VOA慢速英語:Investors Concerned Aout US Debt Ceiling Crisis

From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語經濟報道。

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.

很多人都在談論美國的債務上限。債務上限是指聯(lián)邦政府允許借款的法定限額。最近幾周就這一限額的政治爭議令投資者深感擔憂。

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.

亞歷山大·蓋爾伯(Alexander Gelber)是加州大學伯克利分校公共政策助理教授。他說，每次聯(lián)邦債務觸及該法定限額時，美國國會都必須重新商定新的債務上限。

"The debt ceiling is a limit on the amount that US Treasury can borrow, and that limit needs to be raised by congress periodically."

“債務上限是指美國財政部允許借款的限額，該限額必須由國會定期提高。”

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.

當政府開支超出自身所有時就必須發(fā)行國債。政府發(fā)行債券和其它投資募集資金用于支付開銷。作為回報，政府承諾償付買入債券的投資者。

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.

第一次世界大戰(zhàn)的金融需求迫使美國國會議員建立了一個總的債務上限。在1917年，美國國會同意總統(tǒng)可以借到一個設定的金額而無需尋求國會批準。

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.

自2001年以來，國會已經10次同意修改債務上限。但主要政黨尚未就政府開支水平或政府運作資金需求達成一致。

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.

其它國家購買美國財政部債券，是因為它們被認為是全球最安全的投資。聯(lián)邦政府的部分停擺導致全球開始擔心這些投資的安全性。

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.

上周，美國債務上限本應該觸及法定限額。失去借貸能力，政府將無力償付擁有財政部債券的投資者。

Professor Gelber says the possibility of the United States failing to pay its debts caused concern around the world.

蓋爾伯教授表示，美國政府無法償付債務的可能性引發(fā)了全球的關注。

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.

近年來，就政府支出和債務上限的爭議已經導致國會推遲批準預算和提高債務上限。

Last week, only 1 day before borrowing reach the legal limit, congress agreed to re-open the government without enforcing the debt ceiling.

上周，在借貸觸及法定限額前一天，美國國會才同意在不執(zhí)行債務上限的前提下重啟政府。

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.

議員們同意讓總統(tǒng)決定2月7日前財政部的借貸限額。國會批準了一份預算讓政府運作到1月15日。

The president and congress must now negotiate a new spending plan and another debt limit in order to avoid another crisis.

總統(tǒng)和國會現(xiàn)在必須商定新的支出計劃和新的債務限額以避免另一場危機。