VOA常速英语2013--本周华盛顿关注美国立法者们预测的2014年议程（在线收听）

Washington Week: US Lawmakers Preview 2014 Agendas 本周华盛顿关注美国立法者们预测的2014年议程

The U.S. Congress has concluded work for the year.  Before leaving Washington, lawmakers drew political battle lines for 2014, an election year in which all House  seats and one-third of Senate seats will be contested.

One of Congress'last acts of 2013 was to pass a two-year bipartisan federal budget.

国会2013年最后采取的措施之一是通过一项为期2年的两党联邦预算。

Will Democrats and Republicans continue to work hand-in-hand in the year to come?

在新的一年里民主党和共和党会继续携手并进吗?

Not if lawmakers' parting comments were any indication.

双方议员们的评论还没有透露任何消息。

Democrats, said Senator Richard Durbin, want to focus on the widening income gap between America's rich and working-class citizens.

民主党参议员理查德·德宾表示要关注不断扩大的美国富人和工薪阶层之间的收入差距。

“When we return next year, we need to make working families our highest priority,” said he.

“我们明年回来的时候需要将工薪家庭摆在最优先的位置,”他说道。

Fellow Democrat Charles Schumer concurred.

民主党同僚查尔斯·舒默对此表示认同。

“The tectonic plates of our politics are changing.

“我们政治构造的板块正在发生改变。

The decline of middle class incomes and the difficulty for average people getting good paying jobs has overtaken the deficit as the number one problem facing our  political economy today,” said Schumer.

中产阶级收入的下降和普通人找到优厚待遇工作的困难是现今我们的政治经济赤字面临的首要问题,”舒默说。

Republicans disagree.

而共和党对此则并不认同。

If Democrats are eager to ride a populist economic message into the 2014 elections, Senator Tom Coburn remains focused on U.S. fiscal woes.

民主党或许是急于发送2014年的选举中的民粹主义经济信息,参议员汤姆·柯伯恩仍关心美国的财政危机。

“If you look at 700 billion in deficits and an almost 18 trillion debt,“如果你看看7000亿美元的赤字和几乎18万亿美元的国家债务,some grown-up in the room has to  question whether or not we are spending money wisely and effectively,” said Coburn.

实际上一些议员正在质疑我们是否明智地花钱,”科伯恩说。

And Republicans will remind voters of the shortcomings of President Barack Obama's health care law.

而共和党将提醒选民们巴拉克·奥巴马总统的医疗保健缺点。

Senator John Thune spoke of broken promises.

参议员约翰·图恩谈到打破承诺。

“Democrats and the president made the American people a promise.

“民主党和总统对美国人民做出了承诺。

They said, ‘We will make health care more affordable'.

他们曾说过:“我们将使医疗保健更负担得起”。

As long as Obamacare is in place, that promise will continue to be broken,” said Thune.

只要奥巴马医改还在,承诺就将继续是空谈,”图恩说道。

Democrat, like Senator Schumer, are betting the law's early implementation problems will be solved, allowing Americans to focus on pocketbook issues.

像舒默一样的民主党参议员认为这项法律的早期实现问题将会解决,让美国人民关注钱袋问题。

“Issues like job creation, the minimum wage, and unemployment insurance are going to weigh on the minds of voters far more than Obamacare by the time the 2014  elections roll around,” said Schumer.

“创造就业、最低工资和失业保险等问题将会远远超过奥巴马医改影响2014年选举中选民的想法。”舒默说道。

Whether the U.S. economy continues to improve, and whether the Affordable Care Act's early problems fade next year, could determine which party's message resonates  better with the American people.

美国经济是否持续改善,可支付医疗法案的早期问题是否消失,可能会决定明年哪一个政党更能很好的与美国人民产生共鸣。

In the meantime, bipartisanship, which made a brief appearance in the budget deal, could be a rare commodity in 2014.

与此同时,预算协议中短暂出现的两党合作在2014年可能会变得极为罕见。