VOA慢速英语:国会就美国进出口银行工作展开讨论

这里是美国之音经济报道。

A policy dispute is taking shape in Washington over a government agency that helps exporters. On one side is the American business community. On the other side are conservative Republican Party lawmakers. Unless Congress takes action, the Export-Import Bank of the United States could be forced to stop accepting new customers at the end of June.

华盛顿正在就一份关于政府机构帮助出口商贸易的政策展开争论。一方面是美国企业界，另一方面是保守的共和党议员。除非国会采取行动，否则美国进出口银行将会在六月底被迫通知接收新客户。

W.S. Darley and Company is a 108-year-old family business. It makes fire trucks in the United States, and sells them all over the world.

W.S. Darley公司是一个有108年历史的家族式企业。该企业在美国生产消防车，然后销往世界各地。

The Export-Import Bank provides loans or other assistance to buyers of U.S. products. Peter Darley is Darley's Chief Executive Officer.

进出口银行为美国产品买家提供贷款或者其他服务。Peter Darley是Darley公司的首席执行官。

"They (the customers) can spread their payments out over a period of time, makes it more affordable."

他们(买家)可以在一段时间内分期付款，这样还比较好接受。

Business leaders and officials say small companies making products from pickles to ice cream have received help from the Export-Import Bank. The bank's supporters recently met in Washington. They say U.S. exports would slow without help from the government agency. And that, they say, would hurt economic growth.

商界领袖和政府官员说一些小企业从制作咸菜到冰激凌的公司都获得了进出口银行的帮助。最近银行支持者在华盛顿举行了会晤。他们说美国出口如果没有政府机构的帮助增长速度就会放缓。他们还说这样就会对经济发展造成损伤。

The Export-Import Bank also provides help to big companies. The aircraft maker Boeing receives help from the bank. Boeing says it would have to move some of its manufacturing jobs overseas without the help it receives.

进出口银行同时还向大企业提供服务。飞机制造商波音公司就收到了该银行的帮助。波音公司称如果没有改银行的帮助其可能将会把一些制造工作安排在海外国家。

But Delta Airlines has a different opinion about the government agency. Delta says the bank has helped foreign customers buy airplanes from Boeing at a lower cost than it can. The airline company says that hurts its profits and U.S. aviation jobs.

但是三角航空公司对政府机构持不同意见。三角航空公司说银行帮助外国客户以比其出价更低的成本从波音公司购买飞机。航空公司表示这会损害到其自身利益和美国航空工作。

Delta's concerns are one reason for planned hearings next month in the U.S. Senate. This week, the House of Representatives' Financial Services Committee held hearings. Texas Congressman Jeb Hensarling is a Republican and chairman of the committee. Before the hearing, he said big companies get the majority of the bank's assistance.

三角航空公司的担心是下个月在美国参议院举行听证会的原因之一。本周时候众议院金融服务委员会举行了听证会。德克萨斯议员 Jeb Hensarling是一位共和党议员也是委员会的主席。在听证会开始前，他说大企业公司获得了大部分的银行支持服务。

"The smarter and fairer way to promote American exports is by fundamental tax reform, strong trade agreements, a regulatory freeze with the exception of health and safety, and greater American energy independence with projects like the keystone pipeline."

促进美国出口工作更加明智和公平需要通过基本的税制改革，强大的贸易协定，冻结除健康和安全之外的监管法规和像Keystone输油管道这类能让美国取得更大能源独立性的项目。

But supporters argue that the Export-Import Bank provides important help when competing with government-supported foreign companies. The head of the bank, Fred Hochberg, says his agency helps both large and small U.S. Businesses.

但是支持者认为进出口银行在与政府支持的外国企业竞争时能够提供重要帮助。银行行长Fred Hochberg说他的机构同时为美国大，小企业提供帮助服务。

"Companies come to us and say we either have to meet the competition, because foreign governments are supporting our competitors, or we are selling in a market where conventional financing is simply not available."

来找我们寻求帮助的公司讲，我们或者面临竞争，因为外国政府支持我们的竞争对手，或者我们在一个连常规融资都做不到的市场做生意。

Fred Hochberg says he is hopeful the Export-Import Bank will survive. He notes that 60 nations, including China and India, have similar agencies to support their exports.

Fred Hochberg说他有信心进出口银行能够继续生存下去。他指出，有60个国家拥有类似的机构来支持他们的出口，其中包括中国和印度。

And that's the VOA Learning English Economics Report. I'm Mario Ritter.

VOA's Jim Randle reported this story from Washington. Mario Ritter adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

customers – n. someone who buys good or services from a business

conventional – adj. used and accepted by most people

fundamental – adj. forming or relating to the most important part of something

competition – n. the act of trying to do as well or better than others