在线英语听力室_免费在线英语听力学习网站

奥巴马周一公布联邦预算提案

On Monday, President Obama unveils his blueprint¹ for future U.S. government spending, a proposed $4 trillion federal budget for 2016. The weighty document constitutes an opening bid in a lengthy² debate about America’s finances that will expose sharp divides between a Democratic president and a Republican-controlled Congress.

星期一稍晚，美国总统奥巴马将公布他的2016年美国联邦政府预算提案。这份重要文件将引发围绕美国财政政策的一场冗长辩论，显露民主党籍的奥巴马总统和共和党控制的国会之间的尖锐分歧。

First, some good news: the federal deficit³ has fallen by more than 50 percent in recent years.  America’s improved finances allow for a renewed focus on domestic needs that have gone unmet in recent years, according to President Obama.

首先是好消息，美国联邦政府近年的财政赤字减少了至少50%。奥巴马总统认为，财政状况的改善能再次把目光聚焦在近些年无法得到满足的国内需要。

“First, middle-class economics means helping⁴ working families feel more secure in a world of constant change.  That means helping folks afford childcare, college, health care, a home, retirement⁵, and my budget will address each of these issues, lowering the taxes of working families and putting thousands of dollars back into their pockets each year,” said Obama.

他说：“首先，中产阶级经济学意味着帮助工薪家庭在一个不断改变的世界里有更多的安全感。也就是说，帮助人们负担得起儿童保育、大学学费、健康保险，买得起房，有退休金；这些问题会在我的预算方案中一一提到，包括为工薪家庭减税，让他们每年增加数千美元收入。”

The president’s budget is expected to cancel automatic, across-the-board spending cuts that have impacted everything from U.S. military preparedness to the response to health crises like Ebola.

奥巴马的预算案预计会终止自动全面缩减支出。全面缩减支出影响了美国的方方面面，从军事应变能力到抗击埃博拉等健康危机。

But the fiscal⁶ outlook is not all rosy⁷.  Any deficit, no matter how small, causes the accumulated $18 trillion national debt to rise further, a fact pointed⁸ out by Republican lawmakers, who say Obama’s budget is “dead on arrival.”  Senator John Cornyn is among those troubled with the country’s rising debt.

不过，财政展望并不是一片乐观。任何财政赤字，不论多小，都会导致目前18万亿美元的国债进一步增加。共和党籍参议员约翰?科宁指出了这一点，并说奥巴马的预算案已经“胎死腹中”。

“I am concerned that the budget will be loaded with more taxes, more spending, and more debt.  And that certainly is not a sustainable path forward for the country.  We are still spending money we do not have,” said Cornyn.

他说：“我担心这项预算会导致加税，增加开支和更多的债务。这对国家的发展当然不是可持续方式。我们仍在寅吃卯粮。”

Congressional committees will craft spending proposals that reflect Republican priorities: constraining⁹ domestic spending while providing tax incentives¹⁰ to further spur economic activity.

国会各个委员会将精心制定反应共和党优先考虑的支出方案，包括，在提供鼓励经济活动的税收优惠的同时限制联邦政府支出。

But their professed¹¹ concern about fiscal imbalances ignores recent history, when deficits¹² and debt exploded under Republican rule, according to Independent Senator Bernie Sanders.

但是无党派参议员伯尼?桑德斯指出，共和党人担心财政失衡的同时，却忽略了最近的历史，这就是，财政赤字和国债是在共和党执政时激增的。

“I am delighted that some of my Republican friends have expressed great concern about our deficit and our national debt.  I would ask them where they were several years ago when we went to war in Iraq and forgot to pay for that war,” said Sanders.

他说：“我感到欣慰的是，我的一些共和党朋友对我们的赤字和国债深表担忧。我想问他们，几年前我们出兵伊拉克时候，他们在哪儿？难道忘记了我们为那场战争的开支吗？”

The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse: to pass laws on taxes and spending.  But the president can sign or veto budget bills, meaning that an agreement between the two branches of government will have to be hammered out if the U.S. government is to remain open beyond September, when the current budget expires.

美国宪法赋予国会控制国库的权力，通过有关税收和开支的法律。不过，总统可以签署、也可以否决预算法案，那就意味着，总统和国会必须就预算达成一致，才能保证美国政府在9月之后、也就是目前这个财政年度结束后能够继续运转。