VOA慢速英语2015 美参议院关于鲶鱼争论激烈（在线收听）

AS IT IS 2015-05-22 In the US Senate, Heated Debate over Catfish 美参议院关于鲶鱼争论激烈

From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.

美国之音慢速学英语节目，这里是经济报道。

The United States Senate moved closer this week to a final vote on Trade Promotion Authority. The Senate agreed on Thursday to end debate on the TPA bill. The vote was 62 to 38.

美国参议院距离就贸易促进授权(Trade Promotion Authority)议案进行最终投票又近了一步。周四，参议院赞同终止关于该议案的辩论，投票为62比38。

The procedural move all but guarantees final Senate passage of the measure. If approved, the TPA would simplify the way Congress votes on future trade agreements. It also could influence legislative action on the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP.

该程序化举动并未保证参议院最终通过该措施。如果得以通过，该议案将使国会对未来贸易协定的投票简单化。还可以影响12国跨太平洋合作伙伴关系协议的立法过程。

However, a sharp disagreement over an unexpected trade product, fresh water catfish, has hurt the negotiations. The farm-raised fish is a local U.S. industry valued at less than $1 billion in yearly production.

然而，关于出乎意料的贸易产品淡水鲶鱼的严重分歧却危害了谈判过程。该水产养殖的鱼类是美国一种当地产业，年产值接近10亿美元。

The Senate dispute arose when Republican lawmaker John McCain criticized a measure calling for increased U.S. government inspections of Asian catfish. He said some nations involved in TPP negotiations are suspicious of the measure.

共和党议员约翰·麦凯恩批评了要求美国政府加强对亚洲鲶鱼检查的措施之后，参议院出现争议。他表示，跨太平洋合作伙伴关系协议中的一些国家对该措施提出了怀疑。

“The true purpose of the catfish program is to create a trade barrier to protect a small, handful of catfish farmers in two or three southern states – one of the most brazen and reckless protectionist programs that I have encountered in my time in the U.S. Senate.”

“鲶鱼项目的真正目的是打造贸易壁垒，保护两三个南部国家的小型鲶鱼养殖者，这是我在美国参议院任职期间遇到的最无耻，最鲁莽的保护措施。”

The 2008 U.S. farm bill ordered that the Department of Agriculture establish and administer a new catfish inspection plan. The Food and Drug Administration tests all other seafood sold in America.

2008年美国农业法案下令农业部建立并实施新的鲶鱼检查计划。而在美国出售的其他海产品则由食品和药物管理局进行检查。

Senator McCain says the program is hurting America’s longer economic interests because it appears to be protectionism.

参议员麦凯恩表示，该项目伤害了美国长期的经济利益，因为这似乎是贸易保护主义。

“Ten Asian-Pacific nations have sent letters to the office of the U.S. Trade Representative warning that this USDA catfish office is hurting TPP negotiations. At least one nation, Vietnam, has threatened trade retaliation.”

“十个亚太国家已经向美国贸易代表办公室发送了信函，警告称美国农业部鲶鱼办公室伤害了TPP协议。至少一个国家，越南已威胁实施贸易报复行为。”

Senator Roger Wicker represents the state of Mississippi, one of America’s biggest catfish producers. He says the real issue is not protectionism but the health of American consumers.

参议员罗杰·威克(Roger Wicker)代表密西西比州，美国最大的鲶鱼生产地区之一。他表示，真正的问题并不是保护主义，而是美国消费者的健康。

“What this is about is food safety for Americans in 50 states who deserve to know that the fish they are eating is unadulterated.”

“该问题的重点是50个州的美国人面临的食品安全问题，他们有权知道他们吃的鱼是否地道纯净。”

Senator Wicker says Asian-produced seafood has been found to have higher levels of chemicals and other harmful substances. He says production overseas is not operated under the same conditions as in the U.S.

参议员威克表示，人们发现亚洲生产的海产品含有较高水平的化学物质和其他有害物质。他表示，海外生产并不是在与美国同样的条件下进行的。

The forceful debate is just one of the barriers to completing the 12 nation free trade agreement. Each country has its own interests to protect.

这场激烈的争论只是12国自由贸易协定完成所面临的众多障碍之一。每个国家都要保护自己的利益。

Claude Barfield says the TPP is larger than any other American free trade agreement. Mr. Barfield is a trade expert at the American Enterprise Institute. He notes that the 12 TPP nations are responsible for about one third of world trade.

Claude Barfield表示，TPP比美国其他自由贸易协定的规模都大。Barfield先生是美国企业研究所一位贸易专家。他指出，12国TPP协议占据全世界贸易的三分之一。

Mr. Barfield says the United States will win in some areas of trade negotiations and will have to compromise in others. However, he believes the final TPP deal with be good for the U.S.

Barfield表示，在贸易谈判的一些领域美国将占据优势，但是在其他方面需要作出让步。然而，他相信最终的TPP协议将对美国有利。

Words in This Story

protectionism – n. the use of regulations, taxes or other measures to make imported products more difficult to buy

retaliate – v. to do something bad to someone who has hurt you or treated you badly

brazen – adj. acting or done in a very open and shocking way without shame or embarrassment

reckless – adj. not showing proper concern about the possible bad results of your actions

unadulterated – adj. unchanged or without additional ingredients added