英闻天下——46 After "Fiscal Cliff" Drama, US Has Bigger Challenges Ahead

 　　During a news conference moments after the House passed a Senate-backed bill to prevent the fiscal¹ cliff, Obama spoke² about the country's deficit³ problem.

 

　　"I think we will recognise this law is just one step in the broader effort to strengthen our economy and broaden our opportunities for everybody. The fact is the deficit is still too high and we are still investing too little in the things we need for the economy to grow as fast as they should."

 

　　The House of Representatives adopted the bill on a 257-167 vote.

 

　　The measure averts⁴ income tax increases for more than 98-percent of Americans, while allowing rates to go up for the wealthiest earning over 400-thousand US dollars.

 

　　The new law also delays 24-billion-US-dollars worth of automatic spending cuts for two months.

 

　　Asian markets have responded positively⁵ to the new law.

 

　　Hong Kong's Hang Seng, South Korea's KOSPI and Australia's ASX 200 all gained over 1-percent.

 

　　President Obama has now returned to Hawaii for his interrupted Christmas holiday.

 

　　When he returns, he'll face a new round of fight with Republicans in Congress over deficit, taxes and government spending.

 

　　With the Treasury⁶ expected to need an expansion in borrowing authority by early spring, and funding authority for most government programs set to expire in late March, Republicans have made it clear they intend to use those events as leverage⁷ with the administration to win savings⁸ from the Medicare health care program for the elderly and other government benefit programs.

 

　　Obama admitted that changes to the Medicare programme would have to be introduced.

 

　　"I agree with Democrats⁹ and Republicans the ageing population and the rising cost of health care makes Medicare the biggest contributor to our deficit. I believe we have got to find ways to reform that programme without hurting seniors."

 

　　Obama stressed that he would seek new tax revenue in any future deal.

 

　　He also said that he would not offer Congress spending cuts in return for lifting the government's borrowing limit, known as the debt ceiling.

 

　　A failure to raise the limit prevents the Treasury from borrowing more to pay its bills and could result in U.S default.

 

　　Obama admitted the upcoming fight would be "catastrophic" for the global economy.

 

　　"If Congress refuses to give the United States government the ability to pay these bills on time the consequences for the entire global community would be catastrophic -- far worse than the impact of the fiscal cliff."

1 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 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。

4 averts   

防止，避免( avert的第三人称单数 )； 转移

参考例句：

• Cautious speech averts eavesdropping. Cautious behavior arrests gossip. 若欲杜人之口，莫若自己谨言；若欲塞人之耳，莫若自己慎行。
• A gift in secret averts anger; and a concealed bribe in the bosom, strong wrath. 暗中送的礼物，挽回怒气；怀中搋的贿赂，止息暴怒。

5 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

6 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

7 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。

8 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

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》