Australia Debates Revamping Controversial Citizenship Tests
澳大利亚修改入籍考试注重新国民权利义务
Australia is revising controversial citizenship tests, to make sure applicants are more aware of their rights and responsibilities rather than examine their general knowledge about sports and culture.
澳大利亚将修改引起争议的公民入籍考试，以确保申请入籍者更多地了解他们的权利和责任，而不是仅仅考查他们对体育和文化的一般知识。
The government wants to make the tests more helpful for prospective citizens settling in to life in their adopted country.
澳大利亚政府希望公民入籍考试能更有助于新公民把生活融入他们的新国家。
In the new version of the test, to be rolled out October 19, there will more questions about gender equality, compulsory voting and the Australian legal system.
今年10月19号开始实行的新入籍考试将包括更多有关性别平等、投票义务以及澳大利亚法制系统的问题。
In unveiling the test this week, Immigration Minister Chris Evans, who was born in Britain, says the amendments will help immigrants better understand their responsibilities to the community.
本星期宣布新入籍考试的澳大利亚移民部长埃文斯在英国出生。他说，有关修改将帮助移民更好的理解他们对社区负有的责任。
Evans and many immigrant activists think questions on the current test about famous sports personalities and explorers are irrelevant.
埃文斯和很多移民权益活动人士认为，目前入籍考试中有关知名体育界人士和探险者的那些问题无关紧要，没有意义。
The country on Thursday celebrated Citizenship Day and to mark the occasion 4,000 people were sworn in as new Australians.
星期四是澳大利亚的公民日，当天有4千人宣誓成为澳大利亚公民。
Among them was China-born opera singer Sharon Zai, who gave up her Chinese citizenship to become an Australian.
"I would love to have both but because I have been in Australia for six years and I feel very, very involved with this Australian life and I love to live here forever," she said.
Critics say the citizenship tests are a waste of money, do nothing to help newcomers integrate into society and discriminate against those from a non-English speaking background.
批评人士说，公民入籍考试是浪费钱，丝毫不能帮助新移民融入社会，并且歧视那些母语不是英语的移民。
Migrants must pass the test to gain citizenship.
所有移民必须通过入籍考试才能获得澳大利亚国籍。
Under the proposed changes, those taking the test will have to answer 20 multiple-choice questions in English and the passing grade will rise from 60 percent to 75.
根据新提出的修改，入籍考试参加者将要回答20道英文的多项选择题，及格分数从60分改为75分。
The tests were introduced in 2007 and were intended to enhance social cohesion. Recent studies have found that some prospective citizens had been deterred from applying for citizenship, wrongly fearing they would be deported if they failed the test.
现行的入籍考试于2007年开始实行，目的是促进社会和谐。最近的研究显示，一些有意入籍的移民不敢提出申请，错误地担心如果通不过考试就会被遣返。
Applicants can take the exam as many times as they like until they pass.
澳大利亚对移民参加入籍考试没有次数限制，可以多次参加考试，之至最后入籍。
