美国有线新闻 CNN 2012-11-12

 Today is Thursday, Nov. 8th, a day to find a way around the fiscal¹ cliff. 

 

They basically are still not on the same page, but maybe a little bit closer, because revenue is now on the table. 

 

A day to smooth the edges in the US Senate.

 

We are gonna make the Senate all meaningful place, we are gonna make it so that we can get things done.

 

And a day for planning China's future.

 

Political stability and social stability has become one of the core concerns of the Chinese leadership.

 

I'm N. Traguts and this is CNN Radio News Day. 

 

It sounds so final: going over the cliff. And this particular case sets the US economy potentially driving right over the so-called fiscal cliff on Jan. 1st. The fiscal cliff is the combination of automatic spending cuts and expiration² of the Bush era tax cuts. And most analysts³ agree it would propel the US into recession,  but are there winds of change and hope even given the balance of power in Washington remains⁴ the same? I spoke⁵ to CNN Money's Jeanne Sahadi earlier about where the cliff and efforts to avoid it stand now. 

 

So Jeanne, take it since what going over the cliff would mean for Americans under tax bills, so many analysts are saying to the typical middle-class family it's a hike about 2-3 thousand dollars.

 

Yes, that's right, estimates from the nonpartisan tax policy center, you know, someone making between 14,000 and 15,000 might see about a $2,000 increase, someone making 65,000 might see something closer to 3,500, but you know, on average for everyone, it's about 3,500. And tax polls center also estimates that about 88% of Americans would see some tax increase next year. If the lawmakers allow the fiscal cliff to take effect and do nothing to avert⁶ it or reverse the policies. So basically what's gonna happen is the Bush tax cuts are gonna expire, the temporary payroll⁷ tax cut that everyone has enjoyed for the last 2 years, it was part of a stimulate⁸ effort, that expires. The alternative minimum tax, which is technically⁹ a welfare tax that's only supposed to hit rich people, it's set up so poorly, in the tax code that every year Congress has to go back and make an adjustment so that the middle class doesn't get hit by it, the only problem is they haven't made an adjustment for tax year 2012, so in January, people are gonna start filing their 2012 tax returns, and they are going to be caught by the AMT unless Congree, which everyone expects they will do, unless Congress goes back and creats a so called AMT patch to protect the middle class from having to pay it. So this is the 3 big reasons why your tax bill may go up in 2013.

 

And of course, with the election in the rear view mirror, President Obama in the White House for another 4 years, the issue is how will this upcoming battle on the fiscal cliff be reshaped and for his part, House Speaker John Boehner said this yesterday, Jeanne.

Because the American people expect us to find common ground where we are in to accept additonal revenues, the tax reform.

So Jeanne, take it since the details of what Speaker Boehner is offering or suggesting? 

 

A couple of things, one, it's step forward for Republicans to stand up and say, yes we are willing to offer more revenue than the current system raises, it's another step for them to say, yes we are willing to use revenue to reduce deficits¹¹, both of those are requirements that Democrats¹² have put on the table. However, only when they get that new revenue in a very prescribed way, so what House Speaker Biller was saying yesterday is we are happy to give you some revenue, we are happy to use it for deficits reduction, but it's gotta be in this way, we are not going to do it the way you want it, which is President Obama wants to raise the top 2 income tax rates on hign income people, so they basically are still not on the same page, but maybe a little bit closer because revenue is now on the table.

 

So when we pull out from Washington and look at the big picture here, Americans want to from leadership in the White House and in Congress, is there really an opening for compromise here?

 

Well, compromise is a matter of political will, so there is always informal compromise, and you know, ideally you don't do it, so that only one side has to blink or suck it up. You wanted to do it in a way that both sides feel like they want something, there are a lot moving dials in these negotiations¹³, with Speaker Boehner saying, hey, we are willing to cap tax breaks on people to raise revenue, that's also something President Obama has proposed, so maybe they find some common ground there, on one thinks they are gonna make one and done deal with the fiscal cliff, they have like, something like 16 legislative¹⁴ days to get this done, so what a lot of people think is gonna happen, at the best that can happen is that they will come up with a bridge deal, something that averts¹⁵ the fiscal cliff and the negative economic effects that can have, people say if we are to let it go into effect, gone into recession, but that also makes a down payment on deficit¹⁰ reduction, and that can come through spending cuts, that can come through revenue increases or tax rating increases, there is no reason they can compromise the question as will they, jury though.

1 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。

2 expiration   

n.终结，期满，呼气，呼出物

参考例句：

• Can I have your credit card number followed by the expiration date?能告诉我你的信用卡号码和它的到期日吗?
• This contract shall be terminated on the expiration date.劳动合同期满，即行终止。

3 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。

4 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。

5 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。

6 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

7 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

8 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

9 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

10 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。

11 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

12 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》

13 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。

14 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。

15 averts   

防止，避免( avert的第三人称单数 )； 转移

参考例句：

• Cautious speech averts eavesdropping. Cautious behavior arrests gossip. 若欲杜人之口，莫若自己谨言；若欲塞人之耳，莫若自己慎行。
• A gift in secret averts anger; and a concealed bribe in the bosom, strong wrath. 暗中送的礼物，挽回怒气；怀中搋的贿赂，止息暴怒。