VOA常速英语2014--2015年的贸易谈判将升温

 

Trade Talks Could Heat Up in 2015 2015年的贸易谈判将升温

With boosting trade a top priority for the Obama administration, 2015 may be the year that an agreement is finally  reached on the Trans Pacific Partnership¹.  But the trade deal, which is intended to boost trade between 12 Pacific countries, faces opposition².

Proposed trade deals have sparked demonstrations³ by labor⁴ and environmental groups, who complain few details are public, and what little is known shows the benefits of proposed trade accords helping⁵ companies, not people.

拟议的贸易协定引发劳工和环保组织的游行，他们抱怨称公布于众的细节太少，所知信息甚少就说明，拟议的贸易协定是有利于公司的，而非民众。

“The U.S. stands to lose jobs, see our consumer safety weakened, we stand to see the economy hurt, and public health as well.  And that’s not just here, it’s globally, " said Arthur Stamoulis, who heads the Citizens Trade Campaign.

“美国即将失掉工作机会，我们的消费者安全受到危害，我们将看到经济和公众健康受到影响，不仅是美国，全球都是如此。”阿瑟·斯坦姆利斯是公民贸易运动负责人。

President Barack Obama says trade deals can boost the economy and add jobs. He says the tough negotiations⁶ on the Trans Pacific Partnership may soon pay off.

巴拉克·奥巴马总统称贸易协定能促进经济并增加就业，他说泛太平洋伙伴关系协定(TPP)的艰难谈判将很快有成果。

“We are optimistic about being able to get a deal done and we are re-invigorating the negotiations with the Europeans on the Transatlantic trade deal,” he said.

“我们对达成协议很乐观，我们将与欧洲人重新开始跨大西洋贸易协定的谈判。”

Trade deals are opposed by many Democrats⁷, but Republicans generally support free trade and will have majorities in both houses of Congress in January.   

贸易协定得到很多民主党的反对，但共和党一般来说支持自由贸易，且在明年1月份国会两院中都是多数派。

Chief Editor Matthew Schewel of Inside U.S. Trade says the political climate favors trade deals - for a while.

Inside U.S. Trade新闻主编马修·希沃尔说，目前的政治气候有利于贸易协定。

“A lot of the countries and the United States are looking at the next year as a critical window because the following year, 2016, is when the U.S. presidential election campaigns kicks in,” he said.

“美国和很多国家都认为明年是个关键的机会，因为2016年美国将开始总统选举。”

TPP negotiators are still haggling⁸ over tough issues, like market access for farm products and autos.

TPP协商者仍在就棘手的问题进行讨价还价，比如农产品和汽车的市场准入问题。

But trade expert Jeff Schott says the TPP talks are nearly finished because trade ministers recently stepped in to solve disputes that stumped⁹ working-level diplomats¹⁰.

但贸易专家杰夫·肖特说TPP谈判几近结束，因为贸易部长们最近开始忙于解决工作级别外交官遇到的争议难题。

"It [TPP] is the number one priority for trade negotiators and one can very easily be completed in the first half of 2015," he said.

“TPP是贸易协商者的第一重要问题，将在2015年第一季度轻松得以完成。”

A separate issue called Trade Promotion¹¹ Authority is under discussion with the U.S. Congress.  Under so-called "Fast Track" procedures, Congress votes either “yes” or “no” on a trade deal, but can't make any changes that would require re-negotiating the treaty.

另一个名叫贸易促进授权的问题目前也在和美国国会协商中，根据所谓的“快速立法”程序，国会就贸易协定投票支持或反对，但无法就要求重新协商协定做出任何改变。

Supporters say TPA makes it easier for the U.S. to make deals with other nations - and it may move forward soon because of Republican control of Congress.  

支持者称TPA使得美国与其他国家达成协议更容易，而且因为共和党控制国会，可能会很快通过。

Another proposed trade deal is between the United States and the European Union, but talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or T-TIP, are at an early stage.

另一个拟议的贸易协定是美国和欧盟之间的，但跨大西洋贸易协定和投资合作关系(T-TIP)目前在初期阶段。

Opponents of T-TIP and TPP say these agreements would weaken regulations intended to protect health, safety, and labor rights.  Supporters of the proposed deals say harmonizing rules makes it easier to sell products around the world.

T-TIP和TPP的反对者称这些协定将削弱意在保护健康、安全和劳工权利的立法，其支持者称相协调的规定使得在全世界出售商品更容易。

1 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。

2 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。

3 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

4 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。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 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。

7 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》

8 haggling   

v.讨价还价( haggle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I left him in the market haggling over the price of a shirt. 我扔下他自己在市场上就一件衬衫讨价还价。
• Some were haggling loudly with traders as they hawked their wares. 有些人正在大声同兜售货物的商贩讲价钱。 来自辞典例句

9 stumped   

僵直地行走，跺步行走( stump的过去式和过去分词 )； 把（某人）难住； 使为难； （选举前）在某一地区作政治性巡回演说

参考例句：

• Jack huffed himself up and stumped out of the room. 杰克气喘吁吁地干完活，然后很艰难地走出房间。
• He was stumped by the questions and remained tongue-tied for a good while. 他被问得张口结舌，半天说不出话来。

10 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 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。