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(单词翻译)
By Deborah Tate
The U.S. Senate has voted to repeal1 a tax subsidy2 for U.S. exports that the World Trade Organization says violates global trade rules. The bill, which already has been approved by the House of Representatives, now goes to President Bush for his signature.
Lawmakers were eager to pass the bill to repeal the $5-billion-a-year export subsidy and end a trade dispute with the European Union.
The European Union imposed punitive3 tariffs4 on a variety of U.S. products in March in response to the WTO ruling.
The legislation also includes nearly $140 billion in new tax breaks for businesses ranging from ship builders to ceiling fan importers. It would lower the tax rate on corporate5 profits from 35 percent to 32 percent for all domestic producers.
In addition, the bill calls for repealing6 illegal tax subsidies7 and closing corporate tax shelters.
Opponents of the bill, which has been called the most sweeping8 overhaul9 of corporate tax law in nearly two decades, see the measure as a special-interest giveaway that will increase the record budget deficit10. But the chief sponsor of the legislation, Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, sees it differently.
"The bill that is before us is going to help companies compete for and create jobs. It will make sure that the United States meets our obligations to our trading partners under our international trading agreements. Most importantly, it is closing a lot of corporate tax shelter loopholes and other abusive tax shelters that need to be closed."
Senate passage was delayed by a dispute over an amendment11 that would give companies a 50 percent tax credit for paying the full salaries of National Guard members and reservists called to active duty.
The amendment had been in the Senate version of the legislation, but was taken out when House Republicans opposed it. Many lawmakers feared the dispute on the amendment would derail the overall legislation. But the amendment's sponsor, Senator Mary Landrieu, a Louisiana Democrat12, vowed13 to continue fighting for it.
"What I objected to was that the Guard and Reserve amendment, which would have given a tax credit to the thousands of businesses in this country, that are doing the patriotic14 thing, the right thing, the good thing, and they are getting commended by our president and us for thanking them, we could not provide them a 50 percent tax cut to keep this paycheck whole on the front line."
A deal was reached to allow the amendment to be considered as separate legislation, clearing the way for a vote on the underlying15 bill. Ms. Landrieu's legislation is expected to be taken up again next month.
The Senate worked on the corporate tax bill in rare Saturday and Sunday sessions to reach the deal.
Deborah Tate, VOA news, Capitol Hill.
注释:
repeal 废止
subsidy 津贴
impose 征税
punitive 惩罚性的
tariff 关税
overhaul 检查
loophole 漏洞
amendment 改善
derail 出轨
1 repeal | |
n.废止,撤消;v.废止,撤消 | |
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2 subsidy | |
n.补助金,津贴 | |
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3 punitive | |
adj.惩罚的,刑罚的 | |
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4 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 | |
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5 corporate | |
adj.共同的,全体的;公司的,企业的 | |
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6 repealing | |
撤销,废除( repeal的现在分词 ) | |
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7 subsidies | |
n.补贴,津贴,补助金( subsidy的名词复数 ) | |
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8 sweeping | |
adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的 | |
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9 overhaul | |
v./n.大修,仔细检查 | |
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10 deficit | |
n.亏空,亏损;赤字,逆差 | |
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11 amendment | |
n.改正,修正,改善,修正案 | |
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12 democrat | |
n.民主主义者,民主人士;民主党党员 | |
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13 vowed | |
起誓,发誓(vow的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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14 patriotic | |
adj.爱国的,有爱国心的 | |
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15 underlying | |
adj.在下面的,含蓄的,潜在的 | |
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