十二个国家达成跨太平洋伙伴关系协议

AS IT IS 2015-10-06 Twelve Countries Reach Trans-Pacific Partnership¹ Deal 十二个国家达成跨太平洋伙伴关系协议

The United States, Japan and 10 other countries reached agreement on a huge trade deal Monday. The deal will lower trading barriers and set commercial rules for 40 percent of the world economy.  

The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement was reached in the U.S. city of Atlanta, Georgia, after seven years of negotiations².

For the deal to take effect, it must be approved by national legislatures in all 12 countries. In addition to the U.S. and Japan, the countries include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

It is not clear whether the U.S. Congress will support the trade deal. But the completion of the agreements marks a major victory for President Barack Obama. He said the TPP deal "reflects America's values and gives our workers the fair shot at success they deserve."

Economic observers see the deal as an agreement that could balance the growth and influence of China.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe praised the agreement. He called it, "a farsighted policy for all participating countries that share the values and try to build a free and fair economic zone."

President Obama campaigned for the trade deal over the opposition³ of most Democratic Party lawmakers. Opponents of the deal say it will cost thousands of U.S. workers their jobs. They say the deal will lead manufacturers to move their operations to other countries where workers are paid less.

Congressional Republicans, however, have generally supported completion of the trade pact⁴.

In the United States, the 2016 presidential election could affect congressional approval of the deal. A congressional vote might be delayed until a new president takes office, in early 2017.

Negotiators in Atlanta met for five days of talks to complete the deal. The group reached final compromises on the issues of intellectual property protection for new biologic drugs, car manufacturing rules, and dairy product trading.

Words in This Story

commercial – adj. related to the buying and selling of goods and services

reflect – v. to show the image of something; to make known

deserve – v. to be worthy⁵ of something

participating – adj. being involved with others in doing something

zone – n. an area

dairy – adj. related to the production of milk or milk products

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 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。

3 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。

4 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

5 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。