VOA慢速英语:Fight Over Spending Is Just Beginning in Washington

A week ago, the United States government was preparing to suspend some of its operations for lack of a budget. But late last Friday, negotiators reached a deal. This Thursday, both houses of Congress approved it and sent it to President Obama to sign into law.
一周前，美国政府由于预算紧缺已准备暂停一些政府运作。但上周五晚，谈判达成了协议。本周四，国会两院批准，并把它交给了奥巴马总统签署成为法律。

SOUND: "On this vote, the yeas are eighty-one, the nays are nineteen. The bill is passed."
声音：“在本次投票中，81票赞成，19票反对。该法案获得通过。”

That was the vote in the Senate. The measure provides money through the end of the budget year in September. It cuts more than thirty-eight billion dollars in non-defense spending. Negotiators cut more than most Democratic Party lawmakers wanted, but less than most Republicans wanted.
这是在参议院的投票结果。该法案为截至9月结束的财年提供资金，它削减了超过380亿美元的非国防开支方。双方谈判代表削减的预算超出了民主党议员所期望的，但低于共和党想要的数额。

Fifty-nine Republicans in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted against the deal. Many were elected last November with support from the conservative Tea Party coalition. House Speaker John Boehner said the bill is not perfect, but a good start.
在共和党控制的众议院中有59名共和党议员反对这项法案，他们大部分是去年11月在保守党茶党联盟的支持下当选的议员。众议院议长约翰．博纳（John Boehner）表示，该法案并不完美，但却是一个好的开始。

On Friday, Republicans in the House passed a plan by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan. The plan aims for six trillion dollars in savings over ten years, starting in twenty-twelve. But the plan faces strong opposition in the Senate, where Democrats are in control.
上周五，众议院共和党人通过了由预算委员会主席保罗．瑞安（Paul Ryan）提出的一项计划。该计划旨在从2012年开始的未来十年节省6万亿美元。但该计划在民主党人控制的参议院中遭到强烈反对。

President Obama condemned the Republican plan earlier this week. Instead he called for four trillion dollars in government spending cuts and higher taxes for wealthy Americans over twelve years.
奥巴马本周早些时候谴责了共和党人提出的这项计划。相反的，他呼吁未来12年削减4万亿政府开支并提高富人税收。

A major part of the Ryan plan would change Medicare from a program that directly pays medical bills for retired people. Instead, people would get money to buy health insurance from private companies.
瑞安计划的一个重要部分将对医疗保险作出改变。现在的医疗保险项目直接为退休人员支付医疗账单。相反，该计划提议向退休人员支付现金，他们自己向私营公司购买医疗保险。

The idea is that competition would save money. But Democrats say the plan would increase costs for older adults and end the forty-six-year-old Medicare program as it now exists. The Ryan plan would also reduce money for Medicaid, a joint federal and state health care program for the poor and disabled.
该计划的想法是竞争可以节约资金。但是民主党表示，该计划将增加老年人的成本，而且已经存在了46年的医保项目将宣布终结。瑞安的计划还会减少医疗补助计划的资金。该计划是联邦政府和州政府的联合医疗项目，为穷人和残疾人提供医疗保障。

Congress and the president must now turn their attention to issues like the budget for next year and the debt limit. The debt limit is the amount of money that the government is permitted to borrow. The current limit is more than fourteen trillion dollars -- nearly equal to all the goods and services produced in the United States in a year.
国会和总统现在必须将注意力转移到明年的预算案和债务限额等问题上。债务限额是政府获准借款的最高限制。目前的债务限额超过14万亿美元——几乎相当于美国一年之内生产的产品和服务的总值。

The government is expected to reach that limit next month. But the Treasury Department cannot borrow more money by selling bonds unless Congress acts.
预期政府下个月的债务总额即将达到最高限制。但除非国会通过，否则财政部无法通过出售债券借来更多资金。

Republicans are threatening to reject Mr. Obama's request to raise the debt limit unless he agrees to bigger spending cuts. But Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner says the United States might miss payments on its debts and create another economic crisis.
共和党人威胁要否决奥巴马提高国债限额的申请，除非奥巴马同意加大削减支出。但财政部长盖特纳说，美国可能无法偿付债务引发另一次经济危机。

TIMOTHY GEITHNER: "I think it would make the crisis we just went through look modest in comparison. "
盖特纳：“我认为，相比之下，债务危机引发的危机将使我们刚刚经历的危机看起来很是温和。”

Steve Hess at Moody's Investor Service says if lenders were really worried, they would raise the interest rates they charge on loans to the government.
穆迪投资者服务公司的Steve Hess表示，如果贷方真的担忧的话，他们将会提高向政府贷款的利率。

STEVE HESS: "If you look at the market, it does not seem that the wrangling so far has had a big effect on the government's cost of borrowing. "
STEVE HESS：“如果你看下市场就会发现，到目前为止这些争吵并没有对政府的借贷成本造成很大影响。”