VOA常速英语:Traders, Economists Concerned About US Debt Downgrade

短语讲解：

1. As the clock ticks towards a deadline to raise the U.S. debt ceiling, traders believe a default on that debt is still highly unlikely, and are more concerned about the consequences of a potential downgrade of the U.S. credit rating.

be concerned about关心,挂念
例句：Everybody is concerned about the future of his country.
每个人都关心自己国家的前途。

2. I think the downgrade is what we should be talking about rather than default.

rather than (要)…而不…, 与其…倒不如…
例句：They thus increased their annual grain production rather than diminished it.
他们这样增加了而不是减少了粮食年产量。

3. We’ve got enough receipts that are coming in to meet our obligations.

come in收(庄稼)；收入(钱)；收到(消息)；(消息、新闻、广播等)被收到
例句：News is just coming in of an air-crash over the Atlantic.
大西洋上空发生空难的消息刚刚被收到。

4. So our interest rates are going to have to go up to attract outside investors, and in doing so it’s going to drive everyone else’s interest rates up all the way down the line

go up上升, 上涨, 提高, 增加, 增高
例句：The goods have gone up in price.
这些商品的价格已经上涨。
all the way一路上, 一直; 完全
例句：He stays all the way in the game.
他自始至终参加比赛。

5. “The irony of this is that if the yield [interest rate] goes up, some of the consequences would be spending to service the debt would go up, potentially by a large amount, affecting other types of services that need to be cut,” Sapienza said.

a large amount 大量
例句：However, someone who sells short the shares may end up with very substantial losses if the price rises by a large amount.
然而，要是价格大幅度上升，卖空股票的人士可能会蒙受巨大亏损。

6. “We would be extremely bullish right now based on the fundamentals alone, but because of the currency and debt issue, we have to keep that bullishness in check until we found out further information of whether we’re going to reach a deal or not,” he said.

base on使建立在…基础上
例句：Action should be based on solid facts.
行动应有确凿的事实为依据。
find out发现, 看穿, 揭发
例句：We must find out the truth of the matter.
我们必须弄清楚事情的真相。

7. That’s when the U.S. Treasury says it will no longer have the money needed to meet all of its financial obligations.

no longer不再, 已不, 不复, 再也不
例句：The city's water supply is no longer adequate for its need.
这个城市的供水已不敷需求。

8. “The closer we get to that date of having to have something done, it’s going to be a worse deal, and we’re going to have to either go through this in six months time, or eight months time, eighteen months time, or five years time, but we’re going to have to go through this again unless we have something significant as far as the cutting part goes,” Shellady said.

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。
as far as 直到…为止
例句：Fields of corn spread out as far as the eye could see.
玉米地延伸到看不到边的地方。

9. Even if lawmakers do reach an agreement to raise the debt ceiling and avoid default, credit rating agencies say the threat of a downgrade still exists without a long-term plan to fix the federal deficit.

even if即使, 纵然
例句：I wouldn't lose courage even if I should fail ten times.
即使要失败十次, 我也绝不灰心。