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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
CAPITOL HILL — Four days before Americans face massive automatic tax increases and deep federal spending cuts, Washington is showing no signs of forging a deficit1 reduction agreement to avert2 the so-called “fiscal3 cliff.” Many lawmakers are absent from Washington altogether, and the rest are pointing fingers and casting blame.
Watching official Washington, one might not know the nation is teetering on the edge of the fiscal cliff. President Barack Obama returned from a Hawaiian vacation Thursday with no events on his schedule.
The House of Representatives is adjourned4 until Sunday. The Senate is in session, but debating a bill governing U.S. intelligence gathering5, not the fiscal cliff.
That the House is closed for business at a critical time was noted6 by Senate Majority Leader Harry7 Reid.
“I cannot imagine their consciences. They [House members] are out wherever they are around the country, and we are here trying to get something done," he said.
The House adjourned last week after Republican Speaker John Boehner failed to muster8 enough votes to pass an extension of federal tax rates for all income up to $1 million a year, far above the $250,000 cut-off sought by Democrats9.
A clearly frustrated10 Reid accused Boehner of employing heavy-handed tactics to block legislation and cast America off the fiscal cliff.
“The House of Representatives is operating without the House of Representatives. It is being operated with a dictatorship of the Speaker," he said.
In fact, both chambers12 are accusing the other of stymieing13 bills to avert the fiscal cliff. A House-passed bill that would extend all tax cuts for all income groups has not been taken up in the Senate, while a Senate bill extending tax cuts for income up to $250,000 a year has not been considered in the House.
The Senate’s top Republican, Mitch McConnell, recounted a recent telephone conversation he had with President Obama.
“Last night I told the president we would be happy to look at whatever he proposes. But the truth is, we are coming up against a hard deadline here. This is a conversation we should have had months ago," he said.
Political analyst14 Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia is doubtful a bipartisan deal can be forged by New Year’s Eve.
“It will take a miracle to keep us from going off the fiscal cliff. The most likely scenario15 is that we do go off the cliff, and then Congress acts," he said.
Sabato points out that Republicans who are loathe16 to vote for tax hikes now will not have to do so once taxes go up on all income groups on January 1.
“By then taxes will automatically have risen, dramatically, for most Americans. Then, instead of having to vote on a tax increase, they can vote to decrease taxes, at least in some categories for some Americans," he said.
Sabato says that however the fiscal cliff drama plays out, Washington has given itself another black eye, saying, “Congress has proven to be best at finger-pointing rather than legislating17.”
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1
deficit
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n.亏空,亏损;赤字,逆差 | |
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2
avert
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v.防止,避免;转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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3
fiscal
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adj.财政的,会计的,国库的,国库岁入的 | |
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4
adjourned
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(使)休会, (使)休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
gathering
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n.集会,聚会,聚集 | |
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6
noted
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adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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7
harry
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vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼 | |
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8
muster
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v.集合,收集,鼓起,激起;n.集合,检阅,集合人员,点名册 | |
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9
democrats
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n.民主主义者,民主人士( democrat的名词复数 ) | |
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10
frustrated
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adj.挫败的,失意的,泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 );挫败;使受挫折;令人沮丧 | |
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11
legislate
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vt.制定法律;n.法规,律例;立法 | |
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12
chambers
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n.房间( chamber的名词复数 );(议会的)议院;卧室;会议厅 | |
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13
stymieing
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v.妨碍,阻挠( stymie的现在分词 ) | |
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14
analyst
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n.分析家,化验员;心理分析学家 | |
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15
scenario
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n.剧本,脚本;概要 | |
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16
loathe
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v.厌恶,嫌恶 | |
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17
legislating
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v.立法,制定法律( legislate的现在分词 ) | |
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