华尔街日报：白宫的专权

写在前面

这周的「考研英语真题精读专栏」我们讲考研英语一2013 Text 4的真题原文，出自《华尔街日报》。 这篇文章是考研英语阅读里较少触及的政治类文章，涉及美国宪法、联邦制以及三权分立等背景知识，包含较多的专有名词，大家注意积累。文章比较长，我们这周先带大家读第一到四段。

想简单了解一下考研英语真题专栏的读者朋友，我们后期会根据大家的反馈调整内容，请大家帮忙投个票，谢谢！

食用指南

在正式开始阅读前，我先教大家如何最大化的利用好 “考研英语真题精读” 这个专栏的内容。

如果你是 今明两年内 会参 加考研的同学（而且还没有开始做真题），先不要阅读原文，直接阅读每个段落的”词汇讲解“部分，打好词汇基础。等到以后做完真题后，再打开本文，阅读语篇分析，查漏补缺。

如果你是 已考上研究生 或 今明两年内 不会参加 考研 的同学，可直接把这篇文章当做一篇普通的外刊文章来阅读。 考研英语真题选自原汁原味的外刊，并且有一定难度，跟下来对提高阅读理解能力大有裨益。

真题原文

大家先跟着音频独立阅读原文，有读不懂的地方不要紧，后面会有详细的讲解。

On a five to three vote, the Supreme Court knocked out much of Arizona's immigration law Monday—a modest policy victory for the Obama Administration. But on the more important matter of the Constitution, the decision was an 8-0 defeat for the Administration's effort to upset the balance of power between the federal government and the states .

In Arizona v. United States, the majority overturned three of the four contested provisions of Arizona's controversial plan to have state and local police enforce federal immigrations law. The Constitutional principles that Washington alone has the power to "establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization" and that federal laws precede state laws are noncontroversial. Arizona had attempted to fashion state police that ran parallel to the existing federal ones.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the Court's liberals, ruled that the state flew too close to the federal sun. On the overturned provisions the majority held Congress had deliberately "occupied the field " and Arizona had thus intruded on the federal's privileged powers.

However, the Justices said that Arizona police would be allowed to verify the legal status of people who come in contact with law enforcement. That’s because Congress has always envisioned joint federal-state immigration enforcement and explicitly encourages state officers to share information and cooperate with federal colleagues.

真题精读

首段引入话题：最高法院关于移民法的两个裁定。

① On a five to three vote, the Su preme Court knocked out much of Arizona's immigration law Monday—a modest policy victory for the Obama Administration.

📒 语篇分析： 首句引出裁定一：最高法院以5：3裁定亚利桑那州移民法的多项条款无效。作者用同位语引出评价：这对奥巴马政府来说是一场胜利。

• the Supreme Court 指一些国家或美国一些州的“最高法院”。

• the Obama Administration 指“奥巴马政府”，目前执政的是特朗普政府 ： the Trump Administration 。

• knock out 指“摧毁，使 … 瘫痪，使...无效” (If something is knocked out by enemy action or bad weather, it is destroyed or stops functioning because of it) 。比如 ◇ A storm has made roads treacherous and knocked out power. 一场风暴使路途变得危险，并使电力中断。 ◇The government decided to knock out gambling. 当局决定取缔赌博活动。

• 再扩展一个考研英语一 2013 Text 1 考过的关于 knock 的表达：

• knock sth off 表示“迅速而轻松地完成” (to complete sth quickly and without much effort) ，真题原句是 But as Cline is the first to note, it took Beaumont decades to perfect her craft; her example can’t be knocked off. 不过 Cline 也承认， Beaumont 花了几十年来完善她的手艺，她的做法难以复制。

• modest ['mɒdɪst] 指“不太高的，适度的，适中的” (You use modest to describe something such as an amount, rate, or improvement which is fairly small) 比如 ◇ You don't get rich, but you can get a modest living out of it. 你不会因此而发财，却可以使自己的生活能过得去。

② But on the more important matter of the Constitution, the decision was an 8-0 defeat for the Administration's effort to upset the balance of power between the federal government and the states.

📒 语篇分析：②句 以but 转折，引出裁定二：在有关宪法的问题上，最高法院以 8：0投票结 果裁定奥巴马政府完败。 defeat与上一句的victory形成对比。

• defeat 作名词指“失败，挫败” (failure to win or succeed) 。近义词还有 loss, debacle, rout 。
• defeat 也可作动词指“战胜，打败” (to win a victory over someone in a war, competition, game etc) 。近义词还有 beat, conquer, win against 。
• the Administration 指“美国政府”，与上文的 the Obama administratio n 互为同义替换，避免重复。
• upset 作形容词是“沮丧，烦恼”的意思，作动词表示“打乱，搅乱” (to make a plan, situation, etc. go wrong) 。比如 ◇ He arrived an hour late and upset all our arrangements. 他迟到了一个小时，把我们的一切安排都打乱了。 [熟词僻义]
• the federal government 指“联邦政府”。
• the states 指”美国各州“。
• the Constitution 指“宪法”。

读完讲解之后，我们再把第一段的两句话连起来再阅读一遍：

“

On a five to three vote, the Supreme Court knocked out much of Arizona's immigration law Monday—a modest policy victory for the Obama Administration. But on the more important matter of the Constitution, the decision was an 8-0 defeat for the Administration's effort to upset the balance of power between the federal government and the states.

”

参考译文：周一，最高法院以5：3的投票否决了亚利桑那州移民法案的大部分条款，这对于奥巴马政府来说是个不大不小的胜利。但在有关宪法这一更重要的问题上，最高法院以8：0的一致表决宣告企图打破联邦政府与各州间权力平衡的奥巴马政府完败。

第二到五段阐述裁定一。第二段阐述裁定一的具体内容。

① In Arizona v. United States, the majority overturned three of the four contested provisions of Arizona's controversial plan to have state and local police enforce federal immigrations law.

📒 语篇分析： ① 句说明投票结果和对象：大多数人撤销亚利桑那州提出的四项争议条款 (contested provisions of Arizona's controversial plan) 中的三项，并说明亚利桑那州方案的主要内容：让州一级警察与地方警察执行联邦移民法。

• 我们来看一下这句话的结构：In Arizona v. United States, the majority（主语）//overturned （谓语）//three of the four contested provisions of Arizona's controversial plan (to have state and local police enforce federal immigrations law) .（宾语）
• to have state and local police enforce federal immigrations law为不定式作名词plan的后置定语，指“让州一级警察与地方警察执行联邦移民法”的亚利桑那州方案。
  
• overturn [əʊvə'tɜːn] 指“推翻，撤销” (to officially decide that a legal decision etc. is not correct, and to make it no longer valid) 。 比如 ◇ to overturn a decision / conviction / verdict 撤销决定 / 定罪 / 裁决 考研英语 2017 Text 2 再次出现了这个词： In a rare unanimous ruling, the US Supreme Court has overturned the corruption conviction of a former Virginia governor, Robert McDonnell.
• contested 来源于动词 contest ，指“有争议的，受到质疑的”，比如《金融时报》一篇讨论是否越有钱越幸福的文章曾提到这样一个理论： One of the most cited — and contested — findings in modern social science, the so-called Easterlin paradox, holds that as nations get richer they tend not to get happier, despite the fact that within a given society those with more money tend to be more satisfied. 现代社会科学中被 引用最多和争议最大的发现之一、所谓的伊斯特林悖论认为，随着国家变得越来越富裕，人们往往不会变得更幸福，尽管在一个给定的社会内部，有钱人往往会更满意。
• have sb do sth 表示“要某人做某事，安排某人做某事”。 比如 ◇He had the bouncers throw them out of the club. 他叫保安人员把他们轰出了俱乐部。文中 have state and local police enforce federal immigrations law 指“让州和地方警察执行联邦移民法规”。

• have sth done 表示“让别人为你做某事”，比如 ◇ You've had your hair cu t! 你理发了！ ◇ We're having our car repaired . 我们的车正在修理。

• enforce [ɪnˈfɔːs] 指“强制执行，强制实施”法律或规定 (to make sure that people obey a particular law or rule) 。比如 ◇ It's the job of the police to enforce the law. 警察的工作就是执法。

  

• provision [prə'vɪʒən] 指法律文件“规定，条款” (a condition or an arrangement in a legal document) 。 比如 ◇ The bill's provision for the sale and purchase of land faces stiff opposition from conservatives. 该法案关于土地买卖的规定遭到保守派的强硬反对。 [熟词僻义]
  
  

② The Constitutional principles that Was hington alone has the pow er to "establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization" and that federal laws precede state laws are noncontroversial .

📒 语篇分析 ： ②句拿出两个宪法原则作为依据：只有华盛顿有权“制定统一的归化条例”，联邦法律优先于各州法律。

• The Constitutional principles that Was hington alone has the pow er to "establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization" and tha t federal laws precede state laws（主语）// are（系动词） //noncontroversial（表语）.
• 这句话是主系表结构。 主语比较长，是两个并列的that引导的同位语从句解释说明the Constitutional principles
• alone 置于名词后表示”仅仅，单，只“，是外刊中的高频表达。
  
• uniform 作名词指“制服”，作形容词，指“统一的，一律的，一致的” (not varying; the same in all parts and at all times) 。比如 ◇The walls were a uniform grey. 墙壁一律都是灰色。 [熟词僻义]
• precede [prɪ'siːd] 指“在 … 之前，先于 … ” (to happen before sth or come before sth / sb in order) 。比如 ◇ The earthquake was preceded by a loud roar and lasted 20 seconds. 地震前有一阵巨大的轰隆声，持续了 20 秒钟。
  
• 再扩展一些同源词汇：
• precedent 为名词指“先例，前例”。 unprecedented 为形容词，指“前所未有的，空前的”。
  
• noncontroversial [ ˌnɒnkɒntrəˈvɜːʃəl] 指“无争议的” (not likely to arouse controversy) 。

③ Arizona had attempted to fashion state police that ran parallel to the existing federal ones.

📒 语篇分析： ③句拿出依据二：州 政府企图建立与与现有联邦法律相并行的本州政策，与上文的宪法原则“ 联邦法律优先于各州法律 ”相冲突。

• 这句话的难点在于熟词僻义fashion。

• fashion ['fæʃən] 作动词 指“制作，制成” (If you fashion an object or a work of art, you make it) 。比如 ◇ Stone Age settlers fashioned necklaces from sheep's teeth. 石器时代的移居者用羊的牙做成项链。再比如《月亮与六便士》中的一句话： Beauty is something wonderful and strange that the artist fashions out of the chaos of the world in the torment of his soul. 美是一种美妙、奇异的东西，艺术家只有通过灵魂的痛苦折磨才能从宇宙的混沌中塑造出来。 [熟词僻义]

• 顺便补充一下关于 fashion 的另一个高频的熟词僻义：

• in a .... fashion 指“以...方式” (in a particular way) 。比如 ◇She was proved right, in dramatic fashion, when the whole department resigned. 整个部门的人都辞了职，这惹人注目的事证明她是对的。
  
• run parallel to sth parallel 是“平行”的意思， run parallel to sth 表示“ 与 … 平行，与...并行”。

我们再把第二段连起来再阅读一遍：

“

In Arizona v. United States, the majority overturned three of the four contested provisions of Arizona's controversial plan to have state and local police enforce federal immigrations law. The Constitutional principles that Washington alone has the power to "establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization" and that federal laws precede state laws are noncontroversial. Arizona had attempted to fashion state police that ran parallel to the existing federal ones.

”

参考译文：在这起亚利桑那州与美国政府的诉讼案中，亚利桑那州计划让州和地方警察执行联邦移民法规，这一计划引起了争议，在该计划中，有四项条款受到质疑，其中有三项被最高法院多数票裁决为无效。宪法原则是：只有华盛顿有权“制定统一的归化条例”；而且联邦法律地位高于州法律，这两点毋庸置疑。但亚利桑那州很早以前就企图制定与现有联邦法律相并行的本州政策。

第三段阐述大法官的观点。

① Justice Anthony Kennedy, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the Court's liberals, ruled that the state flew too close to the federal sun.

📒 语篇分析： ① 句说明法官的裁定：州政府挑战联邦政府权威。

• intrude on sb/sth 指“侵犯” (to come into a place or situation, and have an unwanted effect) 。比如 ◇ Each one is thoughtfully and responsibly designed, to help you in your every day without intruding on your life. 每一款产品都经过深思熟虑，尽心设计，每时每刻服务你，从来不会妨碍你。
• rule 指“决定，裁决，判决” (to give an official decision about sth) 。比如 ◇The court will rule on the legality of the action. 法庭将裁定此举是否合法。再比如《纽约时报》一篇关于孙杨被禁赛的文章也出现了这个词： Sun Yang, the three-time Olympic swimming champion from China, was suspended from competition for eight years for a drug-testing violation, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on Friday, a decision that will keep him out of the Tokyo Olympics this year and most likely end his career. [熟词僻义]
  
  

② On the overturned provisions the majority held Congress had deliberately " occupied the field " and Arizona had thus intruded on the federal's privileged powers.

📒 语篇分析： ②句说明观点：国会先前已占领该领域，亚 利桑那州因此侵犯联邦政府的特权。

• the majority (of sb/sth) 指“多数”， the minority (of sb/sth) 指“少数”。
• hold 表示“认为，相信” (to consider that sth is true) 。比如 ◇I still hold that the government's economic policies are mistaken. 我仍然认为政府的经济政策是错误的。 [熟词僻义]
• intrude on/into sth 指“干涉，打扰” (to interrupt someone or become involved in their private affairs, in an annoying and unwanted way) 。
  
• privileged [ˈprɪvəlɪdʒd] 由 privilege 和 ed 构成，指“有特权的，受特别优待的” (having special rights or advantages that most people do not have) 。比如特权阶级便可称作 the privileged classes 我们去年在公众号上讲过《经济学人》里一篇讨论美国富裕阶层的消费习惯时，里面有这样一句话： Far from making the world more egalitarian, this shift, in particular, threatens to entrench modern elites’ privileged position more effectively than the habits of their predecessors ever did. 这种转变远远谈不上让世界变得更平等，比起他们先辈的那些习惯，可能还会更有效地巩固现代精英阶层的特权地位。
• 反义词为 underprivileged 指“弱势的，贫苦的，底层的”，比如“贫困儿童”我们就可以用 underprivileged children 来表达，比直接说 poor 更加委婉得体。近义表达还有 disadvantaged, destitute, deprived, impoverished 。 [写作推荐]

我们再把第三段连起来再阅读一遍：

“

Justice Anthony Kennedy, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the Court's liberals, ruled that the state flew too close to the federal sun. On the overturned provisions the majority held Congress had deliberately "occupied the field " and Arizona had thus intruded on the federal's privileged powers..

”

参考译文：大法官Anthony Kennedy，首席大法官John Roberts 以及自由派大法官一致裁定亚利桑那州无视联邦政府，自行其是。针对被推翻的三项条款，多数人法官认为国会早已故意“占领该领域”涉，亚利桑那州也因此已侵犯联邦政府的特权。

第四段阐述保留四项争议条款之一的原因。

① However, the Justices said that Arizona police would be allowed to verify the legal status of people who come in contact with law enforcement .

📒语篇分析： ①句以 however 指出，法官说明让州警察展开人口身份核查。

• verify ['verɪfaɪ] 指“核实，查证” (to check that sth is true or accurate) 。 比如 ◇ I verified the source from which I had that information. 我核实了我所获消息的来源。
  
• status [ˈsteɪtəs] 指“法律地位，法律身份” (the legal position of a person, group or country) 。比如 ◇ These documents have no legal status in Britain. 这些文件在英国并无法律效力。
• come in contact with sth 指“接触到”。文中 people who come in contact with law enforcement 直译是接触到执法机关的人，也就是引起移民机关怀疑从而与之相接触的人，即疑似非法移民的人。
• law enforcement 指“执法机构，执法官员” (Law-enforcement agencies or officials are responsible for catching people who break the law) 。 比如《纽约时报》一篇关于唐人街按摩院的文章提到： Law enforcement officials said there were an estimated 9,000 illicit massage parlors across the country, from Orlando to Los Angeles. 执法官员表示，从奥兰多到洛杉矶，全美大约有 9000 家非法按摩院。考研英语 2016 Text 1 再次出现了这个词，真题原句是： In Denmark, the United States, and a few other countries, it is trying to set voluntary standards for models and fashion images that rely more on peer pressure for enforcement.

② That’s because Congress has always envisioned joint federal-state immigration enforcement and explicitly encourages state officers to share information and cooperate with federal colleagues.

📒 语篇分析： ② 句说明原因：国会希望州政府与联邦政府合作。

• envision [en'vɪʒ(ə)n] 名词