20110802 Follow Me 83

还得持续关注后续进程啊，达成协议只是事件的开头。。。。。

In the end, hopes for a grand bargain that addressed entitlements, taxes and near-term economic support ran aground on the harsh reality that all these things would require bridging profound philosophical differences that have developed over decades
最后，对权利（如削减医疗和社会福利支出等）、税收和近期的经济支持三个方面进行大规模讨价还价的希望搁浅了。严酷的现实表明，这样做，需要缩短已经发展了数几十个世纪的深厚的理念差异。

意思是，最后，只是对权利进行了妥协，即削减支出，并没有从削减支出、增加税收、经济刺激三个方面三管齐下。因为，各方的理念差异太深厚了，无法进行妥协。

In the two-party system, each side has to spend more time and energy on political game and wrangling. There is no denying the fact that, for the society as a whole, it's a huge resource-wasting. May be it's the inevitably cost of denocracy.
This article is some difficult but luminous, thanks.

It is a good article! The problem will last for a long time for US.

先留名再看

两党的博弈最后妥协于国家利益的一致。

nuts and bolts     
n. 具体细节
partisan  [ˈpɑ:tizən,pɑ:tiˈzæn]
a.党(派)性的  n.党徒;游击队员
rhetoric  [ˈretərik]
n.雄辩言辞，虚夸的言辞；修辞学
brinkmanship  ['briŋkmənʃip]   
n. 边缘政策, 紧急致策
=brinksmanship
kabuki  [kɑ:'bu:ki:]   
n. <日>歌舞伎(创始于17世纪的日本传统剧种)
sensible  [ˈsensəbəl]
a.明智的，合情理的
entitlements
利益, 联邦资助项目
draconian  [drəˈkəuniən]
a.严峻的，苛刻的
mishmash  ['miʃm&aelig;ʃ]   
n. 混杂物
expedient  [ikˈspi:diənt]
a.便利的
stop gap  
权宜之计
tilt  [tilt]   
vt.(使)倾斜
vi.抨击, 争论
n.倾斜, 车盖,以全速, (小舟、车辆、地摊等的)帐蓬
wrangle  ['r&aelig;ŋgl]   
v.争论, 吵架
n.争吵
consolidation  [kənˌsɔli'deiʃən]   
n.巩固, 加强, 统一, 合并, 联合
discretionary  [dis'kreʃənəri]   
adj.自由裁量的
outlay  [ˈautlei]
n.费用  vt.支付；花费
mandatory  ['m&aelig;ndətəri]   
adj.法定的,义务的, 强制性的, 受委托的
n.受托管理者
autopilot      
n. 自动驾驶仪
tricky  ['triki]   
adj.棘手的, 狡猾的, 巧妙的
tide over  
使度过(困难时期)
legislator  [ˈledʒisleitə]
n.立法者
come up with  
提出，想出，提供
trigger  ['trigə]   
v.使发生, 触发, 使运行
n.板机, 起因
Medicaid  ['medikeid]
n. <美>(由各级ZF资助、以穷人和伤残者为对象的)医疗补助(制度)
mightily  ['maitili]   
adv. 强烈地, 非常
done deal  
n. 完成的交易
hammer out  
竭力想出(解决办法等)
nullify  [ˈnʌlifai]
vt.使无效
contingent  [kənˈtindʒənt]
a.视条件而定的 n.一组，代表团；分遣队
misgiving  [misˈgiviŋ]
n.疑虑，担忧，害怕
steep  [sti:p]
a.陡的；过高的；急剧的 vt.浸泡，沉浸
endorse  [inˈdɔ:s]
vt.赞同；签名于…背面
deadlock  ['dedlɔk]   
n.僵局, 停顿, (比赛等的)分数不分上下
v.停顿, 相持不下
sweeping  ['swi:piŋ]   
n. 扫除
（复数）sweepings: 垃圾
adj. 一扫而去的, 凶猛的, 广泛的
constituency  [kən'stitjuənsi]   
n.选区, 选区的选民, 支持者, 主顾
fact sheet  
情况说明书
fiscal consolidation
财政整顿
财政稳固
fall short  
vi. 不合格(不足)
now that  
既然，由于
aground  [ə'graund]   
adj. 搁浅的, 触礁的, 在地面上的
adv. 搁浅地, 触礁地, 在地上
odds  [ɔdz]   
n.机率, 可能性, 差别, 投注赔率, 让步,优势
albeit  [ɔ:lˈbi:it]
conj.即使；纵使；虽然
reckless  [ˈrekləs]
a.鲁莽的，不考虑后果的

After months of competing, a deal was finally reached just two days before the deadline of August 2. It is a mishmash of expedient stop gaps, and further brinkmanship is expected in the months ahead. There are no grand bargain combining cuts to entitlements with revenue-raising tax reform and no draconian and immediate cuts to spending.
The key provisions include $917 billion cuts mainly in domestic discretionary outlays in the next decade, an immediate $400 billion debt ceiling rise and another $500 billion ceiling increase in September, on condition that the latter one will not be opposed by super-majorities in the House and Senate.
Another $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion debt ceiling will be raised by 23rd December if only a deficit cut of $1.5 trillion is to be agreed by a committee of 12 legislators, which is composed equally by members from both parties and both chambers. If the committee cannot come up with an agreed proposal by that time, defense and domestic outlays will be cut equally and automatically to bring the total reduction to $1.2 trillion.
The deal is not done. Amendment is permitted but almost impossible. It’s favorable for the Republicans as it doesn’t include provisions on raising taxes, although it may do so. But the default option of sweeping spending cuts is more painful to Democrats than to Republicans, which compels the Democrats to accept the deal. But Obama wants to propose tax increase in the next re-election campaign.
The deal doesn’t stimulate near-term economy, and it is obscure to benefit long-term fiscal consolidation. In the short run, the fiscal policy is already set to restrain automatically, which does nothing to shape the deal any further in the direction of near-term stimulus. In the long run, the total reduction of $2.4 trillion cannot meet the requirement of $4 trillion, which may still result in the downgrade of credit rating while debt occupies a large share of GDP as the denominator is smaller.
In the end, it is disappointing of not having made a grand bargain on the basis of entitlements, taxes and near-term economy stimulus as a whole. The deal cannot be considered a vote of confidence in America’s fundamental fiscal and political maturity.

打印出来的字体太小了，看着有点费力。
请版主帮忙给调整一下

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