VOA常速英语:Activists Push for Right to Counsel in US Civil Cases

短语讲解：

1. People who are charged with crimes in the United States have a constitutional right to have an attorney provided to them by the government, if they can not afford one on their own.

charge with指控…犯有罪
例句：They charged him with negligence of duty.
他们指责他玩忽职守。

2. Holmes’ estranged husband took away their three children when she was living in another state - and she could not afford a lawyer to get them back.

take away把…带走; 使离开
例句：The prisoner was taken away by an armed guard.
一个持枪的狱警把犯人带走了。
get back找回, 取回
例句：I haven't got back the book I lent him.
我还没有收回我借给他的那本书。

3. Holmes eventually got joint custody of her children with the help of a private organization called Maryland Legal Aid, which provided her with a lawyer at no cost.

provide with给…提供;以…装备
例句：Somehow she managed to provide her children with food and clothing.
她总算设法使她的孩子有饭吃,有衣穿。

4. People have a constitutional right to their children; a right to have just some place to live; to have access to the resources that are available.

have access to接近（或进入）的方法（或权利、机会等）
例句：Students must have access to good books.
学生应该读得到好书。

5. She said most developed countries in the world enacted statutory rights to civil counsel long ago - leaving the U.S. lagging far behind.

lag behind落后
例句：The lame child lagged behind.
那个跛脚的小孩落在后面了。

6. The battle for the right to civil counsel is taking place in state legislatures across the country.

take place发生; 举行
例句：The evening party will take place on New Year's Eve.
晚会将在除夕那天举行。

7. California, Massachusetts and Maryland, among others, are exploring pilot programs that experiment with the idea.

experiment with以…做试验
例句：They experimented with a new material.
他们用新材料来做试验。