VOA常速英语2013--聚焦华盛顿：议会将完成美国的预算协议工作

 

Washington Week: Congress to Finish Work on US Budget Deal 聚焦华盛顿：议会将完成美国的预算协议工作

U.S. lawmakers are expected to pass a two-year federal budget this week, ending a contentious¹ and politically-polarized year on a bipartisan note. While Congress is acting² on fiscal³ matters, it has shelved possible new economic sanctions against Iran.

本星期美国的立法者准备通过一个为期两年的联邦预算，在两党的注意下结束一个争论频繁,两极分化政治一年。然而当议会正在处理财政问题时，搁置了对伊朗进行的经济制裁。

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the budget blueprint⁴ last week, and the Senate is expected to follow suit in coming days, showing that a politically-divided Congress can function, according to Democratic Senator Richard Durbin.

上周众议院的代表们从容地批准了这一协议，参议院也准备在未来的时间里跟上进展，这展示了一个政治分工的议会的职能。据民主党参议员Richard Durbin描述。

“I am encouraged that members on both sides, House and Senate, Democrats⁵ and Republicans, vote for this.  Let us move.  Let us govern.  Let us not shut down this government again.  This is an opportunity, and with this opportunity we can have a stronger national defense⁶, a stronger country, and we can save the taxpayers⁷ money,” said Durbin.

“令我兴奋的是民主党和共和党，众议院和参议员都支持这一协议。让我们活动，让我们领导，让我们不再让我们的政府再次停摆。这是一次机遇，而且有了这种机遇我们将能拥有更加强大的国防能力，成为一个强大的国家，从而我们可以节省这些纳税人的财富。”Durbin称。

Once enacted⁸, the bill would give the nation a two-year reprieve⁹ from the budget wars that have consumed Congress in recent years.  It reduces across-the-board cuts to federal spending and, at the same time pares the deficit¹⁰, earning the backing of Republicans like Congressman¹¹ Paul Ryan.

一旦协议执行，将可能给被精疲力竭议会预算斗争所折磨的国家带来两年的缓刑。它减少联邦的支出的花费，同时也瓦解了赤字。像Paul Ryan这样的共和党议员都支持这一协议。

“This is the first time since 1986 that a divided Congress has done what we are about to do.  Here is what the bill does: it reduces the deficit by $23 billion.  It does not raise taxes and it cuts spending in a smarter way,” said Ryan.

“这是两极分化的议会自1986年的第一次做我们所做的事，这项协议所能做什么呢？它减少了230亿的赤字，它不提高税收并且它以一种很聪明的方式来缩减支出。”Ryan称。

Meanwhile, a furious lobbying effort by the Obama administration has succeeded in preventing Congress from enacting¹² new sanctions against Iran, at least until next year.  Secretary of State John Kerry was one of many U.S. officials who pleaded with lawmakers to give international diplomacy¹³ a chance to curb¹⁴ Iran’s nuclear activities.

同时，奥巴马政府的激情游说活动成功得阻止了议会对伊朗制裁新政策的建立，至少到明年都不会有任何行动。美国国务卿John Kerry以及许多的美国官员恳请立法者确立一个外交机会来遏制伊朗的核行动。

“We have a chance to address peacefully one of the most pressing national security concerns that the world faces today.  I do not want to give Iranians a public excuse to flout¹⁵ the agreement,” said Kerry.

“我们有一个和平解决一个全世界面临的高压力国家稳定问题的机会。我并没有给伊朗人民一个不顾合约的公开托词的目的。“Kerry 称Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers want to boost sanctions to pressure Tehran in upcoming negotiations¹⁶, arguing that sanctions forced Iran to bargain in the first place.  The administration says Congress can always act if talks were to break down.

一些民主党和共和党立法者想通过提高对德黑兰压力的制裁，理由是这些制裁强制伊朗进行迅速妥协。美国政府称议会常常协商失败就开始采取暴力行动。

1 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

2 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

3 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。

4 blueprint   

n.蓝图，设计图，计划；vt.制成蓝图，计划

参考例句：

• All the machine parts on a blueprint must answer each other.设计图上所有的机器部件都应互相配合。
• The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device.文件内附有一张核装置的设计蓝图。

5 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》

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

8 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

9 reprieve   

n.暂缓执行（死刑）；v.缓期执行；给…带来缓解

参考例句：

• He was saved from the gallows by a lastminute reprieve.最后一刻的缓刑令把他从绞架上解救了下来。
• The railway line, due for closure, has been granted a six-month reprieve.本应停运的铁路线获准多运行6 个月。

10 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

11 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

12 enacting   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Generally these statutes apply only to wastes from reactors outside the enacting state. 总之，这些法令只适宜用在对付那些来自外州的核废料。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• In addition, the complexion of enacting standards for live working is described. 另外，介绍了带电作业标准的制订情况。

13 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

14 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

15 flout   

v./n.嘲弄，愚弄，轻视

参考例句：

• Parents who flout Family Court orders may be named in the media in Australia.在澳洲父母亲若是藐视家庭法庭的裁定可能在媒体上被公布姓名。
• The foolish boy flouted his mother's advice.这个愚蠢的孩子轻视他母亲的劝告。

16 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。