VOA标准英语2012--Washington Gridlock Impacts US Financial Standing
时间：2019-01-13 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2012年(一月)
Washington Gridlock Impacts US Financial Standing 1
At a time of daunting 2 economic challenges, many Americans are dismayed by Washington’s political paralysis 3.
Fueling the gridlock: divided government. Republicans control the House of Representatives and Democrats 5 control the Senate.
Perhaps the biggest casualty of gridlock: U.S. fiscal 6 health and financial standing in the world. With the nation teetering on the edge of a debt default last year, Congress engaged in a ferocious 7, months-long battle over deficit 8 reduction. Republicans demanded deep spending cuts.
“Giving the federal government more money would be like giving a cocaine 9 addict 10 more cocaine,” said John Boehner, Republican Speaker of the House.
Democrats accused Republicans of targeting the poor and protecting the rich.
“There is not one red cent coming from America’s wealthiest families, while we are willing to cut education for the poorest children in America,” said Democrat 4 Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
President Barack Obama, a Democrat, sought $4 trillion in deficit reductions over 10 years. In the end, the White House and Congress could only agree on about half that much. The fight nearly led to a U.S. debt default. Credit ratings agencies blasted Washington’s performance. Standard & Poor’s did what once would have been considered unthinkable: it downgraded U.S. creditworthiness.
“Political gridlock in Washington leads us to conclude that policymakers do not have the ability to proactively put the finances of the U.S. on a sustainable footing,” said Chambers 11.
Finger-pointers all have a common target: Washington gridlock.
"This slash-and-burn, take-no-prisoners, no-compromise-no-matter-what approach to politics is one of the reasons why Congress is having such a difficult time getting things done," President Obama said.
“The biggest threat to our economy is not Europe’s instability or China’s monetary 12 policy or anything else, it is this partisan 13 paralysis and political cowardice 14 that I think is defining Washington,” said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Members of Congress regularly bemoan 15 America’s fiscal problems. But taking action means surmounting 16 partisanship 17, something Washington struggles mightily 18 to do.
- After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
- They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
- They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
- Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。
- The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
- The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
- 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。
- 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》
- 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。
- The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.狂风仿佛要把船撕成碎片似的。
- The ferocious panther is chasing a rabbit.那只凶猛的豹子正追赶一只兔子。
- 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。
- That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
- Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。
- He became gambling addict,and lost all his possessions.他习染上了赌博，最终输掉了全部家产。
- He assisted a drug addict to escape from drug but failed firstly.一开始他帮助一个吸毒者戒毒但失败了。
- The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网
- The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
- Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。
- In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
- The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。
- His cowardice reflects on his character.他的胆怯对他的性格带来不良影响。
- His refusal to help simply pinpointed his cowardice.他拒绝帮助正显示他的胆小。
- Purists bemoan the corruption of the language.主张语文纯正的人哀叹语言趋于不纯。
- Don't bemoan anything or anyone that you need to leave behind.不要再去抱怨那些你本该忘记的人或事。
- Surmounting the risks and fears of some may be difficult. 解除某些人的疑虑可能是困难的。
- There was high French-like land in one corner, and a tumble-down grey lighthouse surmounting it. 一角画着一块像是法国风光的高地，上面有一座破烂的灰色灯塔。
- Her violent partisanship was fighting Soames's battle. 她的激烈偏袒等于替索米斯卖气力。
- There was a link of understanding between them, more important than affection or partisanship. ' 比起人间的感情，比起相同的政见，这一点都来得格外重要。 来自英汉文学