VOA常速英语2019--美国政府停摆影响国计民生

What do we want?! Federal workers across the country say they’ve had enough. Some families who say they’ve never had to depend on donations are turning to food banks for help. Even students who rely on free or reduced fee meals at school are impacted. One North Carolina school announcing lunch menus are being revised to conserve¹ food and funding. The Lambert Family are worried about feeding their five-and-six-year-olds.

我们想要什么？！全国各地的联邦政府公务员们表示，他们受够了。有一些家庭成自己从未依靠过捐赠，但现在却转而寻求食物银行的帮助了。就连在学校吃免费或者廉价餐的学生也受到了影响。有一家北卡罗莱纳州的学校宣布了午餐菜单要重新修订，以节省粮食和资金。兰伯特一家也在担心如何供养五六岁的几个孩子。

The sooner they can do something about it, the better it’ll be for us local families. In California, TSA Union leaders say this shutdown has gone way too long. In Washington, families letting Congress know it’s time to reconcile their differences. I’ve pawned² everything that I can imagine, and now I’m just at my wit’s end.

他们越早有所作为，我们当地这些家庭的境况就会越好些。加州运输安全管理局的多位领导人表示，这次政府停摆的时间太长了。华盛顿有许多家庭想让国会知道，现在是时候化解分歧了。我典当了所有能典当的东西，现在我已经黔驴技穷了。

As the shutdown drags on, some businesses are also taking a hit. Mohammed Bada has been operating his falafel food truck in the District of Columbia since 2014. He says the ongoing³ shutdown has drastically cut down his sales. Usually, I do in this area I do like 60 or 70 customers. So far maybe I did like 19 customers today, especially this week. It’s really, really, really bad. Bada who owns two food trucks can now afford to run only one. He says if sales don’t pick up soon, he won’t be back next week and will look for another job instead. Meanwhile, there’s no budging⁴ on either democratic or republican side.

随着停摆的持续，一些企业也遭受了重创。自2014年以来，穆罕默德一直在哥伦比亚特区经营自己的沙拉三明治餐车。他表示，当前的停摆极大的削减了他的销售额。我在本地区有六七十名顾客。但目前来看，我大概只剩19名顾客了，尤其是这一周。形势太差了。穆罕默德有2辆餐车，但现在的财力只能运营1辆了。他表示，如果销售额不能迅速回升，那么他下周就不来了，而是直接找一份新工作了。与此同时，民主党和共和党彼此依然互不相让。

1 conserve   

vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭

参考例句：

• He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
• Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你会用得着的！

2 pawned   

v.典当，抵押( pawn的过去式和过去分词 )；以（某事物）担保

参考例句：

• He pawned his gold watch to pay the rent. 他抵当了金表用以交租。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has redeemed her pawned jewellery. 她赎回了当掉的珠宝。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

4 budging   

v.（使）稍微移动( budge的现在分词 )；（使）改变主意，（使）让步

参考例句：

• Give it up, plumber. She's not budging. 别费劲了，水管工。她不会改变主意的。 来自互联网
• I wondered how Albert who showed no intention of budging, felt about Leopold's desertion. 对于从未有迁徙打算的艾伯特来说，我不知道它会怎样看待利奥波德这样弃它而去呢。 来自互联网