英语六级备考阅读：美国众议院通过惩罚中国法案

英语自学网

　  英语六级备考阅读：美国众议院通过惩罚中国法案
　　The US House of Representatives passed legislation that would punish China for undervaluing its currency and harming the competitiveness of US manufacturers and exporters, in a move that could heighten trade tensions between the two countries.
　　美国众议院通过了惩罚中国的法案，理由是中国低估人民币汇率，损害了美国制造商和出口商的竞争力。此举可能加剧两国之间的贸易紧张。
　　China quickly attacked the legislation on Thursday as contrary to WTO rules and “a new move of the US’ rising trade protectionism.” In a statement distributed through state media, a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce said China “has never undervalued the yuan exchange rate to gain a competitive edge.”
　　中国周四迅速做出回应，抨击该法案“不符合世贸组织的有关规则”，把该法案称之为美国不断升级的贸易保护主义的新举措。中国商务部一位发言人在一份通过官方媒体发布的声明中说，“中方从未以低估人民币汇率的方法来获取竞争优势。”
　　Although the bill’s fate remains unclear, since it still needs to move through the Senate and be approved by Barack Obama, US president, its bipartisan passage in the House by a wide 348-79 margin reflects growing frustration with China’s economic policies.
　　虽然该法案的最终结局仍不明朗——因为它仍需要得到参议院的通过，并得到美国总统巴拉克?奥巴马(Barack Obama)的签署——但该法案在众议院以348票对79票的大比例获得通过的事实，反映了美国对中国经济政策日益高涨的失望情绪。
            
            

enone

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　　“They cheat to steal our jobs,” said Mike Rogers, a Republican representative from Michigan, as debate opened in the House ahead of the vote later on Wednesday. “We can no longer stand by and let the Chinese government manipulate its currency.” Don Manzullo, also a Republican, from Illinois, said: “We want to stop Chinese imports coming in at predatory prices.”
　　“他们用作弊手段偷走了我们的就业，”来自密西根州的共和党众议员麦克?罗杰斯(Mike Rogers)周三在辩论开始时表示（当日稍后将举行投票表决）。“我们再也不能无动于衷，任由中国政府操纵人民币汇率。”来自伊利诺伊州的共和党众议员唐?曼祖罗(Don Manzullo)表示：“我们要阻止中国商品以掠夺性的价格流入美国。”
　　The Obama administration, which has not taken a position on the legislation, has preferred to pursue a policy of engagement with China in an effort to persuade it to allow the renminbi to strengthen, and could see its negotiating position enhanced by mounting congressional pressure.
　　尚未对该法案正式表明立场的奥巴马政府，迄今更赞成执行与中国接触的政策，以求说服中国让人民币走强。国会的压力不断加大，可能有助于增强奥巴马政府的谈判地位。
　　But critics have warned that the more aggressive measures in the legislation may not be effective in reducing the US’s trade deficit with China and a more confrontational stance may be counterproductive, since it could lead to retaliation.
　　但批评人士警告称，该法案提出的更加咄咄逼人的措施，也许并不能有效降低美国对华贸易逆差，而更具对抗性的姿态也许产生反效果，因为这可能导致报复。
            
            

enthree

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　　The legislation would allow the US to use estimates of currency undervaluation to calculate countervailing duties on imports from China and other countries.
　　该法案将允许美国方面在针对从中国和其它国家的进口商品计算反补贴关税时，使用估计的汇率低估幅度。
　　An amendment by Sander Levin, Democratic chairman of the ways and means committee, who shepherded the bill through the House, watered down the bill recently to make it more like to survive a challenge at the World Trade Organisation, helping it garner more support. Republicans had been concerned that the bill might be inconsistent with global trade rules.
　　众议院筹款委员会(ways and means committee)主席、民主党人桑德尔?莱文(Sander Levin)指引该法案通过众议院的审议程序。他提出的修正案最近弱化了该法案，使其更有可能经得住外国在世贸组织(WTO)提起的挑战，此举帮助该法案得到更多支持。此前一些共和党人担心，该法案可能与全球贸易规则不符。
　　This week, Chuck Schumer, the New York senator who has been leading congressional efforts to pass China currency legislation since 2005, vowed to push forward with a bill in the upper chamber during the “lame-duck” session between the November midterm elections and the seating of new members in January.
　　自2005年以来一直带头推动国会针对中国汇率政策采取立法对策的纽约州参议员查克?舒默(Chuck Schumer)，本周誓言在11月中期选举和明年1月新议员到位之间的“跛脚鸭”会期，在参议院推动通过一份法案。
            
            

enfive

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　　“This issue cannot wait for another year for a new Congress,” he said. “China’s currency manipulation would be unacceptable even in good times. At a time of almost 10 per cent unemployment, we simply will no longer stand for it,” added Mr Schumer.
　　“这个问题不能再等上一年，让新一届国会来解决，”他表示。“中国的汇率操纵即便在经济景气的时候也是不可接受的。在美国失业率几乎达到10%的情况下，我们简直再也受不了了。”
　　Currency is only one of the trade disputes between China and the US. They have recently been sparring over poultry exports, with China this week upholding steep tariffs on US chicken imports, and the WTO ruling on Wednesday against the US in a fight over a ban on Chinese chicken that followed the outbreak of bird flu in Asia and has since been lifted.
　　汇率问题只是中美之间的贸易纠纷之一。最近，两国还就肉鸡出口发生争执，本周中国决定维持针对美国肉鸡产品的高额关税。此外，周三世贸组织作出了不利于美国的裁决，这一纠纷涉及在亚洲爆发禽流感后，美国禁止进口中国鸡肉（这一禁令已经取消）。
　　The vote on China currency was one of the last items on the congressional agenda before the midterm elections.
　　对有关中国汇率的法案进行投票表决，是中期选举前美国国会议程上的最后几项内容之一。
　　Other issues, such as the expiry of more than $3,000bn of Bush-era tax cuts, proved too contentious for any bipartisan consensus to emerge.
            
            

enthree

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　　在其它问题（如逾3万亿美元的布什减税措施即将到期失效）上，由于争议太大，两党未能形成共识。