VOA慢速英语--美国国会批准TPP的可能性不大

AS IT IS 2016-05-29 Approval of TPP in US Congress Seen as Difficult 美国国会批准TPP的可能性不大

In Vietnam this week, President Barack Obama spoke¹ in support of the free-trade agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership².

The free-trade deal is among the United States and 11 other nations around the Pacific Ocean.

On Monday, he said he was “confident” that the deal, known as the TPP, will pass in the U.S. Congress. Vietnam is one of the countries included in the TPP.

But members of the U.S. Senate, which approves trade agreements, are not so sure.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said the president was “overly optimistic” about passage of the deal. “There’s been a sourness on trade” in Congress, he added.

Democrats³ in the Senate also have voiced concerns. Chuck Schumer of New York called passing the TPP a “tough lift,” or a difficult effort.

Dick Durbin of Illinois pointed⁴ to the lack of support for the agreement among the candidates for president.

“When you have the three leading presidential candidates of both parties opposing TPP, it’s an indication that political sentiment is not in favor of the agreement,” said Durbin.

Democratic Party candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, and Republican Party candidate Donald Trump⁵, have said they oppose the TPP trade deal.

Some labor⁶ unions, environment groups and human-rights groups also strongly oppose the deal.

Details Still an Issue for Some Supporters

The TPP was created to reduce import taxes, such as tariffs⁷, which are considered barriers to trade. It also puts in place rules for trade and enforcement. Partners include Japan, Canada, Australia, Mexico and Vietnam. The 12 countries that signed the agreement make up about 40 percent of the world’s economy.

American business groups support the agreement.

Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia supports the TPP.

“There are winners and losers in every trade deal,” he said. Many problems linked to trade with China, such as job losses, have already taken place, he said. The TPP, he noted⁸, does not deal with China trade.

Supporters of the TPP want Congress to vote on the agreement after the November elections.

That is a possibility, according to Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah. But Hatch is unsure about the TPP. He said, “I think Republicans do want to support it, but there need to be some changes.”

Hatch is not happy about the length of time U.S. companies would keep exclusive rights to their drug and biological products. These include drugs and genetically⁹ engineered products.

“The most problematic area is the data exclusivity provision of only five years,” the Senator said. “We need to solve some of these problems, but I think they are solvable,” he added.

Partner nations signed the TPP in February in New Zealand after seven years of negotiations¹⁰.

Words in This Story

indication – n. a sign or signal that shows something

sentiment – n. an opinion, attitude or feeling of emotion

unions -- n. group of workers who band together to get better benefits

tariffs -- n. taxes or fees charged in the import of goods

exclusive – adj. something that applies only to one group and no others

1 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。

2 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。

3 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》

4 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

5 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。

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 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。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

10 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。