VOA标准英语2011--US Spending Debate Moves on to Next Phas

US Spending Debate Moves on to Next Phase

The months-long political debate on this year's U.S. government spending ended late Friday night with President Barack Obama and lawmakers agreeing on $38 billion in cuts. But numerous officials in Washington say the latest fight between Republicans and Democrats¹ was just a prelude² to a series of potential skirmishes over government spending during the next six months.
Thousands of people gathered in Washington, D.C., Saturday for an annual event that almost did not happen this year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade.
This main avenue in the nation's capital would have been empty, along with many U.S. government offices, had President Barack Obama and Republican lawmakers not reached a last-minute budget agreement late Friday, averting³ a potential government shutdown.
During his weekly address Saturday, President Obama said the end result of what he called the "long and difficult negotiations⁴" over the national budget was good news for the American people.
"It means that small businesses can get the loans they need, our families can get the mortgages they applied⁵ for, folks can visit our national parks and museums, and hundreds of thousands of Americans will get their paychecks on time, including our brave men and women in uniform," said Obama.
But the stage is set for what will likely be equally spirited debates during the next six months over the country's debt ceiling and 2012 budget.
Obama's administration has requested a debt allowance higher than the current $14.3 trillion cap, but several Republican lawmakers said they will not vote to do that without cutting this year's spending even more.
The Republican-dominated House also is scheduled to vote next week on a plan that would sharply cut spending for next year, leading to $6.2 trillion in cuts over the next decade.
On Saturday, House Budget Committee Chairman, Republican lawmaker Paul Ryan, said the House's 2012 budget proposal is part of what America needs to get on what he called a "true path to prosperity."
He used his party's weekly address as a thinly veiled attack on Obama's recently announced plans to run for a second term as president.
"It is unconscionable to leave the next generation with a crushing burden of debt and a nation in decline," said Ryan. "Washington's obsession⁶ with the next election has come at the expense of the next generation."
Both major political parties in the United States agree that they must cut government spending, but they differ sharply on what programs should go on the chopping block. These policy differences were at the core of the months-long political debate on this year's spending.
Republicans generally favor spending cuts on social welfare programs, while Democrats usually seek to protect those provisions and instead limit tax breaks and certain programs for businesses.
Any political wrangling⁷ on these issues could be seen as posturing⁸ ahead of the 2012 presidential election, which analysts⁹ are predicting to be America's most expensive presidential campaign ever with candidates potentially spending more than $1 billion in total.

1 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》

2 prelude   

n.序言，前兆，序曲

参考例句：

• The prelude to the musical composition is very long.这首乐曲的序曲很长。
• The German invasion of Poland was a prelude to World War II.德国入侵波兰是第二次世界大战的序幕。

3 averting   

防止，避免( avert的现在分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• The margin of time for averting crisis was melting away. 可以用来消弥这一危机的些许时光正在逝去。
• These results underscore the value of rescue medications in averting psychotic relapse. 这些结果显示了救护性治疗对避免精神病复发的价值。

4 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。

5 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

6 obsession   

n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)

参考例句：

• I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。
• She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。

7 wrangling   

v.争吵，争论，口角( wrangle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The two sides have spent most of their time wrangling over procedural problems. 双方大部分时间都在围绕程序问题争论不休。 来自辞典例句
• The children were wrangling (with each other) over the new toy. 孩子为新玩具（互相）争吵。 来自辞典例句

8 posturing   

做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was posturing a model. 她正在摆模特儿的姿势。
• She says the President may just be posturing. 她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。

9 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。