VOA标准英语2011.05.16(1)
[audio]http://sound.yywz123.com/tingbbs/voab/voab20110516.mp3[/audio]Black farmers settled their lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture more than a decade ago over claims of racial discrimination in federal loans and other programs that USDA administers,(1)___________________________.
10多年前，美国非裔农民和联邦农业部就一项诉讼案达成和解。在那个案件中，非裔农民指控农业部在其主管的联邦贷款和其他项目中有种族歧视行为。The new law makes nearly 80,000 black farmers eligible to apply for compensation that amounts to about $50,000 each.
新法案使将近8万名黑人农民取得申请赔偿的资格，每人可获得大约5万美元的赔偿。
'Bittersweet' victory
John Boyd, president of the National Black Farmers Association, described Congressional passage of the Claims Settlement Act as long-overdue justice.
美国黑人农民协会会长约翰·博伊德称国会通过的这项索赔清偿法案是“迟来的正义”。
"It's very, very good that black farmers will finally have the opportunity to have their cases heard, based on their merit," he said.
“黑人农民终于有机会使他们的申诉得到审理，这是件非常好的事。”
But Boyd said the victory as bittersweet, (2)_____________________________.
不过，博伊德形容这次胜利，是甜中带苦，因为许多受到歧视的非裔农民在定案之前已经离开人世了。
USDA is also taking steps to resolve claims of discrimination involving Hispanic and women farmers along the same lines as the settlement with black farmers.
农业部长汤姆·维尔萨克说，农业部也在采取步骤，以同样方式解决拉美裔和女性农民的歧视案。
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said, "There has been a concerted effort to do what has not been done in many cases for 10, 15, 20, in some cases 30 years, which is to try to resolve as many of these cases in as fair and equitable a way as possible."
“我们正努力于解决那些拖延了10年、15年、20年、甚至30年的案件。我们将努力以公平合理的方式解决尽可能多的案子。”
**** Hidden Message ***** :loveliness: Because many of black farmers who suffered from the discrimination have dead before the cases could be sloved .... 1 But disputes over who is allegible and cogressional over funding delayed the final resolution
2 because many black farmers who suffered discrimination have died before their cases could be resolved.
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