VOA标准英语2013--US Budget Breakthrough Ends Air Travel Delays
时间：2018-12-16 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2013年(四月)
US Budget Breakthrough Ends Air Travel Delays
Most flights were on schedule, as US air travel got back to normal.
This came after a week of growing passenger frustration 1 and airline delays caused by not having enough air traffic controllers on duty. Lawmakers in Washington moved swiftly to solve the problem - and reduce the effect of mandatory 2 spending cuts which had forced 15-hundred air traffic controllers a day to take unpaid 3 leave. Travelers are relieved.
"It doesn't take a genius to figure out that a few bucks 4 for some air traffic controllers would make us all a lot happier," said one airline passenger.
In Atlanta, where delays were not as bad as elsewhere, Airport Manager Louis Miller 5 is still relieved.
"It think it's the ability that the traffic manager here recognized that you do have the busiest airport in the world and, when things get backed up here significantly, every city not only in the US, but internationally, can get affected," he said.
Transportation officials say the shift in funding also will keep 149 air-control towers at smaller airports open. Despite the move restoring full strength to the nation's air traffic control system, both political parties in Congress continue to blame each other for the forced spending cuts.
"These are simply irresponsible cuts that have have real and detrimental 6 impacts on the traveling public," said Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine.
Lawmakers remain deeply divided over ways to end the automatic cuts known as "the sequester 7" that continue to ripple 8 through nearly every federal government agency.
"The President is against sequester, the Senate budget is against sequester, and you [Republicans] would not allow us [Democrats] to offer an amendment 9 four times, which would have precluded 10 sequester," said Democratic Congressman 11 Steny Hoyer of Maryland.
While the budget battle continues, travelers are just happy there's now enough money to keep the nation's air traffic control system operating smoothly 12.
- 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。
- It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
- There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。
- Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
- He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。
- They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
- They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
- The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。
- We know that heat treatment is detrimental to milk.我们知道加热对牛奶是不利的。
- He wouldn't accept that smoking was detrimental to health.他不相信吸烟有害健康。
- Everything he owned was sequestered.他的所有财产都被扣押了。
- This jury is expected to be sequestered for at least two months.预计这个陪审团将至少被隔离两个月。
- The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
- The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。
- The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
- The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。
- Abdication is precluded by the lack of a possible successor. 因为没有可能的继承人，让位无法实现。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The bad weather precluded me from attending the meeting. 恶劣的天气使我不能出席会议。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- 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。