雅思聽力口語(VOA)聽抄訓練 - 茶黨不讓步 政府難開門

A one-page letter - signed by almostone-fifth of the legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives - was afactor leading to a political stalemate and the U.S. government shutdown.Congress and President Barack Obama cannot agree on continuing to fund thegovernment, with the Republicans determined to undermine the president’ssignature health care law. Some powerful Republicans say they are bowing to thewishes of their constituents.

美國眾議院將近五分之一的議員簽署了一封一頁紙長的信，導致了美國的政治僵局和政府關閉。共和黨決心要推翻奧巴馬總統簽署的醫保法案，使得國會和總統不能在政府預算問題上達成一致。一些有影響力的共和黨人說，他們是遵循他們選民的意願。

Outside the Capitol, Washington, D.C. isquiet. Inside, talk is tough. Democrats support the president.

華盛頓的國會大廈外面很安靜，可是裡面辯論激烈。

“What have we come to here? We have thebest country in the world and it’s time we start running it again,” asked Rep.Peter Visclosky (D-Ind).

民主黨人支持奧巴馬總統。民主黨眾議員彼得•維斯克洛斯基：“我們來這裡幹什麼？我們是世界上最好的國家，現在是重新開始治理國事的時候了。”

“The House has compromised over and overand over again," insisted Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky).

而另一方是對立面的共和黨人。共和黨眾議員安迪•巴爾：“眾院已經做出了一次一次又一次的妥協。”

Ultra-conservative

Republican Congressman Barr belongs to theultra-conservative arm called the Tea Party. It arrived on the political scenein 2009. The movement is now a force within the party.

國會共和黨眾議員安迪•巴爾屬於超級保守的共和黨人，即所謂的茶黨。2009年，茶黨登上政治舞臺，現在成了共和黨內部的一股力量。

Eighty members (a third of HouseRepublicans, including Barr) signed a letter connecting a repeal of health carereform to any resolution that keeps the government running.

眾議院共和黨議員中的三分之一，包括巴爾在內的80位共和黨人，簽署了一封信，把廢除奧巴馬醫改作為通過任何預算方案以維持政府運轉的前提。

Barr accused Democrats of pushing throughthe health care reform act in 2010 when they had a majority in both houses ofCongress, and said his Kentucky constituents did’t like it.

巴爾說，2010年民主黨在眾議院占多數時通過了醫改法，他在肯塔基的選民不同意。

“I cannot ignore the deluge of calls andconversations and communications that I’m getting from constituents talkingabout Obamacare hurting them, their businesses and their families,” he said.

巴爾說：“我不能無視選民們鋪天蓋地的電話，我和他們談話和交流，他們說奧巴馬醫保損害了他們，損害了他們的企業和家庭。”

Anti-Obama

According to the Cook Political Report,most of the 80 Republicans come from districts that voted unlike most of thecountry. For example, President Obama only received 38 percent of the vote inBarr’s district. And while voters nationwide are looking more diverse, the CookReport said Republican districts are getting whiter.

《庫克政治報告》透露，這80位共和黨議員所在的選區和美國大多數選區不同。比如，在巴爾的選區，奧巴馬總統只得到38%的選票。庫克報告說，在全國選民越來越種族多元化的同時，共和黨選區白人越來越多。

Moderate Republicans agree that Obamacareshould be diminished but oppose the tactics of the Tea Party - like shuttingdown the government. Analysts said they were looking over their shoulder,afraid of a Tea Party challenger, if they didn't go along.

溫和的共和黨人贊同應該廢除奧巴馬醫保，不過反對用茶黨的手段，比如關閉政府。分析人士說，他們小心翼翼，擔心如果不跟茶黨合作，會遭到發難。

“In the case of Republicans looking overtheir right shoulders, they may be safe in their districts as Republicans ifthey were to face a Democrat in an election, but they may not be safe from aprimary challenge,” explained John Fortier, of the Bipartisan Policy Center.

兩黨政策中心的約翰•福捷說：“共和黨人小心翼翼地向右邊張望，在他們自己的選區裡，如果他們的選舉對手是民主黨人，那會平安無事，可是他們如果在初選遇到黨內挑戰，就說不準了。”

Blame game

Meanwhile, Republicans and Democrats accuseeach other of refusing to compromise.

與此同時，共和民主兩黨相互指責對方不肯妥協。

"All we are asking for is to sit downand have a discussion," insisted House Speaker John Boehner.

眾議院議長貝納說：“我們所要求的就是坐下來進行討論。”

"Mr. Speaker, You shut down thefederal government. But now what?” asked said Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii).

民主黨眾議員科琳•哈納布薩說：“議長先生，是你關閉了聯邦政府，可是現在怎麼辦？”

“It’s part of our polarized world,"remarked Fortier. "The extent that we have divided government. Our partiesdiffer a lot. It’s likely that part of this is the new normal.”

福捷說：“這是我們所在的兩極化世界的一部分，以至我們的政府分裂，我們的政黨分歧很大。這可能已經成為新常態的一部分了。”

So for now, the factions wait to see whichside blinks first. Until then, the federal government remains shut down untilfurther notice.

目前，雙方都在看誰先示弱。不過在這之前，聯邦政府繼續關閉，等待通知。