As key U.S. financial officials testified before a Senate committee on Tuesday, Bush administration officials were on Capitol Hill trying to allay concerns and press for action on the $700 billion financial bailout plan. Majority Democrats report progress in negotiations, but lawmakers from both major political parties continue to voice anger and urge caution.
针对布什政府提出的金融机构拯救计划，在国会占主导地位的民主党议员报告说，有关的谈判取得了进展。但是与此同时，民主-共和两大政党的国会议员继续表达他们对这个救助计划的愤怒并且敦促大家审慎行事。
As Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox testified before the Senate Banking Committee, Vice President Dick Cheney and other administration officials tried to ease concerns of those in President Bush's party.
就在财政部长保尔森、美联储主席伯南克以及证监会主席考克斯在参议院银行委员会作证时，副总统切尼和其他政府官员试图缓解共和党人对这个计划的担忧。
As House Minority Leader John Boehner put it, Cheney was invited by the Republican leadership to explain the nature of the financial crisis and why the administration's solution is necessary.
就像众议院少数党领袖博纳所说的那样，切尼是应国会共和党领导人的邀请前来解释这次金融危机的性质以及为什么布什政府的解决办法是必要的。
But Boehner acknowledged that many Republicans have serious concerns about the Bush administration's approach.
但是博纳承认，很多共和党人对布什政府解决这次危机的手法存在严重的关切。
"Nobody wants to do this; nobody wants to be involved in this; nobody wants to take the chance," he said. "But I would argue that if we do nothing we are jeopardizing our economy, jobs and people's retirement security."
他说：“没有人想这样做；没有人想卷入其中；没有人想碰运气。但是我想说的是，如果我们什么也不做，那么我们正在给我们的经济、就业和人们的退休保障造成威胁。”
What began as a three-page proposal from the administration has grown considerably, involving a government expenditure of hundreds of billions of dollars to purchase bad mortgage debt and other troubled assets to prop up financial institutions and banks, and stabilize markets.
一个布什政府提出的只有三页纸的建议现在已经增加了很多的内容，涉及政府要花费几千亿美元来购买房屋抵押上出现的坏债以及其他有问题的资产来支撑金融机构和银行以及稳定市场。
But the magnitude of the proposal has upset conservative House Republicans, who used a news conference to explain objections to the plan.
但是这个建议的庞大规模使保守的众议院共和党人感到不安。他们通过举行一个新闻发布会的方式来解释他们对这个计划的反对。
"There are those in the public debate who say we must act now," said Indiana Republican Mike Pence. "The last time I heard that, I was on a used car lot. The truth is every time somebody tells you that you have to do the deal right now, it usually means they are going to get the better part of the deal. The American people deserve a seat at the table in this debate as well."
来自印第安纳州的国会议员彭斯说：“有些人在公开辩论中说我们现在必需采取行动。我上次听到这种说法的时候，我是在一个出售二手车的车行里。事实是，每次有人对你说你必需现在就得做这笔交易，这通常意味著他们将从中得到更多的好处。美国人民理所当然的也应该在这个辩论中占有一席之地。”
Pence and other Republican Representatives are in some agreement with House Democrats who say Congress should spend more time considering solutions.
彭斯和其他的共和党众议员在某种程度上与一些民主党众议员是一致的。这些民主党人说，国会应该花费更多的时间考虑有关的解决办法。
For their part, Democrats have insisted on changes to improve accountability and oversight, and further protections for Americans against more financial stress.
民主党议员坚持要对方案做出修改，增加追究责任和实行监督的条款，以及对美国消费者提供进一步的保护，防止出现更多的金融困境。
"The party is over for this compensation for CEOs who take the golden parachute as they drive their companies into the ground," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "The party is over for the disparity in our country between CEOs making almost immoral salaries and not being interested in lifting people up. The party is over for financial institutions taking risks but at the same time privatizing any gain they may have while they nationalize the risk, asking taxpayers to pick up the tab."
众议院议长南希·佩洛西对记者表示：“这些总裁们把自己的公司引上绝路，可是他们自己乘着金降落伞逃生，这种情况该结束了。在美国，这些CEO挣著几乎不道德的工资，却对扶持民众漠不关心，这种巨大的反差该结束了。金融机构冒险投资，受益归个人，而风险却由国家来承担，由纳税人来买单，这种情况该结束了。”
Pelosi declined to answer when reporters pressed her about when a bill might reach the House and Senate floors.
当记者追问众议院和参议院什么时候能拿出议案时，佩洛西拒绝回答。
She also faces pressure from a group of House Democrats who insist that actions by the Treasury Secretary be reviewable by the courts, and that a three-member bipartisan board approve asset purchases of more than $1 billion.
佩洛西还面临众议院一批民主党议员的压力，他们坚持要求财政部采取的行动要受到法庭的审议，超过10亿美元的资产收购要得到一个由两党议员组成的三人委员会的批准。
Democrats have clearly linked action on the financial bailout plan with their additional aim of bringing up separate measures to bolster the U.S. economy.
民主党议员把财政救援方案与他们提出的支撑美国经济的额外措施清楚地联系在一起。
With little action on Tuesday on either front, lawmakers say they are preparing for the possibility that Congress will remain in session through Friday, when adjournment had been planned to prepare for the November general elections.
星期二，在这两个方面都没有采取什么行动。国会议员们表示，他们已经做好国会星期五之后仍然开会的准备。国会原计划星期五开始休会，准备11月份的美国大选。 |