布什赢得中美洲贸易表决

Bush Wins Major Victory on Central

America Trade Vote

布什赢得中美洲贸易表决

 

After some of the most heated Congressional debate ever on a trade issue, the House of Representatives has narrowly approved the Central American Free Trade Agreement -- CAFTA giving President Bush a major victory. There were sharp exchanges between Democrats² and Republicans over the legislation which aims to eliminate trade barriers between the United States, and six Latin American countries.

 

In the final hours, President Bush made an unusual visit to Capitol Hill trying to persuade still undecided members of his Republican Party to vote for CAFTA.

 

That is a measure of how important the agreement is to the president and members of his Republican Party, who call the accord critical to the U.S. economy and to stabilizing³ fragile democracies.

 

Eighty percent of goods from Central America already enter the United States duty free. CAFTA would eliminate or gradually phase out remaining tariffs⁵ with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua and includes a separate pact⁶ for the Dominican Republic.

 

CAFTA nations import about $15 billion in American goods. The Bush administration says the agreement will increase U.S. agricultural and manufactured exports to the region by at least $2 billion.

 

Debate pitted the most fanatic⁷ of free-trade advocates against lawmakers who see CAFTA as a giveaway to multinational⁸ corporations, and a disappointment in the area of labor⁹ standards.

 

Congressman¹⁰ Bill Thomas, Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, accused Democrats of arrogance¹¹.

 

Bill Thomas: As you make the arguments that you make so shamefully¹², so disrespectfully and so arrogantly¹³ about the governments, freely elected [and] supported by their people, just remember they want a job too. They love their children. They are respectful of you. Be respectful of them.

 

That brought this response from Democrat¹ Charles Rangel.

 

Charles Rangel: Arrogance? How can we have a bill say that we're helping¹⁴ these people to make certain that they stave off Communism and that they become indeed a Democratic country and, at the same time, exclude them from participating? Yes they want Central American Free Trade Agreement; yes the Dominicans want to have a Dominican free-trade agreement; but they want to be a part of it and they want their people protected.

 

The Bush administration made significant progress in the final hours leading to House debate, persuading Republicans from key textile-producing states who had been wary¹⁵ about negative effects of CAFTA.

 

After Mr. Bush's visit to Congress, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay accused Democrats of politicizing the debate over a crucial trade agreement:

 

Tom DeLay: The president is looking out for the national interest. And it is in the national interest that CAFTA passes. It is good for our national security, and supporting these fledgling democracies at our back door. It is good in our effort against illegal immigration. It is good for our economy.

 

Opposition¹⁶ Democrats say CAFTA contains weaker standards and enforcement provisions on worker's rights and was negotiated by the governments, over the objections of indigenous¹⁷ labor, human rights and other groups.

 

Republicans contend the agreement contains provisions aimed at ensuring adherence¹⁸ to and strengthening of domestic labor laws.

 

Congressman David Dreier accused Democrats of twisting the facts.

 

David Dreier: The Democratically-elected parliaments in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras all have had votes on this issue. It was 49 to 30 in the democratically-elected parliament of El Salvador, 126 to 12 in the democratically-elected parliament of Guatemala, and 100 of 128 legislators in Honduras were supportive of CAFTA.

 

China's growing influence in Western Hemisphere trade was a key part of the debate. Supporters insist CAFTA will help slow growing Chinese economic influence while opponents maintain it will lead to more job losses and worsen the U.S. trade deficit¹⁹.

 

The U.S. Senate approved CAFTA at the end of June, voting 54 to 45 in favor of the accord.

 

Dan Robinson, VOA news, Capitol Hill.

 

注释：

eliminate [i5limineit] vt. 消除

barrier [5bAriE] n. 障碍物

persuade [pE5sweid] v. 说服

stabilizing [5steibE7laiziN] n. 稳定化处理

fragile [5frAdVail] adj. 易碎的

phase out v. 逐渐停止

tariff⁴ [5tArif] n. 关税

arrogance [5ArE^Ens] n. 傲慢态度，自大

fledgling [5fledVliN] adj. 无经验的

enforcement [in5fC:smEnt] n. 执行

provision [prE5viVEn] n. 规定

indigenous [in5didVinEs] adj. 本土的

adherence [Ed5hiErEns] n. 坚持

Honduras [hCn5djuErEs] n. 洪都拉斯

hemisphere [5hemisfiE] n. 半球

trade deficit n. 贸易逆差

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 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》

3 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句

4 tariff   

n.关税，税率；(旅馆、饭店等)价目表，收费表

参考例句：

• There is a very high tariff on jewelry.宝石类的关税率很高。
• The government is going to lower the tariff on importing cars.政府打算降低进口汽车的关税。

5 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

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

6 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。

7 fanatic   

n.狂热者，入迷者；adj.狂热入迷的

参考例句：

• Alexander is a football fanatic.亚历山大是个足球迷。
• I am not a religious fanatic but I am a Christian.我不是宗教狂热分子，但我是基督徒。

8 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

9 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。

10 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。

11 arrogance   

n.傲慢，自大

参考例句：

• His arrogance comes out in every speech he makes.他每次讲话都表现得骄傲自大。
• Arrogance arrested his progress.骄傲阻碍了他的进步。

12 shamefully   

可耻地； 丢脸地； 不体面地； 羞耻地

参考例句：

• He misused his dog shamefully. 他可耻地虐待自己的狗。
• They have served me shamefully for a long time. 长期以来，他们待我很坏。

13 arrogantly   

adv.傲慢地

参考例句：

• The consular porter strode arrogantly ahead with his light swinging. 领事馆的门房提着摇来晃去的灯，在前面大摇大摆地走着。
• It made his great nose protrude more arrogantly. 这就使得他的大鼻子更加傲慢地翘起来。

14 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。

15 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

16 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。

17 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

18 adherence   

n.信奉，依附，坚持，固着

参考例句：

• He was well known for his adherence to the rules.他因遵循这些规定而出名。
• The teacher demanded adherence to the rules.老师要求学生们遵守纪律。

19 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。