2018年12月22日,因总统特朗普和民主党人在美墨边境隔离墙修建问题上分歧严重,双方未能就政府拨款达成一致,近1/4的美国联邦政府机构相继停摆,约80万联邦政府雇员被迫无薪工作或被强制休假。
上周末,特朗普提出,如果国会民主党人同意为美墨边境墙拨款57亿美元,他将为近100万非法移民提供暂时身份及保护。但民主党人认为边界建墙成本高昂,而且解决不了边界安全问题。他们希望特朗普与共和党人先同意让政府重新开门,然后再讨论其它边境安全措施。
眼下因政府停摆,联邦雇员已经不得不靠食物救济度日,一年一度的国情咨文演讲也可能要被叫停。尽管特朗普声称他并不介意政府关门持续上几年,但事实是留给国会两党继续对峙的时间已经不多了。
本篇课程首发于2019年1月24日,选自 The Economist Espresso APP
https://espresso.economist.com/f1e1fd9e97f59379ed79bdf258d55042
Going nowhere: America's shutdown
① Members of Congress were supposed to spend this holiday-shortened week working in their districts.
② But both chambers cancelled the year's first recess to hold votes on competing—and equally doomed—plans to reopen the government.
③ Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, will put forth Donald Trump's proposal: $5.7bn for his wall in exchange for giving some undocumented immigrants three years' protection from deportation.
④ The bill could probably pass the Republican-controlled Senate absent an inevitable Democratic filibuster, after which it would fail in the Democrat-run House.
⑤ Bills to reopen the government without wall funding put forth by Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, will meet the inverse fate.
⑥ Mr Trump has little room to manoeuvre; it was not only Democrats who received his offer poorly.
⑦ Ann Coulter, a right-wing talk-show host whose derisive tweets arguably sparked the shutdown, sneered, "Trump proposes amnesty!" Amnesty, Mr Trump reassured her, "will be used only on a much bigger deal."
▍生词好句
go/get nowhere: 毫无进展
shutdown /ˈʃʌtdaʊn/: n. 停摆;关闭
Members of Congress: 国会议员
Congress /ˈkɒŋɡres, ˈkɑːŋɡres/: n. (美国) 国会
be supposed to do sth.: 应该做某事 (可能没做)
holiday-shortened week: 因为假日而缩短的 (交易) 周
(congressional) district /ˈdɪstrɪkt/: n. 选区
chamber /ˈtʃeɪmbə, ˈtʃeɪmbər/: n. 议院
recess /rɪˈses, ˈriːses/: n. 休会 (期)
recession /rɪˈseʃən/: n. 经济衰退;萧条
Capitol Hill: 国会山
hold votes on: 举行关于……的投票
competing /kəmˈpiːtɪŋ/: adj. 针锋相对的
two competing ideologies: 两种相对的意识形态
doomed /duːmd/: adj. 注定要失败的
Senate majority leader: 参议院多数党领袖 (参院多数党议员中职位最高的议员)
put forth: 提出; 建议 (present)
in exchange for: 作为…的交换
undocumented immigrants: 非法移民
political correctness: 政治正确
permanent residence: 永久居留权
deportation /ˌdiːpɔːˈteɪʃən, ˌdiːpɔːrˈteɪʃən/: n. 驱逐出境;放逐
absent /ˈæbsənt/: prep. 缺乏;没有 (without)
inevitable /ɪˈnevɪtəbəl/: adj. 难以避免的;必然发生的
filibuster /ˈfɪlɪbʌstə/: n. 无限制演讲;阻挠议事
House speaker: 众议院议长 (美国众议院的首席)
inverse /ɪnˈvɜːs, ɪnˈvɜːrs/: adj. 反的;逆的
manoeuvre /məˈnuːvə, məˈnuːvər/: vi. 操纵,控制;使花招
right-wing /ˌraɪt ˈwɪŋ/: adj. 右翼的
derisive /dɪˈraɪsɪv/: adj. 嘲弄的;讥讽的 (sarcastic/ironic)
arguably /ˈɑːɡjuəbli, ˈɑːrɡjuəbli/: adv. 可以说;可能
sneer /snɪə, snɪr/: vt. 讥讽;嘲笑
amnesty /ˈæmnɪsti, ˈæmnəsti/: n. 赦免;大赦
reassure /ˌriːəˈʃʊə, ˌriːəˈʃʊr/: vt. 使安心;打消……的疑虑
Trump: The Art of the Deal:《交易的艺术》
▍词汇拓展
1. go/get nowhere: 毫无进展
We discussed it all morning but got nowhere.
我们就此事讨论了一上午,可是毫无进展。
I've been learning English three years but I got nowhere.
我学英语已经学了3年,但是毫无长进。
2. shutdown: n. 停摆;关闭
government shutdown 政府停摆
factory shutdown 工厂歇业
3. Congress: n. (美国) 国会
· Parliament: n. (英国) 议会
Members of Congress 美国国会议员
Members of Parliament 英国议会议员
National People's Congress 全国人民代表大会
4. (congressional) district: n. 选区
· constituency /kənˈstɪtʃuənsi/: n. 选区
5. doomed: adj. 注定要失败的
This is a doomed policy. 这项政策注定失败。
6. arguably: adv. 可以说;可能
He is arguably the world's best football player.
他可以说是世界上最优秀的足球运动员。
▍责任编辑
高晴、李焕
▍内容校对
武志琳、章晓丹
null
Going nowhere
go/get nowhere: 毫无进展
shutdown /ˈʃʌtdaʊn/
n. 停摆;关闭
Members of Congress
国会议员
holiday-shortened week
因为假日而缩短的 (交易) 周
districts /ˈdɪstrɪkt/
(congressional) district: n. 选区
were supposed to
be supposed to do sth.: 应该做某事 (可能没做)
chambers /ˈtʃeɪmbə, ˈtʃeɪmbər/
chamber: n. 议院
recess /rɪˈses, ˈriːses/
n. 休会 (期)
competing /kəmˈpiːtɪŋ/
adj. 针锋相对的
doomed /duːmd/
adj. 注定要失败的
hold votes on
hold votes on: 举行关于……的投票
Senate majority leader
参议院多数党领袖 (参院多数党议员中职位最高的议员)
put forth
提出; 建议 (present)
in exchange for
作为…的交换
undocumented immigrants
非法移民
deportation /ˌdiːpɔːˈteɪʃən, ˌdiːpɔːrˈteɪʃən/
n. 驱逐出境;放逐
absent /ˈæbsənt/
prep. 缺乏;没有 (without)
filibuster /ˈfɪlɪbʌstə/
n. 无限制演讲;阻挠议事
inevitable /ɪˈnevɪtəbəl/
inevitable: adj. 难以避免的;必然发生的
House speaker
众议院议长 (美国众议院的首席)
inverse /ɪnˈvɜːs, ɪnˈvɜːrs/
adj. 反的;逆的
manoeuvre /məˈnuːvə, məˈnuːvər/
vi. 操纵,控制;使花招
right-wing /ˌraɪt ˈwɪŋ/
adj. 右翼的
derisive /dɪˈraɪsɪv/
adj. 嘲弄的;讥讽的 (sarcastic/ironic)
arguably /ˈɑːɡjuəbli, ˈɑːrɡjuəbli/
adv. 可以说;可能
sneered /snɪə, snɪr/
vt. 讥讽;嘲笑
amnesty /ˈæmnɪsti, ˈæmnəsti/
n. 赦免;大赦
reassured /ˌriːəˈʃʊə, ˌriːəˈʃʊr/
vt. 使安心;打消……的疑虑