Obama, Lawmakers Hold Round Four of Debt Talks

 　　President Barack Obama along with several Republican and Democratic congressional leaders held a fourth round of negotiations¹ in as many days Wednesday at the White House aimed at achieving a deficit² reduction and debt compromise.

　　With media reports filled with various versions of what has been said behind closed doors, based on anonymous³ White House and congressional sources, reporters pressed White House briefing spokesman Jay Carney for specifics.

　　They got none, but Carney did address a proposal by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for a procedurally-complex legislative⁵ tactic⁶ that would have essentially⁷ transferred authority, and political responsibility, for raising the debt ceiling from Congress to the president.

　　McConnell proposed passing legislation to allow Mr. Obama to raise the debt limit in three stages by $2.5 trillion, through the 2012 presidential election year, but requiring the president to list spending cuts at least as high as increases in the debt ceiling.

　　The senator described this as a way for Republicans to avoid being politically damaged by a worsening economy, because under the plan lawmakers could avoid voting against a debt ceiling increase.

　　Carney called the proposal an acknowledgment by Republicans that there is no alternative to raising the debt limit.  He did not reject it outright⁸ but said Mr. Obama remains⁹ focused on achieving the largest possible deficit reduction deal. "The linkage¹⁰ that was created that tied significant deficit reduction to this deadline, was so that we could work together, roll up our sleeves and do this.  Well the president is ready and willing to do that, he is willing to make compromises, he is willing to go big here," he said.

　　McConnell spoke⁴ on the Senate floor before he and other lawmakers went to the White House for their fourth round of talks with Mr. Obama. "Americans don't want tax hikes, they don't want phony spending cuts, they don't want a debt disapproval¹¹ plan, and they don't want us to default on our debts.  They want real cuts, and real reform, now," he said.

　　In a CBS News television interview on Tuesday,  President Obama had this response to McConnell's statement the day before that a solution to the nation's fiscal¹² mess was unobtainable with Mr. Obama in the White House. "You know, Mr. McConnell said, I think the day I was elected, that his job was to try to see me beat.  I think what the American people are looking for is not that kind of partisan¹³ politics," he said.

　　In addition to the president, his advisers¹⁴, and lawmakers the White House negotiations have included Treasury¹⁵ Secretary Timothy Geithner, who warned of the dire¹⁶ consequences of a debt default on August 2.

　　In testimony¹⁷ to a congressional committee on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said a default would have wide-ranging impacts. "Clearly if we went so far as to default on the debt it would be a major crisis," he said.

　　White House spokesman Carney said Wednesday's talks would look at areas where there is agreement, or where agreement is near, as well as issues on which significant negotiations remain.

　　Asked if Mr. Obama would rule out a very short stop gap measure, if negotiators were on the edge of a larger compromise, Carney said "there is enough time to get this done" adding the president believes there is momentum¹⁸ toward achieving a significant balanced deficit reduction package.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

3 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

6 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

7 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

8 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 linkage   

n.连接；环节

参考例句：

• In their monographic treatment of linkage,they have emphasized this especially.他们在论连锁的专题文章中特别强调了这点。
• Occasionally,problems with block inheritance or linkage are encountered.有时会遇到区段遗传或连锁问题。

11 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

12 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

13 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

14 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

15 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

16 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

17 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

18 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。