(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.
There has been a lot of talk about the debt ceiling in the United States. The debt ceiling is a legal limit on the amount of money the federal government can borrow. Political disputes over that amount have concerned investors in recent weeks.
Alexander Gelber is an assistant professor of public policy at the University of California in Berkeley. He says American lawmakers must negotiate a new debt ceiling everytime the federal debt reaches that legal limit.
"The debt ceiling is a limit on the amount that US Treasury can borrow, and that limit needs to be raised by congress periodically."
National debt is necessary when a government spends more money than it has available. Governments offer bonds and other investments to raise money to pay for the spending. In return, the government promises to repay investors who buy the securities.
The financial demands of World War I led American lawmakers to establish a total debt limit. In 1917, congress agreed that the president could borrow up to a set amount without seeking congressional approval.
Congress has agreed to change the debt limit 10 times since 2001. But the major parties have yet to agree on spending levels or on the need to borrow to pay for government operations.
Other nations buy United States Treasury department securities because they are considered the safest investment in the world. The partial shutdown of the federal government led to worldwide concern about the safety of these investments.
The debt ceiling was supposed to reach the legal limit last week. Without power to borrow more, the government would have been unable to pay investors who owned Treasury department securities.
Professor Gelber says the possibility of the United States failing to pay its debts caused concern around the world.
In recent years, disputes over spending and debt limits have led to delays in congressional approval of a budget and in raising the debt ceiling.
Last week, only 1 day before borrowing reach the legal limit, congress agreed to re-open the government without enforcing the debt ceiling.
Lawmakers agreed to let the president decide what the Treasury department could borrow through February 7th. Congress approved a budget to operate the government through January 15th.
The president and congress must now negotiate a new spending plan and another debt limit in order to avoid another crisis.
And that's the Economics Report from VOA Learning English, I'm Mario Ritter.
译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载
词汇解释
1.debt ceiling 债务限额，债务最高限额
Many voters do not want the debt ceiling to rise.
这些选民中的许多人并不希望提高债务上限。
2.periodically adv. 定期地；周期性地；偶尔；间歇
The geyser erupts periodically.
间歇泉周期性地喷发。
3.securities n. [金融] 有价证券；担保；抵押物（security的复数）；保证人
The declining securities market yesterday bottomed out and began to rise.
一直衰退的证券市场昨天股票价格下跌到最低点后开始回升了。
内容解析
1.The debt ceiling was supposed to reach the legal limit last week.
be supposed to 应该；被期望
Journalists are supposed to be politically neutral.
新闻工作者在政治上应持中立态度。
I was supposed to be writing a letter but I'm afraid I got sidetracked .
我本来应该在写信，但后来恐怕是分心干别的去了。
2.In recent years, disputes over spending and debt limits have led to delays in congressional approval of a budget and in raising the debt ceiling.
lead to 导致；通向
Heart failure led to her father's death.
心力衰竭导致她父亲的死亡。
The street leads to the supermarket.
这条街通向超级市场。
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。
最近美国债务限额引发了很多谈论，债务限额是联盟政府所能借债的法律限额，最近几周，围绕限额量的政治争议令投资者忧心。
Alexander Gelber是加州大学伯克利分校助理教授，他说美国立法者们必须在每次联邦债务达到法律限额时协商出新的债务限额。
“债务限额是美国财政部所能借债的限额，这个限额需要由国会定期予以提高。”
当政府开支超过自身所有时就得发国债，政府发行债券等投资手段来筹资，用于开支。作为回报，政府承诺给购买债券的投资者以回报。
一战的财政需求使得美国立法者建立了总的借债限额，1917年，国会同意总统可以在不经过国会批准的前提下借到一个设定的金额。
2001年以来，国会已同意10次修改借债限额，但主要政党尚未就开支水平或政府运作的资金需求达成一致。
其他国家之所以购买美国财政部的债券，是因为债券被视为全世界最安全的投资方式。联邦政府临时停摆导致全世界担心这些投资方式的安全性。
债务上限原本于上周达到法律限额，政府失去借债能力后就无法向那些拥有财政部债券的投资者进行偿付了。
Gelber教授说，美国无法偿还债务的可能引发了全世界的担忧。
最近几年，围绕开支和借债限额的争议导致了国会推迟批准预算并提高债务上限。
上周，就在达到法律限额的一天前，国会同意在不执行债务上限的情况下重启政府。
立法者们同意让总统决定2月7日前财政部的借债限额，国会通过预算使得政府运作到1月15日。
总统和国会必须现在协商出新的开支计划和另一个债务限额，目的是避免另一场危机。
这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道，我是马里奥·里特。
