U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner returned to the U.S. Congress Wednesday, a day after he announced the Obama administration's plan for continuing efforts to rescue the nation's ailing banking system. He faced lawmakers frustrated that few details of the plan have been released.
美国财政部长盖特纳在宣布了奥巴马政府为了救助美国萎靡不振的银行体系而继续努力的计划一天之后，再次来到国会山作证。他所面对的是那些对这个计划的很少细节被公布出来感到沮丧的议员。
In his second day of testimony, Geithner again offered a broad description of the Obama administration's financial rescue plan, which seeks to use up to $2 trillion to help shore up ailing banks and spur more lending.
在国会山第二天的作证中，财政部长盖特纳再次泛泛地描述了奥巴马政府的金融救助计划。这个计划寻求动用高达2万亿美元来帮助支撑萎靡不振的银行以及推动更多的借贷。
The plan includes expanding a lending program to facilitate consumer and business loans and government financing for private companies to buy up bad real estate assets.
这个计划包括扩大一个借贷项目来为消费者和企业贷款提供方便，以及对那些购买银行不良资产的私营公司提供政府资助。
But in his testimony before the Senate Banking Committee, Geithner remained vague on details of the plan.
但是在参议院银行委员会作证时，盖特纳仍然对这个计划的有关细节保持模糊。
He offered this response when Senator Lyndsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, asked him whether the administration would ask Congress for more money for the program.
当来自南卡罗莱纳州的共和党参议员格林厄姆问他，奥巴马政府今后是否会要求国会对这个项目提供更多资金时，盖特纳做出了这样的回答。
"Can't tell you that at this point," Geithner said. "But if we think there is a good case for doing it, we are going to come tell you how we are going to do it."
“目前还不能告诉你。但是如果我们认为有很好的理由这样做的话，我们会来告诉你我们会怎么做。”
"Okay, good. So, you have no clue," said Graham.
对此，格林厄姆参议员回应说：“好。这就是说，你根本没有数。”
Geithner said $315 billion remain in the original $700 billion bailout that Congress approved last year.
盖特纳说，国会去年最初批准的7千亿美元救助资金还剩下3150亿美元。
Senator Graham said that would not be enough money to solve the banking and housing crisis, and said the administration should admit now that it will need more money.
格林厄姆参议员说，这笔钱不足以解决美国的银行和房地产危机。他还表示，奥巴马政府应该现在承认，他们会需要更多的钱。
Geithner defended the lack of details in the plan, saying the crisis will take a long time to resolve.
盖特纳对这个计划缺乏具体的细节进行了辩护，说这个危机将需要很长的时间才能得以解决。
"This is the beginning of a process of consultation. I completely understand the desire for details and commitments," he told the Senate Budget Committee. "But we want to do this carefully, consult carefully so we do not put ourselves in the position again where we are laying out details ahead of the care and substance to get it right, which requires quick departures and changes in strategy. I do not want to do that."
他说：“这是磋商过程的开始。我完全理解希望知道更多细节和承诺的愿望。但是我们要小心从事，进行认真的磋商，这样我们才不至于使我们自己再次处于这样一个境地，即我们在具备正确对付这个问题所需要的谨慎和实质内容之前就列出细节，而要想正确处理这个危机需要在策略方面做出迅速的调整和改变。我不想那样做。”
Committee chairman Kent Conrad, a North Dakota Democrat, asked when the administration might know whether it would need more money from Congress for the financial rescue program, saying lawmakers will be preparing the annual federal budget and need to plan accordingly.
该委员会的主席、北达科他州的民主党参议员康拉德问，政府什么时候可能知道这个金融救助计划是否需要从国会得到更多的钱，因为议员们很快要为年度联邦预算做准备，而且需要相应地做出计划。
Geithner said the administration should have a better idea in the next several weeks.
盖特纳说，奥巴马政府应该在今后几个星期对情况有更好的了解。 |