VOA慢速英语2015 美国参议院委员会通过贸易促进授权法案

US Senate Committee Approves Trade Promotion¹ Authority Bill 美国参议院委员会通过贸易促进授权法案

From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.

A United States congressional committee has passed a bill aimed at easing approval of future U.S. trade agreements with other countries. The Senate Finance Committee approved Trade Promotion Authority, also known as “fast track” legislation, on Wednesday. The new version of TPA confirms the power of the president to negotiate trade agreements. The measure sets congressional goals and guidance for trade negotiations². But once an agreement is reached, it requires lawmakers to vote either for or against the deal, without proposing amendments⁴.

The committee passed TPA on a vote of 20 to six. The bill now goes to the full Senate, where heated debate is expected.

The United States is currently active in negotiations on two trade major agreements. One is the Trans Pacific Partnership⁵ agreement. Those talks involve the United States and 11 other nations around the Pacific Ocean. The other agreement, with the European Union, is called the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Trade promotion authority is considered important to passage for both trade deals. 

Gary Hufbauer is a senior fellow at the Peter G. Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C. He is hopeful about the possibility of progress in talks between U.S. and Japanese officials on the Trans Pacific Partnership. He expects Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to agree to concessions⁶ in Japan’s meat and dairy markets. Mr. Abe is making a state visit to Washington next week.

The discussions are about opening Japan’s agricultural and automobile⁷ markets, as well as the U.S. auto⁸ parts market. So says Masamichi Adachi, a senior economist⁹ with JPMorgan Chase in Tokyo. He remains¹⁰ concerned about the debate over trade promotion authority in the U.S. Congress.

"If the Congress gives President Obama this authority, then the negotiations would be much easier and that’s a key event that we see in progress on this negotiation³."

President Barack Obama says the United States has to shape the rules so that American businesses and workers can compete in Asian markets. If the U.S. does not act, he says, China will.

Mr. Hufbauer says the Asian free-trade agreement will lead to greater U.S. involvement in setting rules on issues such as state-owned companies, investments and taxes. He calls the Trans-Pacific Partnership a “gateway” agreement for other countries to join. He expects China to align¹¹ itself with the agreement in five to seven years.

U.S. officials are also negotiating another version of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Those talks opened Monday in New York City. That agreement covers trade with the E.U.

The aim of the agreement is to remove tariffs¹², simplify trade processes and remove restrictions¹³ on trade in areas that affect 800 million people. Supporters say the agreement could create 13 million jobs on either side of the Atlantic.

President Barack Obama has called for progress this year in talks with the 28-nation E.U. Yet there is strong opposition¹⁴ in Congress to the measure, and many opponents are in Mr. Obama’s own party.

There also is opposition to trade talks in Europe. Last Saturday, thousands of people demonstrated in Germany and other countries to protest the trade talks.

Words in This Story

authority – n. the power to give orders or make a decision

tariffs – n. a tax on good coming into or leaving a country

1 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

4 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

5 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

6 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

7 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

8 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

9 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

10 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。

11 align   

vt.使成一线，结盟，调节；vi.成一线，结盟

参考例句：

• Align the ruler and the middle of the paper.使尺子与纸张的中部成一条直线。
• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals.有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。

12 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

13 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

14 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。