VOA常速英语2013--专家分析：世界困惑地注视着美国的危机

Analyst¹: World Watches US Crisis With Bewilderment 专家分析：世界困惑地注视着美国的危机

As the U.S. government budget crisis enters a second week, there are concerns that the rivalry² between Democrats⁴ and Republicans in Congress may bring the United States to default, which would cause domestic and global economic woes⁵. The world is observing developments in the U.S. capital with bewilderment, as well as concern.

美国政府预算危机进入第二个星期之际，中国要求及时解决国债上限争执。中国财政部副部长朱光耀还说，一旦发生债务违约，美国应首先确保国债利息的支付。在美国方面，很多人担心国会民主共和两党间的对立可能导致美国出现的债务违约，会造成美国国内以及全球经济灾难。

Republicans may allow default

The top Republican leader in the U.S. House of Representatives has signaled that he may allow the United States to default for the first time in history if President Barack Obama refuses a compromise on federal spending. The United States must increase its debt ceiling by October 17 to be able to pay for government debt already accrued⁶.

国会众议院共和党最高领导人已经表明，假如奥巴马总统拒绝在联邦开支问题上妥协，他可能会让美国出现历史上第一次债务违约。美国为了支付已有政府债务，必须在10月17日之前提高债务上限。

The president, a Democrat³, said he is open to negotiation⁷ with the Republicans on any issue, but not amid such threats. "We're not going to negotiate under the threat of further harm to our economy and middle class families. We're not going to negotiate under the threat of a prolonged shutdown until Republicans get 100 percent of what they want," Obama said. "We're not going to negotiate under the threat of economic catastrophe⁸ that economists⁹ and CEOs increasingly warn would result if Congress chose to default on America's obligations.

而奥巴马总统则坚称，他可以就任何问题同共和党谈判，但是不能在共和党的威胁情况下谈。奥巴马说：“我们不会在进一步伤害美国经济和中产阶级家庭的威胁下谈判；我们不会在共和党扬言，除非百分之百得到他们所要的东西，否则将长期关闭政府的情况下谈判；我们不会在经济灾难的威胁声中谈判，经济学家和工商领导人不断警告说，假如国会决意让美国出现债务违约，就会导致这种灾难。”

Devastating¹⁰ consequences

One analyst warned that a prolonged shutdown could have harmful effects on the U.S. economy. But he said the U.S. defaulting on its debt would be worse.

分析人士警告说，政府长期关闭将对美国经济产生有害影响。不过他们同时表示，美国债务违约的影响将更加糟糕。

Klaus Larres, a professor of international relations at the University of North Carolina, said the consequences would be disastrous¹¹ for the world still recovering from a major financial crisis. "I think the Great Recession would be back with a vengeance¹², and we would be back in severe economic and financial difficulties. So I can only warn that the debt ceiling problem should not be mixed up with the shutdown of the government," he stated.

北卡罗来纳大学国际关系系教授克劳斯·拉里斯说，美国债务违约对仍处于严重金融危机恢复阶段的国际社会将是灾难性的。他说：“我认为，大萧条将卷土重来，我们将再次陷入严重经济和金融困境。因此我只能这样警告，债务上限不应和政府关闭扯在一起。”

Larres said a default on the U.S. debt would have immediate¹³ consequences that would reverberate¹⁴ around the world. For example, it could undermine the U.S. dollar's position as the global reserve currency and even the U.S. role as the world's strongest economy.

拉里斯认为，美国债务违约所产生的后果，将会立即引发全球性反应。例如，这将破坏美元作为全球储备货币地位，甚至破坏美国作为全球最强大国家的地位。

"It has never happened before that such a big country as the United States, a leading superpower of the day, is defaulting on its debts for technical reasons - because the United States is still a very rich and wealthy country; the money is there," noted¹⁵ Larres.

他说：“美国这样的大国，一个当今主要超级大国因技术性原因出现债务违约，这样的事情前所未有，因为美国依然是一个非常富裕和有钱的国家，资金就在美国。”

International effects

But other economies also could be affected¹⁶. China is concerned about more than $1 trillion it has invested in the United States and is urging the United States to raise its debt ceiling.

不过，其他经济体也会受到影响。中国对投资美国的一万多亿美元资产非常担心，正在敦促美国提高债务上限。

Larres said much of the world has difficulty understanding this U.S. crisis, especially countries with authoritarian¹⁷ governments, such as China and some other East Asian states.

拉里斯说，世界大部分国家很难理解美国的这场危机，特别是中国等东亚地区集权国家政府。

"What is the debt ceiling, why does the government need to raise the debt ceiling? These are all questions people are wondering about because apart from the United States and Denmark, a debt ceiling doesn’t need to be raised by any other country in the world, so obviously, no one really understands that," he said.

他说：“什么是债务上限？为什麽政府需要提高债务上限？这是人们所不知道的问题，因为除了美国和丹麦以外，世界上任何其他国家无需提高债务上限，因此很显然，没人真正理解这个问题。”

Larres said the effects of the U.S. government shutdown are still mild, and that with a timely solution, the situation could be quickly rectified¹⁸. But he added a prolonged impasse¹⁹ and a deeper crisis could have a negative effect that could undermine the position of the United States as the world's top political and economic leader.

拉里斯说，美国克服部分关闭的影响依然温和。假如能够及时解决，形势可能会很快改变。不过他说，长期僵持局面和深度危机将产生的负面影响，会破坏美国世界政治和经济主要引领者的地位。

1 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

2 rivalry   

n.竞争，竞赛，对抗

参考例句：

• The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。
• He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。

3 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

4 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》

5 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

6 accrued   

adj.权责已发生的v.增加( accrue的过去式和过去分词 )；（通过自然增长）产生；获得；（使钱款、债务）积累

参考例句：

• The company had accrued debts of over 1000 yuan. 该公司已积欠了1000多万元的债务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I have accrued a set of commemoration stamps. 我已收集一套纪念邮票。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

8 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

9 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

11 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

12 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

13 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

14 reverberate   

v.使回响，使反响

参考例句：

• The decision will reverberate and will jar the country.这项决定将引起反响并震撼这个国家。
• Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my hear.痛苦呼喊的一遍遍的在我的心中回响。

15 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

16 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

17 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

18 rectified   

[医]矫正的，调整的

参考例句：

• I am hopeful this misunderstanding will be rectified very quickly. 我相信这个误会将很快得到纠正。
• That mistake could have been rectified within 28 days. 那个错误原本可以在28天内得以纠正。

19 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。