新闻周刊:拜登总统会否重蹈奥巴马的覆辙?(4)

In the Senate, progressive Sen. Sherrod Brown will lead the Banking¹ Committee. In the aftermath of the financial crisis a dozen years ago, he championed an initiative to break up the largest banks; it was stymied² by the panel's then-chairman Chris Dodd, with an assist by the Obama administration. Now Brown is in a position to resurrect the idea, knowing it could generate bipartisan support—and in recent days he signaled an eagerness for aggressive action when he said, "Wall Street doesn't get to run this entire economy" and reiterated³ his call for "breaking up the big banks."

在参议院，进步派参议员谢罗德·布朗将领导银行委员会。在十几年前爆发的金融危机的余波中，他倡导了一项拆分最大银行的倡议；该倡议遭到了当时该委员会主席多德的阻挠，奥巴马政府也是帮凶。现在布朗有能力重新提出这个想法，因为他知道这可能会获得两党的支持。最近几天，他表示迫切希望采取积极行动，他说：“华尔街无法管理整个美国经济”，并再次呼吁“拆分大银行”

Meanwhile, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will chair the powerful Senate Budget Committee. He will be able to set federal spending priorities and also be in a position to use the arcane⁴ process known as reconciliation⁵ to try to circumvent⁶ the Senate filibuster⁷ for big-ticket items such as the one he recently floated: an emergency program to extend medical coverage⁸ to anyone during the pandemic, whether or not they have existing insurance coverage.

与此同时，佛蒙特州参议员伯尼·桑德斯将担任参议院预算委员会主席。他将能够确定联邦支出的优先次序，也能够利用“预算调节”的神秘程序来试图绕过参议院的阻挠，解决一些大问题，比如他最近提出的一项紧急计划：在疫情期间向所有人提供医疗保险，无论他们现在是否参保。

During the Obama era, Democrats⁹ often declined to wield¹⁰ their power—they did not use budget reconciliation to try to enact¹¹ a public health insurance option, for example, and they did not employ the CRA to repeal¹² Bush-era regulations. By contrast, Republicans during the Trump¹³ presidency¹⁴ used reconciliation to pass his giant tax cut for the wealthy, and weaponized the CRA to scrap¹⁵ 14 Obama regulations.

在奥巴马时代，民主党人经常拒绝行使权力，例如，他们没有利用预算调节来制定公共医疗保险方案，他们也没有利用国会审查法来废除布什时代的规定。相比之下，特朗普任总统期间的共和党人利用预算调节通过了他对富人的巨额减税，并将国会审查法武器化，废除了奥巴马的14项规定。

Sanders understands the imperative¹⁶ of using every tool possible to make change. "We have to act with a boldness that we have not seen in this country since FDR," he told NBC News. "If we do not, I suspect that in two years we will not be in the majority."

桑德斯明白使用一切可能的工具进行变革的必要性。他对NBC新闻说：“我们必须大胆行动，即使自罗斯福总统以来我们在美国从未实行过。”“如果我们不这样做，我怀疑两年后我们将不会占多数席位。”

Biden campaigned for the presidency promising¹⁷ to restore a pre-crisis normal. But that is not enough to pull America back from the abyss and stave off the surge of authoritarianism¹⁹ today—just as it was not enough during the Great Depression.

拜登竞选总统时承诺恢复危机前的正常状态。但这还不足以把美国从深渊中拉回来，也不足以阻止当今的独裁主义浪潮，就像大萧条时期的举措还不够一样。

Back then, Roosevelt seemed to appreciate that business as usual would not stave off fascism and rescue the country—much, much more was required.

当时，罗斯福似乎意识到，一切照旧并不能避免法西斯主义和拯救国家，还需要更多。

"There must be an end to a conduct in banking and in business which too often has given to a sacred trust the likeness²⁰ of callous²¹ and selfish wrongdoing," he said in his first inaugural²² address. "Restoration calls, however, not for changes in ethics²³ alone. This nation asks for action, and action now."

他在第一次就职演说中说：“必须终止金融业和商业中的一种作法，它常常使得神圣的委托深似无情和自私的恶行。”“然而，恢复需要的不仅仅是改变道德规范。美国要求采取行动，现在就行动。”

Those words ring true in this moment of peril—the best hope for America is not a vapid²⁴ Biden paean²⁵ to the "soul of this nation," but a Biden administration that is pressed by progressives to take action and deliver real material gains to the working class.

这些话也同样适用这个危机四伏的时刻，美国最大的希望不是拜登对“美国的灵魂”的乏味赞歌，而是拜登政府在进步人士的压力下采取行动，为工人阶级带来真正的物质利益。

If that does not happen, then a new right-wing authoritarian¹⁸ will likely ride another wave of anger at the continued inequality, destitution²⁶ and dysfunction—and that next menace is likely to be even more dangerous than Trump.

如果这种情况没有发生，那么一个新的右翼威权主义者很可能会再次崛起于持续的不平等、贫困和功能失调中，下一个威胁可能比特朗普更危险。

1 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

2 stymied   

n.被侵袭的v.妨碍，阻挠( stymie的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Relief efforts have been stymied in recent weeks by armed gunmen. 最近几周的救援工作一直受到武装分子的阻挠。 来自辞典例句
• I was completely stymied by her refusal to help. 由于她拒不相助， 我完全陷入了困境。 来自互联网

3 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

4 arcane   

adj.神秘的，秘密的

参考例句：

• The technique at one time was arcane in the minds of most chemists.这种技术在大多数化学家心目中一度是神秘的。
• Until a few months ago few people outside the arcane world of contemporary music had heard of Gorecki.直至几个月前，在现代音乐神秘殿堂之外很少有人听说了戈莱斯基。

5 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

6 circumvent   

vt.环绕，包围；对…用计取胜，智胜

参考例句：

• Military planners tried to circumvent the treaty.军事策略家们企图绕开这一条约。
• Any action I took to circumvent his scheme was justified.我为斗赢他的如意算盘而采取的任何行动都是正当的。

7 filibuster   

n.妨碍议事，阻挠；v.阻挠

参考例句：

• A senator dragged the subject in as a filibuster.一个参议员硬把这个题目拉扯进来，作为一种阻碍议事的手法。
• The democrats organized a filibuster in the senate.民主党党员在参议院上组织了阻挠议事。

8 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

9 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 wield   

vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等)

参考例句：

• They wield enormous political power.他们行使巨大的政治权力。
• People may wield the power in a democracy.在民主国家里，人民可以行使权力。

11 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

12 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

13 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。

14 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

15 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

16 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

17 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

18 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

19 authoritarianism   

权力主义，独裁主义

参考例句：

• Modern authoritarianism is a vestige of traditional personal rule. 现代独裁主义则是传统的个人统治的残余。
• In its latter days it was a byword for authoritarianism, incompetence, and corruption. 在后期，它是独裁、无能和腐化的代号。

20 likeness   

n.相像，相似（之处）

参考例句：

• I think the painter has produced a very true likeness.我认为这位画家画得非常逼真。
• She treasured the painted likeness of her son.她珍藏她儿子的画像。

21 callous   

adj.无情的，冷淡的，硬结的，起老茧的

参考例句：

• He is callous about the safety of his workers.他对他工人的安全毫不关心。
• She was selfish,arrogant and often callous.她自私傲慢，而且往往冷酷无情。

22 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

23 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

24 vapid   

adj.无味的；无生气的

参考例句：

• She made a vapid comment about the weather.她对天气作了一番平淡无奇的评论。
• He did the same thing year by year and found life vapid.他每年做着同样的事，觉得生活索然无味。

25 paean   

n.赞美歌，欢乐歌

参考例句：

• She struck up the first paean on the grand piano.她开始在那架大钢琴上演奏起第一首颂歌。
• The novel is a paean to the end of empire.该小说奏响了一个帝国落寞的赞歌。

26 destitution   

n.穷困，缺乏，贫穷

参考例句：

• The people lived in destitution. 民生凋敝。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His drinking led him to a life of destitution. 酗酒导致他生活贫穷。 来自辞典例句