在美国政治中，没有任何问题比中央政府的角色与规模能让民主党和共和党产生更大的分歧了。这种政治分界处于围绕联邦预算展开的激烈辩论的中心。

　　Republicans made significant gains in last November’s midterm congressional elections, and many of them saw the election results as proof Americans want to sharply cut the size of the federal government.

　　共和党在去年11月国会中期选举中获得大胜，许多共和党人把选举结果视为美国民众要求大幅度削减联邦政府规模的证明。

　　That is why Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and others were quick to dismiss President Barack Obama’s $3.7-trillion budget proposal for 2012 that includes a mix of spending cuts and tax increases.

　　这就是为什么参议院共和党领袖米奇.麦康奈尔等人很快驳回了奥巴马总统提出的2012年3.7万亿美元预算案，这个提案包括一系列削减开支和增税的内容。

　　"The people who voted for a new direction in November have a five word response - 'We do not have the money,'" said McConnell.

　　麦康奈尔说：“11月为了一个新方向而投票的民众的答复是5个字，我们没有钱。”

　　Republicans are putting forward a budget blueprint of their own that calls for far deeper cuts in federal spending to reverse the course of soaring budget deficits.

　　共和党人提出的预算案要求更大幅度地削减联邦开支，以扭转预算赤字窜升的趋势。

　　This battle over how much to cut from the federal budget will dominate the Washington political scene for the foreseeable future and also sets the scene for the 2012 presidential election campaign.

　　围绕联邦预算削减幅度问题而展开的论战在可预见的未来将主导华盛顿政治舞台，并且成为2012年的总统选战的背景。

　　The gap between the two parties over the budget seems huge, but President Obama says even in the wake of last year’s elections, most Americans want to see the two sides find common ground.

　　两党在预算方面的分歧看来是巨大的，不过奥巴马总统在去年选举之后就表示，多数美国人希望看到两党找到共同点。

　　"The key thing that I think the American people want to see is that all sides are serious about it, and all sides are willing to give a little bit, and that there is a genuine spirit of compromise as opposed to people being interested in scoring political points," said Obama.

　　奥巴马说：“我想，美国人民想要看到的关键是各方都认真对待此事，各方都做出一点让步，有一种真正的妥协精神，而不是只关心在政治上得分。”

　　Public-opinion polls indicate Mr. Obama’s political standing improved after he reached a bipartisan compromise with Republicans on extending tax cuts late last year.

　　民调显示，奥巴马去年年末与共和党人就延长减税达成跨党派的妥协后，他的政治声望有所改善。

　　Political strategist Mark McKinnon said that spirit of cooperation, which was largely lacking during Obama’s first two years in office, could continue this year. McKinnon is co-founder of a group called 'No Labels' that promotes bipartisan cooperation.

　　政治策略家马克.麦金农认为，合作精神今年能够持续下去。在奥巴马前两年任期当中，这种精神普遍缺乏。麦金农是一个叫作“无标签”团体的共同创办人，这个团体的目的是促进跨党派合作。

　　"Even though there are different points of view on it, I get the sense that Americans and the political class (politicians) are really committed to working together to find solutions in a way that they have not been in a long time," said McKinnon.

　　麦金农说：“尽管在这件事上有不同观点，我觉得美国民众和政界以一种他们很久没有使用的方式，致力于携手合作寻找解决方案。”

　　Some newly elected Republicans, however, are not in a mood to compromise on the budget. Many of them were elected with help from supporters of the so-called Tea Party movement, a grass-roots uprising of conservative and Libertarian activists who want to roll back the power and size of the federal government.

　　不过，一些新当选的共和党议员在预算问题上没有妥协意愿。他们当中许多人是在茶党支持者的帮助下当选的。茶党是要求减少联邦政府权力及规模的保守派和自由派活动人士发起的草根抗争运动。

　　Newly-elected Congressman Bobby Schilling is a Republican from Illinois who owes a lot to Tea Party activists. Schilling told NBC’s Meet the Press that many newly-elected Republicans will think twice about angering voters back in their home districts who expect deep cuts in federal spending.

　　新科共和党众议员鲍比.希灵来自伊利诺伊州。他欠茶党活动人士很多情。希灵在全国广播公司的会见媒体电视节目中说，对于可能激怒本选区那些期待大幅削减联邦开支的选民的事情，许多新科共和党人都会三思而行。

　　"They are going to hold people accountable on either side," said Schilling. "And I was told, 'Hey, you know what, if you go against the things we sent you there for, we are going to work just as hard to get you out.'"

　　希灵说：“他们将追究各方的责任。有人告诉我，‘嘿，如果你反对我们选举你要你去做的事情，我们就会用同样的努力把你选掉。”

　　Political analyst Charlie Cook said Schilling and others elected with Tea Party help may find it hard to compromise on some of their core beliefs.

　　政治分析人士查理.库克说，希灵众议员和其他在茶党帮助下当选的议员可能会觉得很难在他们的某些核心信念上妥协。

　　"They would be defying their base (supporters). They would be defying the people that elected them a majority. They really would be betraying their supporters," said Cook.

　　“否则他们就会违抗他们的基本支持者，违抗投票使他们成为多数党的那些人了。”

　　Veteran Republican political operative Scot Faulkner worked for former President Ronald Reagan and for Republican congressional leaders.

　　Faulkner sees a protracted political debate over the budget this year that will easily carry over into the 2012 presidential election campaign.

　　"I think we are already seeing some danger signs that Republicans see the next two years as a preamble to 2012 and they want to basically put (political) points on the board against Obama, as opposed to points on the board showing that Republicans can govern."

　　Experts say the budget debate could easily polarize advocates on both the political left and right, which could leave an opening for Obama.

　　一些专家认为，预算辩论很容易使政治上的左右两派拥两极化，这可能给奥巴马总统留下一个机会。

　　Richard Wolffe, who has written two books about President Obama and is a political analyst for MSNBC television, said "But it also opens up an opportunity for the president to get back to where he was in 2008 as a candidate, which is to say, 'I am above the fray. There are all these children fighting, there are these extremists on the left and the right, and I am the reasonable guy in the middle.'"

　　理查德.沃尔夫写过两本关于奥巴马总统的书，并且是MSNBC电视台的政治分析员。他说：“这也给总统打开了一个机会，让他回归他2008年作为一名候选人的时候。这就是说，我置身于这场纷争之外。这些孩子在打架，左右两边的人立场都很极端，而我是中间那个理性的家伙。”

　　The debate over the budget and the size of the federal government also is expected to be a major issue in the battle for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, which officially will begin early next year. Several potential Republican presidential contenders are expected to announce their plans within the next few months.

　　关于预算和联邦政府规模的辩论也将成为2012年共和党总统候选人提名战的一大议题。提名战明年年初将正式开始。几位可能的共和党总统参选人预计将在几个月内宣布他们的计划。