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　　Iraq's ambassador to the United States says his country still needs U.S. reconstruction¹ assistance, despite large Iraqi fiscal² surpluses driven by record-high oil prices. In Washington the ambassador spoke³ on U.S. television.
伊拉克驻美国大使苏迈达伊说，伊拉克仍然需要美国帮助伊拉克的重建工作，尽管创记录的高油价给伊拉克带来巨额财政盈余。苏迈达伊是在华盛顿的一个美国电视节目上发表上述讲话的。
When it comes to government revenue, Iraq and the United States are going in opposite directions. While Iraqi coffers continue to expand, the U.S. federal deficit⁴ is spiking⁵, and projected to top $300 billion this year amid sluggish⁶ U.S. economic growth.
在政府财政收入方面，伊拉克和美国的情况正相反。伊拉克国库收入持续扩大，但美国联邦政府赤字不断飙升，而且美国财政赤字将因经济发展缓慢预计今年超过3千亿美元。
The contrast in national finances has led several U.S. lawmakers to question why the United States continues to spend billions of dollars to help Iraq rebuild its infrastructure⁷ in the post-Saddam era, when Iraq appears more than able to handle the financial burden on its own.
美伊两国财政状况的反差使一些美国议员质疑，当伊拉克似乎完全有能力独自应付其财政负担时，美国为什么还要继续投入数十亿美元，在后萨达姆时代帮助伊拉克重建其基础设施。
Speaking on CNN's Late Edition program, Ambassador Samir Sumaida'ie said Iraq's fiscal situation may be improving, but the needs of the country still outweigh⁸ its financial resources.
伊拉克驻美国大使苏迈达伊在美国有线电视网《最新版本》节目中说，伊拉克的财政状况可能正在改善，但是伊拉克的需求仍然超出其财政资源。
"Iraq does have a surplus, but Iraq is a completely destroyed country," said Ambassador Sumaida'ie. "The infrastructure has to be rebuilt from the beginning [from the ground up]. A majority of Iraqis do not have access, even, to drinking water."
他说：“伊拉克的确有财政盈余，但伊拉克是一个被完全摧毁的国家。基础设施重建必须从头开始。大部分伊拉克人甚至无法喝到饮用水。”
The ambassador added that, while Iraq has money to spend, the government has had difficulty finding qualified⁹ contractors¹⁰ who are willing to work in the country, given security concerns. He stressed that his government is eager to initiate¹¹ reconstruction projects, and has ambitious goals to that end.
苏迈达伊补充说，虽然伊拉克有资金，但是，出于安全考虑，伊拉克政府很难找到愿意在伊拉克工作的合格的承包商。他强调说，伊拉克政府迫切希望开始实施重建项目，而且抱着实现重建的雄心目标。
Both major Democratic Party candidates have pledged to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq, arguing that the United States cannot afford the financial burdens that an open-ended military presence in the country would necessitate¹². Both have admitted, however, that U.S. financial commitments to Iraq would not end overnight.
两位美国民主党候选人都保证要让美国军队撤出伊拉克。他们认为，美国无法承担没有限制的驻伊美军所需要的财政负担。但两位候选人都承认，美国承诺为伊拉克提供的财政援助不会马上停止。
Iraqi officials have said that they would be willing to repay foreign governments that invest in reconstruction projects.
伊拉克官员说，他们愿意偿还外国政府在伊拉克重建项目上的投资。