。有些是老词，有些是新词。但它们都来源于生活以及美国人不断变化的语言。
在美国选举期间，选民们去投票站投票。
当决定支持哪位候选人时，选民们会考虑很多事情。他们会考虑候选人支持的问题。他们也会考虑候选人的赞助和竞选捐款的钱是谁出的。
这引出了今天《词汇掌故》的单词。它是个政治词汇：“lobby（游说）”。“游说”是一种为了影响立法者对法案的投票而做的努力。
游说活动自美国早期就是一种合法活动。
《美国宪法第一修正案》规定：任何法律都不得阻止人们向政府请愿或者要求政府改变人民认为错误的事情。
人民向政府请愿的权利衍生出了游说。游说是一种言论自由。
母语是英语的人使用“游说”这个词几乎已经有四百年了。
民众接待厅（lobby）是英国国会下院旁边的一个大房间。民众接待厅是一个市民可以向立法者提建议的公共区域。所以，在民众接待厅见立法者的人被称为“说客”。
除了政治方面，“lobby”也指许多大型建筑物的一部分。许多公寓建筑和酒店都有大厅。你也可以在剧院的大厅或者演出间歇期间的音乐厅见面。但这并不能使你成为说客（lobbyist）。
美国早期时候，说客名声不太好。
有很多说客花钱买立法者的投票的案例。这些人被大众看作是为了一己私利非法影响立法的不诚实的人。
几年之后，国会和州的立法机关通过了限制不正当游说活动的法律。说客必须在政府机关注册，并且必须遵循许多复杂的规章制度。
立法者和大众开始认识到正规说客工作的价值性。有许多致力于影响立法的正规说客。
说客和说客团体在立法方面起到了积极的作用。他们帮助国会和公众知悉问题和议题。
说客提供有关立法提案的技术信息，也让立法者们知道一项法案会对谁有利，对谁有弊。
随着联邦政府地壮大，特殊利益集团的数量也在增加：行业，工会，专业组织，市民群体和外国利益代表。这些特殊利益群体都在游说国会。
一个说客就代表一个群体，并努力想要提升群体的利益。当一个与他们群体相关的法案被提案后，说客与立法者会面解释该群体的立场。
说客是如此之多，所以几乎问题每个方面的代表都有了。一些专家说说客注册的数量正在减少。
但是其他的专家并不同意。他们宣称积极游说美国政府的说客数量实际上在增加。然而，为了避免说客注册系统和说客的规章制度，这些说客转为地下了——或者说他们的游说活动消失在了大众视野。这对他们的公众形象没有什么益处。
又到了《词汇掌故》节目的尾声。
我是安娜·马特奥。
