VOA标准英语2013--'Fiscal Cliff' Deal Highlights Messy US Democracy in Action
时间：2019-01-13 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2013年(一月)
'Fiscal 1 Cliff' Deal Highlights Messy US Democracy in Action
Many visitors to the U.S. Capitol, like David Stark 2 from the state of nearby Maryland, come to admire this monument to democracy but express frustration 3 with the political polarization inside its halls.
“You know, I wish there was more of a centrist faction 4 that people were willing to kind of buck 5 their party leaders and be together,” said Stark.
While Congress and President Barack Obama were able to reach a deal to avert 6 the “fiscal cliff” deadline - which would have imposed drastic spending cuts and steep tax increases - the process highlighted politicians' inability to work together.
Negotiations 7 broke down between Obama, a Democrat 8, and the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner. Democratic and Republican leaders in the Senate also failed to agree.
Congressional scholar Thomas Mann, with The Brookings Institution, said the gridlock is partly a structural 9 problem caused by divisive party politics that often blocks cooperation between the branches of government.
“Our political parties, which were never anticipated by the framers and built into the constitution, have evolved in a way that they don’t fit well with our governing system,” said Mann.
In the end, it was the personal relationship between Vice 10 President Joe Biden, a former senator, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that overcame the deep divide. And the bill that passed during a special session of Congress on New Year’s Day only postponed 11 dealing 12 with the growing federal deficit 13. Still, Mann said it was a significant bipartisan achievement.
“In the end they managed to avoid the cliff, reach an agreement that had broad support in the Senate, and the speaker allowed a bill to go to the floor that a majority of Republicans opposed. So that was a good thing,” said Mann.
Allan Lichtman, a professor of history at American University, is concerned that future budget battles will overwhelmingly dominate the new legislative 14 session.
“While we are worried about whether we increase taxes on millionaires from 35 percent to 39 percent, a few points here and there, all of the huge problems that are facing this country are being entirely 15 neglected,” said Lichtman.
Lichtman said that as Congress draws out the budget debate, it is less likely to deal with more important issues like disaster relief and reducing the effects of climate change.
- 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 young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
- He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。
- He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
- He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
- 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。
- The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
- The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。
- He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
- I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。
- 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。
- 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 storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
- The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。
- 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。
- The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
- The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。
- This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
- His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
- 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。
- Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
- Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。