VOA常速英语2015--期待未来新的美国众议院议长

 

New US House Speaker Expected in Coming Days 期待未来新的美国众议院议长

CAPITOL HILL—

A monthlong leadership crisis in the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to end this week with the election of Republican Congressman¹ Paul Ryan as speaker.

Ryan would succeed John Boehner, who announced his resignation from Congress last month after years of often-futile attempts to unify² warring factions³ within his Republican caucus⁵.

"This is not a job I ever wanted or I ever sought,” said Ryan, slated⁶ to become the first reluctant House speaker in modern American history.

这并非是我想要的工作，也不是我所追求的。瑞安将成为美国当代历史上第一位不情愿当的众议院议长。

National stage

He is no stranger to the national stage, having served as the Republican vice⁷ presidential nominee⁸ in 2012. And, he is no stranger to the workings of Congress, having co-authored a 2013 fiscal⁹ deal with Democrats¹⁰ that limits federal spending to this day.

保罗·瑞安在国际舞台上并不陌生，2012年他曾是共和党副总统候选人。同时，他对国会工作也不陌生，2013年，他与民主党人合著了财政协议，协议至今限制着联邦政府的开支。

Young, telegenic and articulate, Ryan advocates bedrock Republican principles while conveying optimism, sincerity¹¹ and no meanness of spirit.

瑞安的大力支持将会获得成功。他工作很努力，也很聪明，我认为，他与所有党派关系融洽。

“I still think we are an exceptional country with exceptional people and a republic clearly worth fighting for,” said Ryan last week. “It’s not too late to save the American idea, but we are running out of time.

"Make no mistake: I believe that the ideas and principles of results-driven, common-sense conservatism are the keys to a better tomorrow, a tomorrow in which all of God’s children will be better off than they are today,” he added.

“I think Paul Ryan would make a great speaker,” Boehner said days ago. “He works hard, very bright, and he has good relationships, I think, with all the wings of the party.”

Ryan said he would only serve as speaker if Republicans unified¹² behind him.  That unity¹³ will be put to the test almost immediately with critical votes on matters such as raising the federal government’s borrowing limit by November 3 or risk a U.S. debt default.

瑞安称，只有共和党人联合起来，他才会担任议长。而它们是否团结将即可通过关键性选票的方式得到验证。选票的内容有关于到11月3日时提升联邦政府借款限额，或者承担政府债务拖欠的风险.

'Serious as it gets'

“It’s as serious as it gets for our economy, for interest rates. This has a direct impact on the lives of the American people,” said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi who, like President Barack Obama, is demanding a conditions-free hike of the debt ceiling.

这对于我国的经济以及利率来说，是一个严肃的问题。它会对美国人民的生活造成直接的影响。

Ryan will have to contend with the same ultra-conservative Republican faction⁴ that bedeviled Boehner’s leadership with demands of a no-holds-barred opposition¹⁴ to Obama’s agenda and a focus on shrinking the size of government at all costs.

瑞安将不得不与极端保守的共和党派做斗争，这些保守分子困扰着博纳的领导，他们要求反对奥巴马总统议程，并且专注于不计一切代价减小政府规模。

Ryan shares such policy goals but will be constrained¹⁵ as speaker by current political realities, according to his allies.

据瑞安盟友称，瑞安有着类似的政策目标，但是由于当前政策现实的问题，瑞安作为议员就会受到限制。

“Divided government is very difficult. It’s frustrating,” said Republican Congressman Joe Pitts. “But it’s what the American people have given us.”

政府分治是非常困难的，并且还令人失望，但它是美国人民所赋予给我们的东西。

Ryan is expected to be endorsed¹⁶ by the House Republican caucus Wednesday, and elected speaker by the full House Thursday.

瑞安将在周四被选为议员。

1 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

2 unify   

vt.使联合，统一；使相同，使一致

参考例句：

• How can we unify such scattered islands into a nation?我们怎么才能把如此分散的岛屿统一成一个国家呢？
• It is difficult to imagine how the North and South could ever agree on a formula to unify the divided peninsula.很难想象南北双方在统一半岛的方案上究竟怎样才能达成一致。

3 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

4 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

5 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

6 slated   

用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

9 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。

10 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》

11 sincerity   

n.真诚，诚意；真实

参考例句：

• His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
• He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。

12 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

13 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

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。

15 constrained   

adj.束缚的,节制的

参考例句：

• The evidence was so compelling that he felt constrained to accept it. 证据是那样的令人折服，他觉得不得不接受。
• I feel constrained to write and ask for your forgiveness. 我不得不写信请你原谅。

16 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》