CNN news 2011-08-01 加文本

短语讲解：

1. First things first: What is the debt ceiling, and why do we have to keep on raising it?

debt ceiling债务限额
keep on继续前进; 继续工作
例句：They kept on working after dark.
天黑了他们还继续工作。

2. Our Chief Financial Correspondent Ali Velshi takes just over a minute to explain it.

take over在…上花费
例句：I have taken two years over this book.
我花了两年写这本书。

3. The debt ceiling is exactly the same as your credit limit on your credit cards, except it's for everything that you borrow.

the same as与…同样的
例句：Michael looks just the same as before .
迈克尔看上去跟以前一样。

4. So, the debt ceiling is the absolute top amount of money that the U.S. can owe to anyone at any given time.

owe to欠…(某物); 应该感谢; 把…归功于
例句：The plant still owes 500, 000 to the bank.
该厂仍欠银行50万美元。

5. So in order to raise that ceiling so the U.S. can borrow more money to keep things going, the debt ceiling has to be increased by Congress.

in order to为了
例句：We started early in order to arrive before dark.
为了在天黑前到达,我们很早就动身了。

6. The U.S. actually hit the credit limit on May 16, but the treasury secretary has been able to keep the wolves at bay.

at bay走投无路, 陷入绝境
例句：I am still a beast at bay. 
我还是走投无路的困兽。 

7. The government will bring in about $172 billion, mostly from taxes.

bring in赚(钱), 挣(钱)
例句：The boys are bringing in good wages every week.
这些男孩每周的工资不低。

8. For decades, the government has spent more money than it has taken in, which is why we have debt and why it's so high.

take in收入，进账
例句：Our shop takes in twice as much money every day as it used to.
我们商店每天的收入是过去的两倍。

9. Add defense vendors, who make military equipment, interest on investments, and money for the Education Department, and your total comes to $180 billion.

come to共计
例句：Ask the waiter what our bill comes to.
问问侍者我们一共应付多少钱。

10. It's unlikely that the government would give just a few programs all the money they needed and let others go without anything.

let go放开,释放,发射
例句：Budget cut backs forced the company to let go of several employees. 
预算减少迫使得公司减裁了好几个员工。 

11. Why many people in the government want that debt ceiling to be raised so badly, so the government can continue borrowing the money it needs to pay for all of its programs in full.

pay for为…付钱
例句：I have to pay 150 dollars for the sewing machine.
我得花150美元买这台缝纫机。
in full充足,以全文,用完整的词(不缩写)
例句：The daffodils are in full bloom.
水仙花盛开。