中國網(wǎng)站品牌欄目（頻道）
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Glum: The President has said the birthday present he wants more than anything else is 'a debt-ceiling deal'(dailymail.co.uk) |
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It was supposed to be the mother of all parties, now it may not happen at all. President Obama's big 50th birthday is scheduled for August 3, the day after the debt talks deadline and the date that the U.S. risks defaulting on its good faith and credit. If the negotiations with congressional Republicans over how best to deal with the U.S. budget deficit are not wrapped up by August 2, the champagne corks will not be popping in Chicago. The party was planned for the Aragon Ballroom, which costs $40,000 to rent. There is supposed to be a concert featuring jazz pianist Herbie Hancock and Jennifer Hudson, the star of Dreamgirls. The entertainment was to be followed by a lavish dinner for couples giving $35,800 to Obama's campaign. With the government scheduled to run out of money on Tuesday, an extravagent bash would hardly look good. An official said: 'The president will not attend the event in Chicago if negotiations are ongoing.' Mr Obama has already cancelled a series of campaign fundraisers to stay in Washington for the tense negotiations that have angered the U.S. public, worried financial markets and raised fears of a first-ever U.S. debt default. The fundraisers would have brought in millions of dollars for the re-election war chest, the campaign official said. The President cancelled a planned trip to California and Seattle, put off a fundraiser in New York. Mr Obama's last campaign fundraiser was on June 30 in Pennsylvania. He reported raising $86 million in the quarter ended on June 30, far eclipsing the money raised by any of the Republicans vying for their party's nomination to compete against him in the 2012 president election. Asked what he most wanted for his birthday, Mr Obama said 'a debt-ceiling deal.' (Read by Renee Haines. Renee Haines is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies)
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奧巴馬總統(tǒng)原本準備舉辦一場50歲盛大慶生派對，而現(xiàn)在很有可能泡湯。 奧巴馬總統(tǒng)將在8月3日迎來50歲生日，而8月2日恰逢美債上限談判截止期限。如果談判失敗，美國將面臨債務違約及信用違約風險。 如果在8月2日之前，國會兩黨還不能就如何處理美國預算赤字達成一致，在芝加哥舉辦的慶生派對也會泡湯。 慶生派對計劃在阿拉貢宴會大廳舉行，租金高達4萬美元。 派對還包括一場生日音樂會，爵士樂鋼琴家赫比?漢考克和影片《追夢女郎》中的女星詹妮弗?哈德森將登臺獻藝。 娛樂活動后，還將舉辦一場豪華晚宴，奧巴馬夫婦屆時會向競選陣營捐出3.58萬美元。 美國聯(lián)邦政府在本周二即將無錢可用，而如此奢侈的慶生活動實在“不太好看”。 一位官員稱：“若美債談判未能達成協(xié)議，奧巴馬總統(tǒng)將不會出席在芝加哥舉辦的慶生活動。” 奧巴馬總統(tǒng)已取消了一系列競選籌款活動，留在華盛頓處理緊張的美債談判。美債談判已激怒民眾、使金融市場擔憂，更令人擔心美國出現(xiàn)首次債務違約。 競選負責人稱，被取消的籌款活動原本可以籌集到數(shù)百萬美元競選資金。 奧巴馬取消了原定在加州和西雅圖的籌款行程，推遲了紐約的一場籌款活動。他的最后一次籌款活動是6月30日在賓夕法尼亞州舉行的。 據(jù)報道，奧巴馬在今年第二季度籌到8600萬美元資金，遠超任何一位共和黨潛在的競選對手。下屆美國總統(tǒng)大選將于2012年舉行。 奧巴馬稱，自己最想要的生日禮物就是“美債上限談判達成協(xié)議”。 相關閱讀 （中國日報網(wǎng)英語點津 實習生史莉萍 編輯：Julie） |
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Vocabulary: the mother of (all) something: 非常大（或討厭、重要等）的事情 default: 違約（尤指未償付債務） budget deficit：預算赤字 wrap up: to conclude（圓滿完成，順利結(jié)束） run out of: 用完，耗盡 bash: a thoroughly enjoyable, lively party.（盛大的聚會；盛典） debt default：債務違約，債務拖欠 war chest: money set aside or scheduled for a particular purpose or activity, as for a political campaign or organizational drive.（專用款項；專款，為競爭等籌措的資金） eclipse: 使失色；使相形見絀；使喪失重要性 vie: to strive in competition or rivalry with another; contend for superiority（激烈競爭；爭奪） debt-ceiling：債務上限，債務最高限額 |
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