美国有线新闻 CNN 2012-12-03

 We begin with breaking news. For the first time, we’re getting a look at what the White House is offering to stop the fiscal¹ cliff stalemate. Drastic mandatory² tax hikes and spending cuts will kick in with the, with the new year unless, unless the White House and Republicans can reach a deal. For weeks, GOP lawmakers have said we’re just waiting for the White House to get details, specifics, some numbers. Well, tonight that’s happened. The White House is calling their bluff³ and they’ve laid out how they want to cut the debt. Jessica Yellin is over at the White House for us tonight with new developments. Jessica, what are the specifics of this offer tonight? 

 

Hi, Wolf. Well, according to senior officials on both sides of the aisle⁴, the president is asking for $1.6 trillion, excuse me, in new taxes. That includes raising taxes for families who make $250,000 or more. You’ll recognize that as a pledge from his campaign. And it also includes limiting deductions⁵ and loopholes as well as other changes to capital gains and dividends⁶ taxes. That is the headline for Republicans, Wolf, who say it is far more money in tax rates than they ever expected to hear from the White House in any offer. Moving on to some other aspects of the proposal, Secretary Geithner on Capitol Hill also outlined in this plan an intention to extend unemployment insurance, $50 billion in stimulus⁷ for next year, and creating some kind of permanent mechanism⁸ to extend the debt limit so we don’t repeat a crisis like last summer. 

 

Now what would they get in return? What would the White House give? The proposal is they would offer $400 billion in Medicare and other entitlement savings⁹ but exactly what those would be are to be determined¹⁰ in negotiations¹¹ next year. Republicans, Wolf, they are saying this overreach too much. They are rejecting it. The White House says, hey, we’ll compromise. Come back to us with an offer. Wolf.

 

Jessica, as you say, the Republicans are already rejecting this outright¹², so was the administration surprised, shall we say, by that rejection¹³? 

 

Well, their public response, yes, is surprise and they’re accusing the Republicans of avoiding a deal to protect the wealthy, but the truth is, this is a negotiating dance. The bottom line is they have been going back and forth¹⁴ for a few weeks and Democrats¹⁵ say they asked the GOP to be specific about what revenue number they would be OK with. Democrats say well, the Republicans weren’t forthcoming so Democrats said if you’re not going to show you yours, we’ll show you ours first. We’ll make an offer and we’ll come in high, and now the Republicans aren’t happy with it, but some Republicans in fact are telling me that conversations have moved backwards¹⁶ in the last 24 hours. This offer has made things worse. But Democrats in the White House feel this is what they need to do to lay down a marker and start moving forward, Wolf.

1 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

2 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

3 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

4 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

5 deductions   

扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演

参考例句：

• Many of the older officers trusted agents sightings more than cryptanalysts'deductions. 许多年纪比较大的军官往往相信特务的发现，而不怎么相信密码分析员的推断。
• You know how you rush at things,jump to conclusions without proper deductions. 你知道你处理问题是多么仓促，毫无合适的演绎就仓促下结论。

6 dividends   

红利( dividend的名词复数 )； 股息； 被除数； （足球彩票的）彩金

参考例句：

• Nothing pays richer dividends than magnanimity. 没有什么比宽宏大量更能得到厚报。
• Their decision five years ago to computerise the company is now paying dividends. 五年前他们作出的使公司电脑化的决定现在正产生出效益。

7 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

8 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

9 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

11 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

12 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

13 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

14 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

15 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。