VOA慢速英语:Debt Limit Talks Show Deeper Debate on Government's Duties

短语讲解：

1. Anyone who has ever borrowed money can relate to the debate over raising America's borrowing limit.

relate to同…有…关系; 涉及, 关系到…
例句：The unemployment figures are not necessarily related to the rise in prices.
失业的数目同物价的上涨并没有必然的联系。

2. Or they can cut their spending and try to get their finances under control.

under control处于控制之下
例句：The fire was under control.
火势已得到控制。

3. If they default on their debt, that only makes it harder and costlier to borrow in the future.

default on拖欠…
例句：He defaulted on his payments for support of the child.
他拖欠孩子的抚养费。
in the future今后, 将来
例句：He does not care in the least what will happen in the future.
他对以后发生什么事一点也不在乎。

4. Opposition Republican leaders agree on the need to raise the borrowing limit by August second or risk the nation's first default.

agree on对某事〔物〕有同样看法, 商定〔同意〕某事, 商定做某事
例句：We agree on the question.
我们在这个问题上意见一致。

5. The central issue is how the US is going to bring its federal budget back down to a sustainable deficit level.

bring back使(某人)恢复(某状态)
例句：We must bring him back to health.
我们必须使他恢复健康。

6. The Constitution that was written by people who were very, very suspicious of executive authority and built into the Constitution lots of ways in which the three branches of government could check and balance each other.

be suspicious of怀疑
例句：The police are suspicious of his alibi because he already has a record.
警方对他不在场的辩解表示怀疑, 因为他已有前科。

7. Jerry Webman says the United States is going through an important debate on what services Americans can expect from their government.

go through遭受, 经受, 经历
例句：When he was a child, he went through one hardship after another.
孩提时代, 他经历了一个又一个的艰难困苦。

8. Lenders worried about the risk of not getting repaid usually demand higher interest rates.

worry about担忧, 烦恼
例句：He worried about how to make his living.
他为如何谋生发愁。

9. That has happened to heavily indebted countries such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

happen to发生在…身上
例句：An odd thing happened to him this morning.
他今天早晨遇到一件怪事。

10. Interest rates for the United States, however, have come down.

come down下降，降低
例句：I hope they will soon come down in price.
我希望它们不久会降价。 

11. And that would only add to deficits in what he called a "self-inflicted wound.

add to增加, 加强
例句：This lesson adds to the value of the book.
这一课增加了这本书的价值。