VOA标准英语2013--参议院领袖看好在债务上限达成协议

 

Senate Leaders Optimistic About Reaching Deal on Debt Ceiling, Shutdown 参议院领袖看好在债务上限达成协议

A White House meeting with congressional leaders was postponed¹ Monday afternoon to give negotiators more time to work out a plan to avert² a default on the nation's debt and end the partial government shutdown.  Analysts warn failure to resolve the budget and borrowing issues by Thursday could have serious ramifications³ for the US and global economy.

The clock is ticking closer to the Thursday deadline after weekend negotiations⁴ failed to produce a compromise.  

On Monday, President Obama spent part of his day at a Washington food pantry, thanking volunteers - some of them furloughed government workers.

“This week we’ll be entering into the third week of a government shutdown that was completely unnecessary," said President Obama.

But by Monday afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Harry⁵ Reid and his Republican counterpart, Mitch McConnell, said a deal was within reach.

“I’m very optimistic we will reach an agreement that’s reasonable in nature this week to reopen the government, pay the nation’s bills and begin long term negotiations to put our country on sound fiscal⁶ footing," said Reid.

“We’ve had an opportunity over the last couple of days to have some very constructive⁷ exchanges of views about how to move forward.  Those discussions continue, and I share his optimism that we’re going to get a result that will be acceptable to both sides," said McConnell.

But while Republicans appear to have given up hope of defunding President Obama's health care reform, Democrats⁸ are now pushing for an end to spending cuts brought on by the earlier "sequester⁹."  

Without a deal soon to raise the nation’s $16.7 trillion dollar debt ceiling, some economists¹⁰ say the fallout could be disastrous¹¹.  

Yahoo Finance editor Rick Newman says no one knows for sure.

“I think that’s going to trigger a kind of chain reaction in financial markets that’s extremely unpredictable.  Nobody knows what will happen if you suddenly have to call into question the viability¹² of Treasury¹³ securities," said Newman.

Yale professor Robert Schiller, one of three Americans awarded the Nobel prize for economics, acknowledged the debt and shutdown are  more political than economic, but he said a breakthrough is possible.

“It’s my sense that we still have in this country a sense of cooperation that will emerge and prevent a default," said Schiller.

Less certain though is whether an agreement reached in the Senate will win support in the Republican-led House of Representatives.

Treasury Secretary Jack¹⁴ Lew says unless the U.S. debt ceiling is raised, the government will be left with a limited revenue stream and only about $30 billion on hand.  That means it would quickly run out of cash for major pension or health care payments. And it  would have difficulty paying out government bonds when they mature.

1 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

2 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

3 ramifications   

n.结果，后果( ramification的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These changes are bound to have widespread social ramifications. 这些变化注定会造成许多难以预料的社会后果。
• What are the ramifications of our decision to join the union? 我们决定加入工会会引起哪些后果呢？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

6 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。

7 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

8 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》

9 sequester   

vt.使退隐，使隔绝

参考例句：

• Everything he owned was sequestered.他的所有财产都被扣押了。
• This jury is expected to be sequestered for at least two months.预计这个陪审团将至少被隔离两个月。

10 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

12 viability   

n.存活(能力)

参考例句：

• What is required to achieve or maintain such viability? 要达到或维持这种生存能力需要什么？
• Scientists are experimenting to find ways to ensure the viability of seeds for even longer periods of time. 正如我们所说，科学家正在试验努力寻找让种子的生命力更加延长的方法。

13 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。

14 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。