VOA慢速英語：最高法院新候選人開始接受議員質詢

US Lawmakers Begin Hearing on New Supreme Court Candidate

最高法院新候選人開始接受議員質詢

United States lawmakers began a hearing today on a new candidate for the Supreme Court. President Donald Trump has nominated Brett Kavanaugh to replace Anthony Kennedy, who retired earlier this year.

美國議員們今天開始就最高法院新候選人舉行聽證會。川普總統(tǒng)提名布雷特·卡瓦諾(Brett Kavanaugh)接替今年早些時候退休的安東尼·肯尼迪(Anthony Kennedy)。

On the first day of the hearing, protestors shouted their disapprovals as Kavanaugh promised to be a "team player" on the court. The remark was notable because the nine justices on the Supreme Court can act like nine separate law firms. And, when the group decides cases, justices often split into the same two groups – conservative and liberal.

在聽證會頭一天，當卡瓦諾承諾成為法庭的一位團隊合作者時，抗議者們高聲喊出他們的不滿。卡瓦諾的這句話值得引起注意，因為最高法院的9名法官可以像9家獨立律師事務所那樣行事。而且，當9人小組裁決案件時，大法官們通常會分成兩派--保守派和自由派。

But Kavanaugh appeared to reject the idea that he would be on either the conservative or liberal side. He said he would not decide cases on his personal views. Instead, he promised to decide cases "according to the Constitution and laws of the United States."

但是卡瓦諾似乎拒絕承認他是保守派或自由派的觀點。他說他不會根據(jù)個人觀點來裁決案件。相反，他承諾根據(jù)美國憲法和法律來裁決案件。

However, independent observers note that Kavanaugh's earlier rulings as a judge are generally considered conservative.

然而，獨立觀察員指出，卡瓦諾之前作為法官的判決通常被認為是保守派。

Kavanaugh is 53 years old. He has served for the past 12 years on the appeals court in Washington, DC. That court is believed to be the second most important court in the country, after the Supreme Court.

卡瓦諾今年53歲。過去12年他曾在華盛頓特區(qū)的上訴法院任職。該法院被認為是美國第二重要的法院，僅次于最高法院。

In the early 2000s, Kavanaugh worked in the White House under then-President George W. Bush. He was also part of the legal team that investigated then-President Bill Clinton in the late 1990s. That investigation led to Clinton's impeachment.

在21世紀初，卡瓦諾在時任總統(tǒng)小布什領導的白宮下工作。他也是上世紀90年代調查時任總統(tǒng)克林頓的法律小組的一員。那次調查導致了克林頓被彈劾。

However, since then Kavanaugh has said U.S. lawmakers might pass a law protecting presidents from investigations while they were in office. He has said that the work of defending themselves can interfere with the president's job of leading the country.

然而，從那時起，卡瓦諾就表示，美國議員們應該通過一項法律，保護總統(tǒng)在任職期間不受調查。他曾表示，為自己辯護的工作可能會干擾總統(tǒng)領導國家的職責。

As the hearing continues this week, lawmakers will ask Kavanaugh questions about his point of view on how much power presidents should have. They will also ask him his thoughts on legal issues related to abortion, gun rights and other issues.

隨著聽證會在本周繼續(xù)進行，議員們將向卡瓦諾提出關于他認為總統(tǒng)應該擁有多大權力的問題。他們還會詢問他對涉及墮胎、槍支權利等法律問題的看法。

Witnesses will also speak about Kavanaugh.

證人們也將談到卡瓦諾。

After the hearing this week, lawmakers will vote on whether to approve Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. If he is accepted, he could begin work as early as October 1. And, since U.S. Supreme Court justices serve for life, Kavanaugh could influence laws for a long time to come.

在本周的聽證會之后，議員們將投票決定是否批準卡瓦諾進入最高法院。如果他被接納，就可以從10月1日開始工作。而且，由于最高法院的大法官是終身任命，卡瓦諾可能會在未來很長一段時間里影響法律。

I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.

凱利·吉恩·凱利報道。