美国国家公共电台 NPR From The Front Lines Of NAFTA, More Relief Than Rejoicing

 

NOEL KING, HOST:

President Trump¹ has boasted about the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal. And indeed, some analysts² are cautiously optimistic about it. But for many Americans from farmers to factory workers, the biggest news is not what's in the deal. It's the fact that there is a deal at all. NPR's Camila Domonoske has the story.

CAMILA DOMONOSKE, BYLINE³: Kevin Scott is a farmer in South Dakota. He's on the board of the American Soybean Association. And he's normally pretty busy this time of year. But last week, he was sitting in his office with a magazine.

KEVIN SCOTT: I am reading Dakota Farmer.

DOMONOSKE: The weather wasn't cooperating.

SCOTT: We had 6 1/2 inches of rain about a week ago, and then our weather's been overcast⁴ ever since and cool. And it makes it hard to do any combining on soybeans. That's for sure.

DOMONOSKE: So he had plenty of time to explain how he feels about NAFTA.

SCOTT: There were some things that needed to be modernized⁵. And we don't dispute that. We were pretty concerned, though, when it was pulled off the table.

DOMONOSKE: Soybean farmers are already reeling from tariffs⁶ imposed by China which have slashed⁷ sales to the largest export market. Losing sales to Mexico would be another blow.

SCOTT: The benefits sneak⁸ up on you. Trade develops slowly over time. These things get opened up. And then when they shut off, then you know what you've lost.

DOMONOSKE: So he's glad that there's a deal to replace NAFTA even if it just preserves the status quo for soybeans. To put it another way, he's relieved that negotiations⁹ are over rather than rejoicing at the outcome. Doyle Lentz, who farms wheat and barley¹⁰ in North Dakota, feels the same way even though he does see a benefit for wheat farmers in this deal. They'll be able to sell more wheat to Canada at fairer prices. Lentz is happy about that, but...

DOYLE LENTZ: I don't think there was any need to open NAFTA from an agriculture standpoint. Most of these things could have been remedied by just having, you know, an open communication and dialogue. I guess I'm more of the belief that's how you do negotiations and trade than, you know, hold a gun to somebody's head.

DOMONOSKE: Threatening to shred¹¹ a functioning trade deal?

LENTZ: Not worth the risk. There just wasn't enough benefit-risk ratio for me to open that up.

DOMONOSKE: It's not just farmers who are relieved that negotiations are over. Robert Gruschow is the president of Deshler Group, headquartered in Livonia, Mich. The company has more than 400 employees.

ROBERT GRUSCHOW: We supply everything from IT and global freight to manufacturing and assembly and warehousing primarily for automotive.

DOMONOSKE: He says that when the NAFTA renegotiations began, his business was in the middle of growing.

GRUSCHOW: We're in the process of expanding a facility in Ohio, our main and largest facility for metal forming products.

DOMONOSKE: Think metal rods and tubes that go into cars. But the uncertainty¹³ about NAFTA threw the fortunes of the auto¹² industry into doubt.

GRUSCHOW: Certainly that was a nervous time period for us as we're expanding, expecting future business and not really knowing what the future might hold.

DOMONOSKE: Gruschow says some elements of the new deal might help his company, like requiring a higher percentage of car parts to be made in North America. But his main takeaway...

GRUSCHOW: I think whatever the deal, whether it's net a beneficial or not to the auto industry, I think knowing and understanding what's coming is a relief.

DOMONOSKE: Of course not all the uncertainty is gone. Steel and aluminum¹⁴ tariffs remain in place. There's the big trade war with China. And the new deal still needs to be approved by Congress. Camila Domonoske, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF GRAYSON ERHARD'S "UNSPECIFIED BIRD CALLS")

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 overcast   

adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天

参考例句：

• The overcast and rainy weather found out his arthritis.阴雨天使他的关节炎发作了。
• The sky is overcast with dark clouds.乌云满天。

5 modernized   

使现代化，使适应现代需要( modernize的过去式和过去分词 )； 现代化，使用现代方法

参考例句：

• By 1985 the entire railway network will have been modernized. 等到1985年整个铁路网就实现现代化了。
• He set about rebuilding France, and made it into a brilliant-looking modernized imperialism. 他试图重建法国，使它成为一项表面华丽的现代化帝业。

6 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

7 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 sneak   

vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行

参考例句：

• He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
• I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

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 barley   

n.大麦，大麦粒

参考例句：

• They looked out across the fields of waving barley.他们朝田里望去,只见大麦随风摇摆。
• He cropped several acres with barley.他种了几英亩大麦。

11 shred   

v.撕成碎片，变成碎片；n.碎布条，细片，些少

参考例句：

• There is not a shred of truth in what he says.他说的全是骗人的鬼话。
• The food processor can shred all kinds of vegetables.这架食品加工机可将各种蔬菜切丝切条。

12 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

13 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

14 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。