美国国家公共电台 NPR--What does it take to reach a deal like the one brokered by Democrats and the GOP?

What does it take to reach a deal like the one brokered¹ by Democrats² and the GOP?

Transcript³

What was the negotiating recipe that led to the debt ceiling deal reached over the weekend? NPR's Leila Fadel speaks to Kenneth Feinberg, a nationally recognized mediation⁴ attorney.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

What does it take to reach a deal like this one brokered by Democrats and Republicans? Let's turn to Kenneth Feinberg. He's been involved in resolving some of the nation's most protracted⁵ and emotional disputes. Notably⁶, he served as special master and independent arbiter⁷ for the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. Good morning.

KENNETH FEINBERG: Good morning.

FADEL: Thanks for being here. So these debt and spending negotiations⁹ were conducted behind closed doors. If you could paint a picture for us of what a difficult negotiation⁸ looks like - like this one.

FEINBERG: Well, a difficult negotiation is defined as a negotiation involving a major issue under the gun of a time frame.

FADEL: Yeah.

FEINBERG: And that's exactly what you had here. There was a deadline. One can feint and parry and sort of keep your powder dry until you approach what everyone agrees upon is a very important deadline to get the negotiations finished. And that's exactly what occurred here under the wire, with people negotiating behind closed doors, knowing that they either get a deal or there are serious consequences.

FADEL: Yeah. And in that time period, Democrats accused Republicans of holding the country hostage. Republicans said Democratic spending was to blame. How much of the trading of accusations¹⁰, the multiple breakdowns¹¹ in the negotiations, how much of that was a show?

FEINBERG: Well, I wouldn't call it a show. I would call each side trying to maximize its leverage¹² by warning the other side that there would be profound consequences. And I think that that's a standard tactic¹³ in effective negotiation, leading with your heavy armor, warning the other side that they will be to blame as to those consequences if a deal is not concluded.

FADEL: Is there a magic formula for reaching these kinds of deals?

FEINBERG: No, there's no magic wand. There are a couple of items you can check off on an agenda. There's a deadline. It's a very important issue. Do you have the right people behind those doors with the authority - the perceived authority to cut the deal? Very important. Each side is only as candid¹⁴ as its belief that the other side has the right people there with authority to settle. Now, the big question that's open that you have raised in your show - can each side deliver?

FADEL: Right.

FEINBERG: You know, it's very important that people believe that when you negotiate, you have authority to deliver as a result of the negotiations, and we will see over the next day or two whether the administration and the Republican Congress can deliver on this negotiated settlement.

FADEL: On that note, what would your advice to Republicans and Democrats be right now as they try to get their colleagues on board to pass through - this through Congress quickly?

FEINBERG: What's the alternative? I mean, you delegated to us the authority to negotiate. We've done that negotiation. We believe we have a pretty good barometer¹⁵ as to what you'll accept, and we have negotiated under the shadow of that authority. Now, for you now to tell us at the 11th hour and 59th minute that we can't deliver, our credibility will be seriously undercut.

FADEL: Does this deal strike you as a genuine compromise, or did one side get more out of it than the other?

FEINBERG: Oh, I think it's a genuine compromise. You know, in an effective negotiation, you walk away saying, I didn't get all that I wanted. I gave up an awful lot. But at the end of the day, the reasonable parties reached an agreement.

FADEL: Kenneth Feinberg is an attorney specializing in conflict resolution. Thank you for your time and your insights.

FEINBERG: Thank you.

1 brokered   

adj.由权力经纪人安排（或控制）的v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的过去式和过去分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• a peace plan brokered by the UN 由联合国出面协商的和平计划
• Your husband brokered the deal to go in, transfrer the assets and get our man out. 你丈夫后来插了一脚，把生意都抢了过去，我们的人也被挤了出来。 来自电影对白

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

5 protracted   

adj.拖延的；延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The war was protracted for four years. 战争拖延了四年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We won victory through protracted struggle. 经过长期的斗争，我们取得了胜利。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

7 arbiter   

n.仲裁人，公断人

参考例句：

• Andrew was the arbiter of the disagreement.安德鲁是那场纠纷的仲裁人。
• Experiment is the final arbiter in science.实验是科学的最后仲裁者。

8 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

9 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。

10 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

11 breakdowns   

n.分解( breakdown的名词复数 )；衰竭；（车辆或机器的）损坏；统计分析

参考例句：

• Her old car was unreliable, so the trip was plagued by breakdowns. 她的旧车老不听使唤，一路上总是出故障。 来自辞典例句
• How do we prevent these continual breakdowns? 我们如何防止这些一再出现的故障？ 来自辞典例句

12 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

13 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。

14 candid   

adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的

参考例句：

• I cannot but hope the candid reader will give some allowance for it.我只有希望公正的读者多少包涵一些。
• He is quite candid with his friends.他对朋友相当坦诚。

15 barometer   

n.气压表，睛雨表，反应指标

参考例句：

• The barometer marked a continuing fall in atmospheric pressure.气压表表明气压在继续下降。
• The arrow on the barometer was pointing to"stormy".气压计上的箭头指向“有暴风雨”。