债务上限分歧大一托福阅读机经背景.docx

智课网TOEFL备考资料债务上限分歧大一托福阅读机经背景 In Washington, efforts continue to break an impasse over raising the nations debt limit and avoid the United States defaulting on its financial obligations for the first time in history. The dispute over allowing the government to borrow more money to meet its obligations pits President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress against the Republican opposition, which took control of the House of Representatives in last years congressional elections. 在华盛顿，有关各方继续努力，以打破在提高美国债务上限问题上陷入的僵局，避免美国在历史上第一次无法履行其财政责任。有关提高美国债务上限的争论使奥巴马总统和民主党议员与在去年国会选举中取得对众议院控制权的反对党共和党形成对峙的局面。 This latest test for divided government in the United States has enormous implications, not just domestically, but around the world. 债务上限问题是对陷入严重分歧的美国政府的最新考验，这个问题不仅对国内，而且对全世界都具有巨大的影响。 Obama administration officials warn that the United States will default on its existing debt obligations unless Congress acts to raise the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by August 2. 奥巴马政府官员警告说，如果国会不采取行动在8月2日之前提高14.3万亿美元的债务上限，美国就无法履行其现行的债务责任。 A default would have a huge impact on the U.S. economy and would also cause a ripple effect in international markets, says financial analyst Greg McBride. 金融分析师格雷格.迈克布莱德说，不履行债务责任不但将对美国经济产生巨大影响，而且还会在国际市场上引起连锁反应。 “This is something we are all going to feel. Financial markets would roll over and it is something we would feel in our retirement accounts and college savings accounts. But perhaps even worse is that the flow of credit could come to a screeching halt,” McBride said. 迈克布莱德说：“这是我们将会感觉到的问题。金融市场将会拖欠付款，我们将会从我们的退休帐户和大学储蓄帐户中感觉到这个问题。可是或许更糟的是，信贷流程可能会戛然而止。” Both sides in the debt debate say they want to avoid a default. But getting to an agreement is proving difficult in large part because of differences over raising taxes. 这场债务争论中的双方都说，他们想避免无法履行债务责任的结局。可是，实际情况表明，双方要想在这个问题上达成协议很困难，这主要是因为双方在增税问题上的分歧。 President Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress are willing to agree to huge cuts in government spending, but only if Republicans give up their opposition to raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans as part of any deal to agree to raise the debt limit. 奥巴马和他在国会中的民主党盟友愿意同意大量削减政府开支，但条件是共和党不得反对向富人增税，共和党要求把这一点写进有关债务上限的协议。 Mr. Obama faces a tough re-election campaign next year given the weak domestic economy and analysts say he is trying to appeal to centrist voters with his stance on the debt negotiations, voters he won in 2008 and voters he will need again to prevail in next years election. 由于美国经济疲软，奥巴马明年竞选连任将面临艰难的形势。分析人士说，他想利用自己在这场债务上限谈判中的立场来吸引中间派选民，这些选民就是他在2008年的大选中赢得的选民，也是在明年大选中他将再度需要的选民。 “We can defy the expectations that we are always thinking in terms of short-term politics and the next election, and every once in a while we break out of that and we do what is right for the country,” he said. 奥巴马总统说：“目前存在着一些期望，认为我们总是以短期政治和下届选举为目标来考虑问题。我们可以让这种期望落空。我们时不时地打破常规，我们要做对我们国家来讲是正确的事情。” Republicans are sticking to their no-tax increase pledge because they believe they have the upper hand in this political dispute, pointing to public-opinion polls that show Americans want to cut spending and reduce the budget deficit. 共和党人则是坚持他们不增税的保证，因为他们认为，他们在这场争论中占上风。民意调查结果显示，美国人希望削减开支和降低预算赤字。 House Speaker John Boehner is also under pressure from fellow Republicans elected to Congress last year with help from Tea Party activists to uphold pledges to oppose tax increases and to dramatically reduce the size of the federal government. 众议院议长、共和党人贝纳也受到本党内的一些众议员的压力，这些人是依靠茶党的帮助在去年当选众议员的。他们要求贝纳履行反对增税的承诺，并且要大幅度削减联邦政府的规模。 “Our disagreement is over the idea of raising taxes on the very people that we are asking to create jobs in our country. The American people will not accept and the House cannot pass a bill that raises taxes on job creators,” Boehner said. 贝纳说：“我们在对特定一批人的增税问题上存在分歧，我们请求这些人在美国增加就业机会。美国人不会接受，众议院也不会通过一项对创造就业的人增税的议案。” The debate over whether to emphasize budget cuts or tax increases to solve budget problems is not new and lawmakers generally found a way to reach a compromise in past disputes. But this time the differences are stark, says Washington-based analyst Stuart Rothenberg. 有关是通过削减预算还是增税来解决预算问题的这场辩论并不是一场新辩论。在过去的争论中，议员们一般总能设法达成妥协。可是，华盛顿的分析人士斯图尔特.罗森伯格说，这一次的分歧特别大。 “Republicans and Democrats have a very different view. For Republicans, it is all about cutting taxes and smaller government. The Democrats say, Yes, we need to restrain some of our spending, we need to cut some of the deficit, but we also need to raise additional revenue, and there is a big gap between the parties on this,” Rothenberg said. 罗森伯格说：“共和党人和民主党人的观点差别很大。对共和党人来说，他们想要的就是减税和把政府的规模变小。而民主党人则说，是的，我们需要抑制我们的部分开支，我们需要削减一些赤字，可是我们也需要增税。两党在这个问题上存在极大的分歧。” President Obama has also indicated he is willing to consider savings for popular government programs like the Social Security pension system and the Medicare program that provides low-cost health care for the elderly. Democrats have long sought to protect both programs from Republican cost-cutting moves, and MSNBC political analyst Richard Wolffe says it shows Mr. Obama is willing to upset his own party in the search for a long-term solution to reducing the debt. Wolffe spoke on VOAs Issues in the News program. “The challenge for this president is that he has got to try and keep enough of his own Democratic votes together. But really what he wants to do is reshape the budget and reshape the political landscape,” Wolffe said. Economic and political experts warn that failure to raise the debt ceiling could jeopardize the tepid economic recovery, which in turn could be disastrous for President Obamas re-election hopes next year. 经济与政治专家警告说，如果不能提高债务上限，就会危及经济复苏。而经济不能复苏反过来又将对奥巴马明年竞选连任的希望构成灾难性打击。 Analyst Stuart Rothenberg says the political stakes for Mr. Obama are huge. 分析人士斯图尔特.罗森伯格说，这个问题在政治上对奥巴马有极大的利害关系。 “And consumer sentiment is down and that is a significant problem because it reflects the publics sense of fear, concern, worry, even anger at the president and the politicians inability to do anything,” Rothenberg said. 罗森伯格说：