VOA常速英语2013--美国即将开始医改大战

 

Health Care Battle Looms¹ in United States 美国即将开始医改大战

U.S. lawmakers return to Washington next month and they face a deadline of October 1 on how to continue funding the federal government.

A group of Republicans is threatening to force a government shutdown unless Congress votes to deny funding for President Barack Obama’s signature health care reform law, known as the Affordable³ Care Act.

Obama signed health care reform into law in 2010, but the battle over its implementation⁵ continues.  Groups for and against the health-care law are running TV ads in hopes of winning public support.

巴拉克·奥巴马2009年将医疗改革签署成法律，但有关其实施的争论仍在继续。支持和反对医疗法律的组织在电视上纷纷做广告，希望争取公众的支持。

Some Republicans are demanding that Congress defund the health care law as part of any agreement to renew overall government spending in October, including Texas Senator Ted² Cruz.

有的共和党人要求国会取消对医疗法律的资金支持，作为十月份重新修改政府开支协议的一部分，德州议员特德·克鲁兹说：

“It is not working, said Cruz. "It is hurting health care and now is the opportunity to do it if the American people rise up and hold our elected officials accountable.”

“这是行不通的，这会损害医疗项目，如果美国人都起来要求当选官员对此负责，那么现在就是机会。”

Joining Cruz in the effort is Florida Senator Marco Rubio, both are considered potential presidential contenders in 2016.

和克鲁兹意见一致的是佛罗里达议员马克罗·鲁比奥，两人都被视为2016年有可能成为总统候选人。

“It will do irreparable damage to our economy and to our country," said Rubio. "I do not think you can say that you are against Obamacare if you vote for a budget that funds it.”

“我认为如果投票支持给医改提供资金的预算，那就不是在反对奥巴马医疗方案。”

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has frequently voted to defund the health-care law.

共和党控制的众议院经常投票要求取消对医改法的资金支持。

But the effort has been blocked in the Democratically-controlled Senate and would be vetoed by the president.

但这种努力在民主党控制的参议院受到阻扰，并将被总统否决。

Obama was asked about the defunding effort during a recent news conference. He said, “The idea that you would shut down the government unless you prevent 30-million people from getting health care is a bad idea.”

“有人认为，除非能阻止3000万人得到医疗保障，否则就要关闭政府，这种观点是错误的。”

Congressional Democrats⁶ are also fighting the idea of defunding the law, including House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.

国会的民主党也反对取消对该法资金支持，其中包括众议院民主党领袖南希·佩洛西。

“I think they are aimless," she said. "I think they are chaotic⁷ and I think they are making matters worse for the American people when we should be resolving this.”

“我认为他们一片混乱，他们在把事情弄得更糟，事实上我们应该为美国人解决这些问题。”

A number of senior Republicans in both the House and Senate also oppose the effort to defund and the issue has become a point of division within the party. But Republican congressional leaders, including House Speaker John Boehner, remain noncommittal.

许多有影响力的共和党也反对取消资金支持的做法，但众议院议长约翰·博纳的态度一直不明朗。

“And I am confident that when we get into the fall we will find that it may be a messy process, but I suspect we will find a way to get there,” he said.

“我认为我们陷入陷阱里，发现一片糟糕，但我怀疑我们是否能找到解决办法。”

The move to defund Obamacare is being driven by Tea Party activists⁸, says analyst⁹ David Hawkings of Roll Call, a newspaper that covers Congress.

报道国会新闻的报刊《点名报》的分析家大卫·霍金斯说，对奥巴马医改法案撤资的运动受到保守共和党和茶党活动人士的推动。

“Conservative Republicans, the Tea Party Republicans have been itching¹⁰ for a fight ever since they got here in 2011.  ... There are still a solid number of Republicans in the House especially who are itching for that kind of a confrontation¹¹ and think they will win it,” he said.

“自2011年以来，保守的共和党和茶党都希望对此作战，众议院仍有大量共和党人希望进行这种对抗，并认为自己会取得胜利。”

Republican strategist Ford⁴ O’Connell is among those warning Republicans not to do it.

共和党战略家福特·欧·康奈尔等人警告共和党不要这么做。

“It is a very, very risky¹² strategy that could come back and bite the Republicans at a very important time when they are trying to change their identity and change their perception and win elections in 2014, so they can grow their numbers and govern in Congress,” he said.

“这是非常危险的战略，目前共和党希望改变身份和观点，并赢得2014年的选举，从而在国会壮大其力量和实力，而在这样重要时刻这样的战略会损害共和党自身的。”

Veteran Republicans worry that because they were blamed for government shutdowns in the 1990’s during budget confrontations¹³ with former President Bill Clinton they will be again if there is a shutdown over the health-care law.

老共和党人担心，他们在20世纪90年代与总统比尔·克林顿对峙期间导致政府关门而遭受指责，也担心如果医改法律导致再度关门，自己会再次遭受指责。

1 looms   

n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• All were busily engaged,men at their ploughs,women at their looms. 大家都很忙，男的耕田，女的织布。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The factory has twenty-five looms. 那家工厂有25台织布机。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

3 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

4 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

5 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

6 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》

7 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

10 itching   

adj.贪得的，痒的，渴望的v.发痒( itch的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The itching was almost more than he could stand. 他痒得几乎忍不住了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My nose is itching. 我的鼻子发痒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

12 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

13 confrontations   

n.对抗，对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At times, this potential has escalated into actual confrontations. 有时，这一矛盾升级为实际的对抗。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• These confrontations and uncertainties were bing played out for the first time on a global scale. 所有这一切对抗和不稳定，第一次在全球范围内得到充分的表演。 来自辞典例句