非法移民撑起美国经济半边天（Illegal Immigrants & US Business）

像在其它行业一样，非法移民工人在美国迅速发展的住宅建筑业中发挥着重要作用。现在，凯西•瓦延斯要看一看，这些工人是如何成为（美国）生产力的一部分的。

注释：
1. booming adj.急速发展的 2. phony adj.假冒的
3. collapse vi.崩溃, 瓦解 4. alternative adj.选择性的, 二中择一的
5. tacit adj.默许的 6. staunch vt.停止，止住
7. prevalence n.流行 8. discrimination n.歧视
9. unsanctioned adj.未认可(或批准)的
10. plea n.恳求, 请求, 辩解, 藉口 11. acquit vt.宣告无罪
12. alien [5eiljEn] n.外侨，外国人 13. legitimize vt.宣布合法化

ANCHOR
Illegal immigrant workers play a key role in the booming U.S. home building business as they do in other industries. Casey Whyans now takes a look at how such laborers become part of the work force.

主播
像在其它行业一样，非法移民工人在美国迅速发展的住宅建筑业中发挥着重要作用。现在，凯西•瓦延斯要看一看，这些工人是如何成为（美国）生产力的一部分的。

CORRESPONDENT
This California home contractor, called “Jack”, employs between 100 and 500 workers at any given time. At least 60% are illegal immigrants. Everyone “Jack” hires presents what looks like proper identification but most are phony. Without the illegal immigrants, “Jack” says, his business and that of most homebuilders would collapse.

记者
这位名叫“杰克”的加利福尼亚承包商，在任何特定时间内都能雇请到100至500名工人，其中至少有60%是非法移民。“杰克”的每个雇员都能出示看似真正的身份证，但多数都是伪造的。“杰克”说，没有这些非法移民，他和其他住宅建筑商的生意都会垮掉。

“JACK”, BUILDING CONTRACTOR
There would be no construction. I don’t know where we would get the people or what it would cost us to get the people to construct the houses. There’s no other alternative workforce.

“杰克”，建筑承包人
那样的话，建筑业将不复存在。我不知道我们将要到哪里去找这些人，或者我们将要付出多少钱才能找到建造这些房屋所需的人员。没有其他可供选择的劳动力。

CORRESPONDENT
The booming home construction business is becoming dependent on illegal immigrant labor. The workers are skilled, generally well-paid but willing to do work most legal residents aren’t. And like many other industries, it’s all done with the knowledge and sometimes tacit approval of the federal and local governments, who rarely take action against either illegal workers or their employers.

记者
迅速发展的住宅建筑业越来越依赖于非法移民工人。这些是熟练工人，一般工资都不低，但是愿意从事大部分当地居民不屑一顾的工作。像许多其它行业一样，所有这些都是在联邦和地方当局知情以及有时默许的情况下进行的，他们很少采取措施打击非法工人或他们的雇主。

UNIDENTIFIED MALE
I don’t know that we have the resources to staunch the flow of illegal immigration. We have to make some difficult decisions here based on the priorities of our mission. And the priorities of our mission are to protect America.

男被访者
我认为，我们没有财力去阻止非法移民的涌入。此时此刻，我们必须根据自身任务的轻重缓急，作出一些艰难的决定，而我们应优先完成的任务是保卫美国。

CORRESPONDENT
In Huntington Beach for example, documents are checked at this city-owned day laborer job center. But because of the prevalence of fake ID’s and because employers face discrimination suits, if they ask wrong questions about legal status, illegal immigrants can easily slip in. And despite the city’s efforts to get day laborers off the street, dozens wait for work at an unsanctioned site just yards from the police station. Even when law enforcement does crack down, consequences are few. After a 3-year undercover investigation Tyson Foods was charged with smuggling illegal immigrants to work in meat packing plants. Despite guilty pleas by two former managers, in March the company and three other executives were acquitted.
Aubrey Harwell represented one of the former managers.

记者
以亨廷顿海滩为例，这个市属日工就业中心要检查证件，但是，由于假证件的流行，另外，如果雇主错误地询问关于合法身份的问题，他们就会面临歧视控告，非法移民反而很容易混进来。尽管该市努力把日工从大街上赶走，仍然有许多人聚集在离警察局只有几码远、未获批准的地方等待寻找工作。即使执法人员采取打击行动，也收效甚微。经过三年的卧底调查后，泰森食品公司被指控偷运非法移民在肉食包装厂打工。尽管两位前任经理提出了有罪的答辩，但该公司和其他三名主管还是在三月份被宣告无罪。
奥布里•哈韦尔就是一位前任经理们的代理人。

AUBREY HARWELL, ATTORNEY
Basically the law requires employers not to hire illegal aliens. At the same time that very law requires employers not to discriminate on the bases of national origin. I think our government owes it to corporate America to clarify its policy.

奥布里•哈韦尔, 律师
法律基本上要求雇主不要雇请非法外国人，但是，法律又要求雇主不要因国籍身份而有歧视言行。我认为，我们的政府应该向全美国阐明政策。

CORRESPONDENT
Contractor “Jack” wants the government to legitimize a critical labor force.

记者
承包商“杰克”希望政府使这部分重要的劳动力合法化。

“JACK’
It seems to me that there should be an easy and achievable way for them to get some kind of a legal status to be here in the country. Me, as a business owner, like to run my business 100% straight up, this situation keeps me from running a legitimate business. Casey Whyans, CNN, Los Angeles.

“杰克”
在我看来，似乎应该有一种简单可行的方法，让他们得到呆在这个国家的某种合法身份。我作为一名公司的拥有者，百分之百地愿意正当经营我的生意，而这种局面妨碍了我经营合法的生意。凯西•瓦延斯，CNN, 洛杉矶报道。