VOA常速英语2013--聚焦华盛顿：议会将完成美国的预算协议工作

Washington Week: Congress to Finish Work on US Budget Deal 聚焦华盛顿：议会将完成美国的预算协议工作

U.S. lawmakers are expected to pass a two-year federal budget this week, ending a contentious 1 and politically-polarized year on a bipartisan note. While Congress is acting 2 on fiscal 3 matters, it has shelved possible new economic sanctions against Iran.

本星期美国的立法者准备通过一个为期两年的联邦预算，在两党的注意下结束一个争论频繁,两极分化政治一年。然而当议会正在处理财政问题时，搁置了对伊朗进行的经济制裁。

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the budget blueprint 4 last week, and the Senate is expected to follow suit in coming days, showing that a politically-divided Congress can function, according to Democratic Senator Richard Durbin.

上周众议院的代表们从容地批准了这一协议，参议院也准备在未来的时间里跟上进展，这展示了一个政治分工的议会的职能。据民主党参议员Richard Durbin描述。

“I am encouraged that members on both sides, House and Senate, Democrats 5 and Republicans, vote for this.  Let us move.  Let us govern.  Let us not shut down this government again.  This is an opportunity, and with this opportunity we can have a stronger national defense 6, a stronger country, and we can save the taxpayers 7 money,” said Durbin.

“令我兴奋的是民主党和共和党，众议院和参议员都支持这一协议。让我们活动，让我们领导，让我们不再让我们的政府再次停摆。这是一次机遇，而且有了这种机遇我们将能拥有更加强大的国防能力，成为一个强大的国家，从而我们可以节省这些纳税人的财富。”Durbin称。

Once enacted 8, the bill would give the nation a two-year reprieve 9 from the budget wars that have consumed Congress in recent years.  It reduces across-the-board cuts to federal spending and, at the same time pares the deficit 10, earning the backing of Republicans like Congressman 11 Paul Ryan.

一旦协议执行，将可能给被精疲力竭议会预算斗争所折磨的国家带来两年的缓刑。它减少联邦的支出的花费，同时也瓦解了赤字。像Paul Ryan这样的共和党议员都支持这一协议。

“This is the first time since 1986 that a divided Congress has done what we are about to do.  Here is what the bill does: it reduces the deficit by $23 billion.  It does not raise taxes and it cuts spending in a smarter way,” said Ryan.

“这是两极分化的议会自1986年的第一次做我们所做的事，这项协议所能做什么呢？它减少了230亿的赤字，它不提高税收并且它以一种很聪明的方式来缩减支出。”Ryan称。

Meanwhile, a furious lobbying effort by the Obama administration has succeeded in preventing Congress from enacting 12 new sanctions against Iran, at least until next year.  Secretary of State John Kerry was one of many U.S. officials who pleaded with lawmakers to give international diplomacy 13 a chance to curb 14 Iran’s nuclear activities.

同时，奥巴马政府的激情游说活动成功得阻止了议会对伊朗制裁新政策的建立，至少到明年都不会有任何行动。美国国务卿John Kerry以及许多的美国官员恳请立法者确立一个外交机会来遏制伊朗的核行动。

“We have a chance to address peacefully one of the most pressing national security concerns that the world faces today.  I do not want to give Iranians a public excuse to flout 15 the agreement,” said Kerry.

“我们有一个和平解决一个全世界面临的高压力国家稳定问题的机会。我并没有给伊朗人民一个不顾合约的公开托词的目的。“Kerry 称Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers want to boost sanctions to pressure Tehran in upcoming negotiations 16, arguing that sanctions forced Iran to bargain in the first place.  The administration says Congress can always act if talks were to break down.

一些民主党和共和党立法者想通过提高对德黑兰压力的制裁，理由是这些制裁强制伊朗进行迅速妥协。美国政府称议会常常协商失败就开始采取暴力行动。