VOA慢速英语2013 投资者对美国债务上限危机深感担忧（在线收听）

Investors Concerned Aout US Debt Ceiling Crisis 投资者对美国债务上限危机深感担忧

From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。

There has been a lot of talk about the debt ceiling in the United States. The debt ceiling is a legal limit on the amount of money the federal government can borrow. Political disputes over that amount have concerned investors in recent weeks.

很多人都在谈论美国的债务上限。债务上限是指联邦政府允许借款的法定限额。最近几周就这一限额的政治争议令投资者深感担忧。

Alexander Gelber is an assistant professor of public policy at the University of California in Berkeley. He says American lawmakers must negotiate a new debt ceiling everytime the federal debt reaches that legal limit.

亚历山大·盖尔伯（Alexander Gelber）是加州大学伯克利分校公共政策助理教授。他说，每次联邦债务触及该法定限额时，美国国会都必须重新商定新的债务上限。

"The debt ceiling is a limit on the amount that US Treasury can borrow, and that limit needs to be raised by congress periodically."

“债务上限是指美国财政部允许借款的限额，该限额必须由国会定期提高。”

National debt is necessary when a government spends more money than it has available. Governments offer bonds and other investments to raise money to pay for the spending. In return, the government promises to repay investors who buy the securities.

当政府开支超出自身所有时就必须发行国债。政府发行债券和其它投资募集资金用于支付开销。作为回报，政府承诺偿付买入债券的投资者。

The financial demands of World War I led American lawmakers to establish a total debt limit. In 1917, congress agreed that the president could borrow up to a set amount without seeking congressional approval.

第一次世界大战的金融需求迫使美国国会议员建立了一个总的债务上限。在1917年，美国国会同意总统可以借到一个设定的金额而无需寻求国会批准。

Congress has agreed to change the debt limit 10 times since 2001. But the major parties have yet to agree on spending levels or on the need to borrow to pay for government operations.

自2001年以来，国会已经10次同意修改债务上限。但主要政党尚未就政府开支水平或政府运作资金需求达成一致。

Other nations buy United States Treasury department securities because they are considered the safest investment in the world. The partial shutdown of the federal government led to worldwide concern about the safety of these investments.

其它国家购买美国财政部债券，是因为它们被认为是全球最安全的投资。联邦政府的部分停摆导致全球开始担心这些投资的安全性。

The debt ceiling was supposed to reach the legal limit last week. Without power to borrow more, the government would have been unable to pay investors who owned Treasury department securities.

上周，美国债务上限本应该触及法定限额。失去借贷能力，政府将无力偿付拥有财政部债券的投资者。

Professor Gelber says the possibility of the United States failing to pay its debts caused concern around the world.

盖尔伯教授表示，美国政府无法偿付债务的可能性引发了全球的关注。

In recent years, disputes over spending and debt limits have led to delays in congressional approval of a budget and in raising the debt ceiling.

近年来，就政府支出和债务上限的争议已经导致国会推迟批准预算和提高债务上限。

Last week, only 1 day before borrowing reach the legal limit, congress agreed to re-open the government without enforcing the debt ceiling.

上周，在借贷触及法定限额前一天，美国国会才同意在不执行债务上限的前提下重启政府。

Lawmakers agreed to let the president decide what the Treasury department could borrow through February 7th. Congress approved a budget to operate the government through January 15th.

议员们同意让总统决定2月7日前财政部的借贷限额。国会批准了一份预算让政府运作到1月15日。

The president and congress must now negotiate a new spending plan and another debt limit in order to avoid another crisis.