川普总统周三表示支持一项削减半数合法移民的法案。
The bill would reduce legal immigration to the U.S. from the current level of 1 million a year to 500,000 by the end of the 10th year.
该法案将会在第十年底把进入美国的合法移民人数从现在的每年1百万人减少到50万人。
It would also give a priority to immigrants based on their education, job offers, English-language skills, and success in creating businesses.
这项法案还会根据教育、聘任书、英语技能以及成功创业来优先考虑移民。
The bill is similar to proposals Trump made as a candidate for president. During the 2016 campaign, Trump often said immigration was costing Americans jobs and keeping pay down for those with jobs.
该法案跟川普作为总统候选人时提出的一项建议类似。在2016年竞选期间，川普经常称移民占据了美国人的工作岗位，并拉低了这些岗位的薪水。
Republican Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia appeared with Trump at the White House to introduce the bill.
阿肯色州参议员汤姆·卡顿(Tom Cotton)和格鲁吉亚州的大卫·佩德（David Perdue）跟川普一同现身白宫提出这项法案。
Trump said the bill he is supporting would help Americans better compete for jobs.
川普表示，他支持的这项法案将会帮助美国人更好地争取就业。
"Among those hit the hardest in recent years have been immigrants and, very importantly, minority workers competing for jobs against brand-new arrivals. And it has not been fair to our people, to our citizens, to our workers."
他说：“最近几年里冲击最大的是移民。而非常重要的是，少数族裔工人要跟这些新移民竞争就业机会，这对我们的人民、对我们的公民、对我们的工人来说是不公平的。”
The bill would keep the current immigration preferences for spouses and young children of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. But it would do away with preferences for other relatives such as grandparents or adult children.
这项法案将会保留现有对美国公民和合法永久性居民的未成年子女及配偶的移民优先权，但是会取消对祖父母以及成年子女这类亲属的移民优先权。
The bill would also end the Diversity Immigrant Visa program, known as "diversity lottery." The program was created to increase immigrants from countries underrepresented in the United States. Cotton said it has been poorly managed.
该法案还将结束被称之为多元化抽签的多元化移民签证计划。该计划旨在增加来自在美国代表性不足的国家的移民。卡顿称该计划管理不善。
The bill would also limit the number of permanent refugees admitted to the U.S. to 50,000 a year. Cotton said that is in line with the 13-year average.
该法案还将把美国每年接受的永久难民人数限制在五万人。卡顿表示，这一数字符合13年来的平均水平。
Passage of the immigration bill is far from a sure thing.
该移民法案的通过还远远不能确定。
The bill would require passage in the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the Senate, the bill would need 60 out of 100 votes. That will be difficult given opposition from groups that see immigration as positive for America and for businesses that depend on immigrant workers.
该法案需要在参众两院获得通过。在参议院，该法案需要获得100票中的60票支持。考虑到那些认为移民对美国以及依赖移民的企业有利的组织的反对，要在参议院获得60票支持将会非常困难。
Senator Lindsey Graham is a Republican from South Carolina. He tweeted that the proposed immigration bill would be bad for his state.
参议员林赛·格雷厄姆（Lindsey Graham）是一名来自南卡罗来纳州的共和党人。他发推表示，拟议的移民法案对美国不利。
"If proposal were to become law... devastating to SC (South Carolina) economy which relies on this immigrant workforce."
“如果这项提案变成法律，会重创依靠这支移民劳动大军的南卡罗来纳州的经济。”
Groups that favor immigration quickly criticized the bill.
支持移民的组织很快就对该法案提出了批评。
John Feinblatt is president of a group called New American Economy. It represents 500 mayors and business leaders who support legal immigration. He said cutting immigration in half would "result in fewer jobs for Americans."
约翰·费恩布拉特（John Feinblatt）是一家被称之为“美国新经济”的组织的负责人。该组织代表着支持合法移民的500名市长及企业领导人。他说，削减半数移民将会“导致美国人就业机会减少。”
But Senator Cotton said change is needed in a system that now brings one million immigrants to the U.S. each year.
但是参议员卡顿表示，需要对这项目前每年带来一百万移民的制度进行改革。
"That's like adding the population of Montana every single year; adding the population of Arkansas every three years."
他说：“这就像每年增加一个蒙大拿州那么多的人口，每三年增加一个阿肯色州那么多的人口。”
I'm Jill Robbins.
我是吉尔·罗宾斯。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利，未经授权请勿转载，违者必究！)