VOA标准英语2013--New Fiscal Threat as Obama Addresses Nation

 

New Fiscal¹ Threat as Obama Addresses Nation

President Obama faces a far different economy than the one he inherited four years ago.

Although unemployment remains² high, budget expert Stan Collender says the economy is gaining momentum³..

"The housing market is different, the financial market, the stock market is double what it was when he took office, basically," Collender said.

While the risk of economic collapse⁴ is no longer the issue, analysts⁵ say the threat of fiscal breakdown⁶ is.

Despite averting⁷ a large tax hike for middle class Americans, Congress has only delayed the sequester⁸ - deep spending cuts mandated⁹ to force both parties to negotiate a deficit¹⁰ cutting deal.

Author and fiscal expert Charles Konigsberg says it's a terrible way to run a government.

"On March 1st, automatic budget cuts go into effect. They would cut both defense¹¹ and non-defense programs by more than 5 percent, which could have a major impact on unemployment and on economic growth," Konigsberg said.

With no deal in sight, the president wants Congress to extend the deadline, again.

"If they can't get a bigger package done by the time the sequester is scheduled to go into effect, then I believe they should at least pass a smaller package of spending cuts and tax reforms that would delay the economically damaging effects of the sequester," Obama said.

The Congressional Budget Office says the automatic spending cuts would reduce the annual deficit. But they also would cut economic growth in half - and cost about one and a half million jobs.

House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, expressed frustration¹² over the stalemate.

"At some point, Washington has to deal with its spending problem. I've watched them kick this can down the road for the 22 years that I've been here. I've had enough of it. It's time to act," Boehner said.

With U.S. debt exceeding $16 trillion, both parties agree spending cuts are necessary. But economists¹³ say the cuts must be gradual. The economy shrank in the fourth quarter for the first time in three years -- the result, says Stan Collender, of a 22 percent cut in military spending.

"It's interesting because, after four years of Republicans talking about how spending cuts were going to spur economic growth, we now know for sure that just the opposite is true," Collender said.

Charles Konigsberg has worked in both Republican and Democratic administrations. He says how the president speaks to Republicans on Tuesday may be just as important as what he says.

"It's essential to bridge the gulf¹⁴ between the two parties -- and the only political figure who can do that is the president," Konigsberg

A nagging¹⁵ question is -- how much political capital is the president willing to expend¹⁶ to bridge a political divide that analysts say is, for now, the biggest drag on the world's largest economy. 

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 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

4 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

5 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

6 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

7 averting   

防止，避免( avert的现在分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• The margin of time for averting crisis was melting away. 可以用来消弥这一危机的些许时光正在逝去。
• These results underscore the value of rescue medications in averting psychotic relapse. 这些结果显示了救护性治疗对避免精神病复发的价值。

8 sequester   

vt.使退隐，使隔绝

参考例句：

• Everything he owned was sequestered.他的所有财产都被扣押了。
• This jury is expected to be sequestered for at least two months.预计这个陪审团将至少被隔离两个月。

9 mandated   

adj. 委托统治的

参考例句：

• Mandated desegregation of public schools. 命令解除公立学校中的种族隔离
• Britain was mandated to govern the former colony of German East Africa. 英国受权代管德国在东非的前殖民地。

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 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。

12 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

13 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》

14 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

15 nagging   

adj.唠叨的，挑剔的；使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的现在分词 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责

参考例句：

• Stop nagging—I'll do it as soon as I can. 别唠叨了—我会尽快做的。
• I've got a nagging pain in my lower back. 我后背下方老是疼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 expend   

vt.花费，消费，消耗

参考例句：

• Don't expend all your time on such a useless job.不要把时间消耗在这种无用的工作上。
• They expend all their strength in trying to climb out.他们费尽全力想爬出来。