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　　In U.S. politics, both sides in the ongoing¹ domestic policy debates are taking a break over the Christmas holiday, following an unexpectedly productive final session of the outgoing Congress. When they return in January they will face the new political reality of Republicans controlling the House of Representatives and having an increased minority in the Senate.
在美国政坛上，随着圣诞节假日的到来，进行国内政策辩论的双方暂时偃旗息鼓。而即将卸任的本届国会在最后的日子取得了出人意料的成果。国会明年1月重新开会时将面临新的政治现实。这就是共和党控制众议院，并增加在参议院的席位。
What a difference a few weeks makes in President Obama's political fortunes. Shortly after the Republican rout² in the November midterm congressional elections, Obama acknowledged he and his fellow Democrats⁴ got a shellacking at the polls.
几个星期就能使奥巴马总统的政治前景大为改观。在共和党取得11月国会中期选举胜利后不久，奥巴马总统承认他和民主党人在选举中遭遇挫折。
It was a much more upbeat President Obama, however, who spoke⁵ to reporters at the White House after a productive so-called lame⁶ duck session of Congress that included dozens of Democrats who were defeated in November.
但是，在所谓跛脚鸭国会通过了一系列法后，奥巴马总统显得振奋多了。
"If there is any lesson to draw from these past few weeks, it is that we are not doomed⁷ to endless gridlock," said Obama. "We have shown in the wake of the November elections that we have the capacity not only to make progress, but to make progress together. And I am not na??ve. I know there will be tough fights in the months ahead. But my hope heading into the New Year is that we can continue to heed⁸ the message of the American people and hold to a spirit of common purpose in 2011 and beyond."
他在白宫对记者说：“如果说可以从过去几个星期汲取什么教训的话，那就是我们并不是注定会有无休止的僵局。我们在11月选举之后证明，我们不仅能够取得进展，而且可以共同取得进展。我并不天真。我知道在未来的几个月里我们会有艰巨的战斗。但在新年到来之际，我的希望是我们可以继续倾听美国人民的声音，在2011年和以后的时间里坚持追求共同的目标。”
The list of compromise agreements includes extending tax cuts for all Americans first approved by President George W. Bush, ratification⁹ of a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia, and ending a long-standing policy that prevents homosexuals from openly serving in the U.S. military.
国会最后通过的妥协性协议包括延长布什总统批准的为所有美国人减税的政策，批准跟俄罗斯的新的限制核武器条约，中止长久以来不准公开的同性恋者参军的政策。
Not everyone was happy. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina complained that Democrats rammed¹⁰ through a number of measures in the waning¹¹ days of the session, especially the law that overturns the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy that had barred gays and lesbians from openly serving in the armed forces.
并不是所有的人都高兴。南卡罗莱纳州共和党籍参议员格雷厄姆抱怨说，民主党人在国会会期的最后几天强行通过了一些法案，尤其是通过了推翻禁止公开的同性恋者服役的“不问不说”政策。
"To those who are pushing this process, it is not appreciated," said Graham. "It is not appreciated by your fellow senators and I do no think it is going to be appreciated by the men and women who are going to have to live under this kind of change."
格雷厄姆说：“我要对那些推动这一法案的人说，这不好。其他参议员也认为不好。我不认为那些要经历这种改变的人会喜欢它。”
Democrats were eager to celebrate their legislative¹² victories, fully¹³ aware that they will lose their House majority in January.
民主党人急于庆祝他们的立法胜利。他们明白，到1月，他们就要失去在众议院的多数席位了。
Maryland Representative Steny Hoyer is the number-two ranking Democrat³ in the House. He said both parties in Congress were able to find common ground once the heat of the November election faded.
民主党在众议院的第二号人物、马里兰州的霍耶表示，国会两党在11月的选举激情过去之后找到了共同立场。
"I think the fact that the politics are somewhat over," said Hoyer. "They are never fully over, but the election is not facing us and people were prepared to come together and work together for progress."
他说：“我认为政治游戏差不多过去了，但不会完全过去。不过我们已经不再面临选举，人们也愿意走到一起来为取得进展而合作。”
Perhaps the most important moment came when the president agreed to a compromise with Republicans on extending the Bush era tax cuts for all Americans, even the very wealthy. As a presidential candidate, Obama had promised to let the tax cuts for the wealthy expire, and his change of heart angered liberal Democrats.
或许，最重要的是奥巴马总统同意跟共和党人达成妥协，延长布什时代对所有美国人、包括富裕的美国人减税的政策。奥巴马竞选的时候曾许诺不会延长为富人减税。奥巴马改变主意，让一些自由派民主党人感到愤怒。
Tom DeFrank is a longtime observer of U.S. politics and Washington Bureau Chief for the New York Daily News. He said, "Had Obama not been able to cut this deal, he would have looked helpless. He at least lives to fight another day now. And I believe there are some, and I am one of them, who believe that if Obama somehow finds a way to get reelected in 2012, we will all be saying that the seeds of that comeback began with this (tax) deal."
纽约每日新闻驻华盛顿分社主任德弗兰克说：“要是奥巴马不能达成这个交易，他就会被人们看作是软弱无力。他现在至少可以再战斗一场。有一些人，也包括我，认为，假如奥巴马总统在2012年获得连任，我们就会说，他东山再起获得连任的伏笔就是这个减税协议。”
The president's willingness to compromise on the tax deal and his ability to win at least some Republican support for the START Treaty with Russia and repeal¹⁴ of the military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy is a sign of a political shift to the center, said political analyst¹⁵ Richard Wolffe.
政治分析家沃尔夫认为，奥巴马总统愿意在减税问题上妥协，他至少争取了一些共和党人支持跟俄罗斯新的限制战略武器条约，他撤销了“不问不说”政策，这都是一种在政治上向中间靠拢的迹象。
"The middle ground, these independent voters who do not like partisan¹⁶ politics, are his group," said Wolffe. "They backed him in 2008 and they turned strongly against Democrats in 2010. He has got to win those back if he is going to get reelected, so speaking to them, as well as obviously to Democrats, is very important."
他说：“中间地带，也就是不喜欢党派政治的无党派选民，这是他所需要的。这些选民在2008年投票支持他，而在2010年大力反对民主党人。假如他想获得连任，就必须把这些选民争取回来。”
Analysts¹⁷ do question how long this newfound willingness to compromise will last, especially given the new political reality in Washington come January when Republicans take control of the House and increase their minority in the Senate.
分析人士不能肯定这种新的妥协意愿能持续多久，尤其是考虑到明年1月华盛顿会出现一个新的政治现实，共和党人掌控国会众议院，并且在参议院增加席位。
Some newly elected Republicans are eager for a showdown with the president over the federal budget, spurred on by conservative Tea Party activists¹⁸ who helped elect them in November.
一些新当选的共和党议员在帮助他们获胜的保守派茶党的推动下，急于在联邦预算问题上跟奥巴马总统摊牌。
Political strategist Mark Penn, a former adviser¹⁹ to former president Bill Clinton, expects Obama to continue to position himself as a political centrist as he looks toward his own re-election battle in 2012.
政治战略分析家马克·佩恩是前总统克林顿的顾问。他认为奥巴马总统在展望2012年竞选连任的前景的时候，将继续坚持中间立场。
"The president, I think, in moving to the center, has got to be able to say to the left and the right, that 'look, the voters want to see some accomplishments²⁰ here and that if we fail to bring accomplishments, no one is going to be the winner here.'"
他说：“我认为，总统向中间靠拢，必须能跟左派和右派的人说，看哪，选民要看到我们取得了成就，假如我们不能取得成就，没有人会得到好处。”
The first big test for President Obama in the New Year will come later in January when he delivers the annual State of Union Address to a joint²¹ session of Congress.
在新一年里，奥巴马总统受到的第一大考验是他对国会参众两院联席会议发表国情咨文。