VOA慢速英语:US Congressional Committee Fails to Identify Budget Cuts

短语讲解：

1. An American congressional committee reported failure earlier this week. The committee failed in its effort to cut the federal budget deficit by one point two trillion dollars over ten years.

fail in (使) 在…方面失败了
例句：I failed in understanding what they meant.
我未能理解他们的意思。

2. It said, “we have come to the conclusion today that it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee’s deadline.”

come to到达; 达成
例句：After much talk they came to an agreement.
经过多次商谈, 他们达成了协议。

3. But, without an agreement, that will fall to involuntary cuts through the act of sequestration.
cut through克服; 穿过；穿透; 抄近路穿过

例句：He was determined to cut through the difficulties.
他下决心要克服困难。

4. This is in addition to cuts of about nine hundred billion dollars required by the budget law that created the congressional supercommittee.

in addition to除…之外，还……
例句：In addition to French, he has to study Japanese.
除了法语外，他还得学日语。

5. If the sequester goes into effect and it doubles the number of cuts, then it will truly devastate our national defense.

go into进入(某种状态)
例句：He went into a rage when he learned about it.
他听到这事后勃然大怒。

6. “National defense has contributed enough to deficit reduction.”

contribute to促成
例句：Your suggestion has greatly contributed to the accomplishment of our work.
你的建议大大地促进了我们工作的完成。

7. That would add to increasing voter anger over what they consider a lack of action by lawmakers.

add to增加, 加强
例句：The snowstorm added to our difficulties.
暴风雪增加了我们的困难。

8. I will veto any effort to get rid of those automatic spending cuts.

get rid of除掉, 去掉；摆脱
例句：He can't get rid of the cold.
他的感冒老是好不了。

9. Experts say that Congress and the Obama administration could still reach agreement on budget cuts and taxes before the sequestration takes effect.

take effect生效, 奏效
例句：The prescribed medicine failed to take effect.
医生开的药没有见效。