新闻周刊:拜登总统会否重蹈奥巴马的覆辙?(3)

But that is the paradox¹: In a narrowly divided Congress, Biden almost certainly will not be able to make major public investments if he is conflict averse². Passing a bold agenda will likely require an epic³ confrontation⁴ with the Republicans, who are already girding for obstruction⁵. After years of profligate⁶ tax cuts and spending, GOP leaders are suddenly pretending to care about the deficit⁷, and if history is any guide, they will renew their efforts to block the changes to environmental and labor⁹ laws that Biden has promised are forthcoming.

但这是一个悖论：在存在严格分歧的国会，如果拜登厌恶冲突，他几乎必定无法进行重大的公共投资。通过一项大胆的议程可能需要与共和党展开史诗般的对抗，而共和党已经准备好进行阻挠。经过多年的挥霍性的减税和支出，共和党领导人突然假装关心赤字，如果以史为鉴，他们将重新全力阻止拜登承诺的即将修改的环境和劳工法。

The left is correct to fear Biden getting too cozy¹⁰ with Republicans: His record working with the GOP was marked by collaborating¹¹ with segregationists against school busing, supporting the Iraq War and pushing to cut Social Security—and it is not hard to imagine Biden now finding common ground with Mitch McConnell on the latter.

左派人士担心拜登与共和党人相处过于融洽是正确的：拜登曾与共和党人展开多次合作，包括与种族隔离主义者合作反对校车、支持伊拉克战争、以及推动削减社会保障，不难想象拜登现在会在最后这个问题上与米奇·麦康奈尔找到共同点。

But this is where progressives must learn their own lesson from the Obama years: rather than once again offering deference¹² to a first-term Democratic president, they must press Biden to reject an attitude of appeasement¹³, move him into a more confrontational¹⁴ posture¹⁵ and urge him to see the first few months of the Obama era as a cautionary tale rather than a guidebook. And they have already had some initial success doing that: they successfully pressured him to start supporting the $2,000 survival checks.

但在这一点上，进步人士必须从奥巴马时代吸取教训：不能再次向民主党第一任总统致敬，他们必须向拜登施压，让他拒绝采取绥靖态度，让他摆出更具对抗性的姿态，敦促他把奥巴马时代的头几个月看作一个警示故事，而不是一本指南。他们已经取得了一些初步的成功：他们成功向拜登施压，要求他开始支持2000美元的生存支票。

"We've got to pass the infrastructure¹⁶ package, we've got do the $2,000 checks, we've got to do a whole bunch of things with a 50-50 Senate and a pretty slight margin¹⁷ in the House," said Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan, a former co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus¹⁸. "I hope we don't do what we did when Barack Obama first got elected and try to have kumbaya a little too much with everybody and not get things done in that little period of time we had. We really have to act and use the very tight margins¹⁹ we have very swiftly in order to get these things done."

威斯康辛州民主党众议员、国会进步党团前联席主席波坎表示：“我们必须通过基础设施一揽子计划，我们必须通过2000美元的支票法案，我们必须凭借参议院的50比50的票数和众议院的微弱优势做一大堆事情。”“我希望我们不要像巴拉克·奥巴马刚当选时那样，试图对每个人都唱着圣歌，不要在我们仅有的那一小段时间内完成事情。为了完成这些任务，我们真的必须迅速采取行动，利用我们有限的利润。”

This will require the kind of shrewdness, discipline and intestinal²⁰ fortitude²¹ not typically seen from the left in decades. Grassroots groups will have to get comfortable pressuring the new administration, even if the White House doesn't like it. Democratic lawmakers will have to be prepared to clash with Biden, even when he is trying to talk them down with "come on, man," "here's the deal" and other sweet nothings.

这将需要几十年来左派所没有的那种精明、纪律和毅力。即使白宫不喜欢，草根组织也必须对新政府施压。民主党议员必须准备好与拜登发生冲突，即使他试图用“来吧，伙计”，“你看这样行不行”和其他甜言蜜语来说服他们。

The good news is that progressives are better positioned for this fight than they have been in years. The corporate²² wing of the Democratic Party remains²³ powerful by virtue²⁴ of its ties to big money, but polls show it has lost the argument in the contest of ideas. Many Americans want big change, and want it now—and progressive Democratic lawmakers are fortified²⁵ by a grassroots fundraising base, better political infrastructure and name-brand leaders.

好消息是，进步派在这场斗争中的地位比过去几年更好。民主党的企业派由于手握巨额资金而仍然强大，但民调显示，这一派别在思想斗争中失去了辩论权。许多美国人现在就想要大的变革，而进步民主党议员们为此得到了基层筹款基础、更好的政治基础设施和知名领导人的加强。

In the House, the Progressive Caucus has dozens of members, and it is revamping its rules to be a more cohesive²⁶ voting bloc⁸ so that it can leverage²⁷ power in the narrowly divided chamber²⁸.

在众议院，促进核心小组有几十名成员，他们正在修改自己的规则，使之成为一个更具凝聚力的投票集团，以便能够在存在严格分歧的众议院中利用权力。

Already, the group—led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other members of the Squad—persuaded Democratic leaders to reform budget rules to make it easier to pass landmark²⁹ initiatives like a Green New Deal and Medicare for All. They can also reject the "look forward, not backward" attitude and instead press to invoke³⁰ the Congressional Review Act to rescind³¹ a slew³² of last-minute Trump³³ regulations designed to weaken protections for the environment and workers while undermining the fight against climate change.

由众议员亚历山德里亚·奥卡西奥·科尔特斯和其他成员领导的小组已经说服民主党领导人改革预算规则，以便更容易地通过具有里程碑意义的举措，如绿色新政和全民医保。他们也可以拒绝“向前看，而不是向后看”的态度，转而施压援引《国会审查法》，撤销特朗普在最后关头制定的一系列法规，这些法规旨在削弱对环境和工人的保护，同时破坏应对气候变化的斗争。

1 paradox   

n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法；自相矛盾的人(物)

参考例句：

• The story contains many levels of paradox.这个故事存在多重悖论。
• The paradox is that Japan does need serious education reform.矛盾的地方是日本确实需要教育改革。

2 averse   

adj.厌恶的；反对的，不乐意的

参考例句：

• I don't smoke cigarettes,but I'm not averse to the occasional cigar.我不吸烟，但我不反对偶尔抽一支雪茄。
• We are averse to such noisy surroundings.我们不喜欢这么吵闹的环境。

3 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

4 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

5 obstruction   

n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物

参考例句：

• She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。
• The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。

6 profligate   

adj.行为不检的；n.放荡的人，浪子，肆意挥霍者

参考例句：

• This young man had all the inclination to be a profligate of the first water.这个青年完全有可能成为十足的浪子。
• Similarly Americans have been profligate in the handling of mineral resources.同样的，美国在处理矿产资源方面亦多浪费。

7 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

8 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

9 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

10 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

11 collaborating   

合作( collaborate的现在分词 )； 勾结叛国

参考例句：

• Joe is collaborating on the work with a friend. 乔正与一位朋友合作做那件工作。
• He was not only learning from but also collaborating with Joseph Thomson. 他不仅是在跟约瑟福？汤姆逊学习，而且也是在和他合作。

12 deference   

n.尊重，顺从；敬意

参考例句：

• Do you treat your parents and teachers with deference?你对父母师长尊敬吗？
• The major defect of their work was deference to authority.他们的主要缺陷是趋从权威。

13 appeasement   

n.平息，满足

参考例句：

• Music is an appeasement to shattered nerves. 音乐可抚慰受重创的神经。
• There can be no appeasement with ruthlessness. 对残暴行为是不能姑息的。 来自演讲部分

14 confrontational   

adj.挑衅的；对抗的

参考例句：

• Fans love rappers partly because they strike such a confrontational pose. 乐迷热爱这些饶舌艺人一定程度上是因为他们所采取的那种战斗姿态。 来自互联网
• You prefer a non confrontational approach when it comes to resolving disputes. 面对争端，你不喜欢采用对抗性的手段来解决。 来自互联网

15 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

16 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

17 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

18 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

19 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

20 intestinal   

adj.肠的；肠壁；肠道细菌

参考例句：

• A few other conditions are in high intestinal obstruction. 其它少数情况是高位肠梗阻。 来自辞典例句
• This complication has occasionally occurred following the use of intestinal antiseptics. 这种并发症偶而发生在使用肠道抗菌剂上。 来自辞典例句

21 fortitude   

n.坚忍不拔；刚毅

参考例句：

• His dauntless fortitude makes him absolutely fearless.他不屈不挠的坚韧让他绝无恐惧。
• He bore the pain with great fortitude.他以极大的毅力忍受了痛苦。

22 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

23 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

24 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

25 fortified   

adj. 加强的

参考例句：

• He fortified himself against the cold with a hot drink. 他喝了一杯热饮御寒。
• The enemy drew back into a few fortified points. 敌人收缩到几个据点里。

26 cohesive   

adj.有粘着力的；有结合力的；凝聚性的

参考例句：

• She sealed the parcel with cohesive tape.她用粘胶带把包裹封起来。
• The author skillfully fuses these fragments into a cohesive whole.作者将这些片断巧妙地结合成一个连贯的整体。

27 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

28 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

29 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

30 invoke   

v.求助于(神、法律)；恳求，乞求

参考例句：

• Let us invoke the blessings of peace.让我们祈求和平之福。
• I hope I'll never have to invoke this clause and lodge a claim with you.我希望我永远不会使用这个条款向你们索赔。

31 rescind   

v.废除，取消

参考例句：

• They accepted his advice and rescinded the original plan.他们听从了他的劝告，撤销了原计划。
• Trade Union leaders have demanded the government rescind the price rise.工会领导已经要求政府阻止价格上涨。

32 slew   

v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多

参考例句：

• He slewed the car against the side of the building.他的车滑到了大楼的一侧，抵住了。
• They dealt with a slew of other issues.他们处理了大量的其他问题。

33 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。