Parts of the US government will shut down at midnight tonight for the first time since 1996 unless Congress and the White House find a way out of their latest stand-off on fiscal policy.
如果国会和白宫不能摆脱最近在财政政策上的僵局，那么美国政府的部分机构将从今日午夜起停摆，这将是自1996年以来的首次政府停摆。
After a weekend of political drama, angst and mutual blame, all non-essential staff of the federal government could be placed on unpaid leave, with agencies closing down many of their services.
经过一个周末的政治戏剧、沮丧与相互指责之后，美国联邦政府所有非核心部门工作人员可能被迫不带薪休假，许多政府部门将停止服务。
Early yesterday, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted to renew funding for the government until December 15, but maintained a tough line in tying the measure to a one-year delay in “Obamacare”.
昨日早些时候，共和党主导的众议院(House of Representatives)投票通过了一项议案，决定为联邦机构提供运营资金至12月15日，但要求以延迟一年实施“奥巴马医改方案”(Obamacare)为条件。
The 2010 health reform ? whose main provisions take effect next year ? is deeply unpopular with conservatives. House Republicans yesterday also voted to repeal a medical devices tax intended to help pay for the expansion of health coverage under the law.
主要条款将于明年生效的2010年医疗改革，在保守派中极不受欢迎。昨日，众议院共和党人还否决了一项医疗器材税，该税旨在帮助为依法扩大医保覆盖范围提供资金。
Democrats in the Senate immediately said that the legislation approved by the House was unacceptable and driven by the staunchly conservative Tea Party wing of the Republican party. The White House signalled it would be vetoed by President Barack Obama.
参议院(Senate)中的民主党人立即表示，众议院通过的议案是不可接受的，是由共和党内部极为保守的茶党(Tea Party)势力推动的。白宫表示，总统巴拉克•奥巴马(Barack Obama)将否决该议案。
Economists at Goldman Sachs have estimated that a government shutdown could deliver an $8bn-a-week hit to the US economy, based on the experience of the mid-1990s.
据高盛(Goldman Sachs)经济学家估算，按上世纪90年代中期的停摆经验判断，如果政府停摆一周，将给美国经济造成80亿美元的损失。
With the deadline approaching, Republicans in the House sought to deflect blame for a possible shutdown and pin it on Mr Obama’s party.
随着最后期限的逼近，众议院中的共和党人寻求撇清自己与政府可能停摆的干系，而把矛头引向奥巴马所属的民主党。
The Senate was not expected to be back in session to formally reject the “Obamacare” language in the House bill and send it back to the lower chamber for a new crack at passage until 2pm today.
参议院预计要到今日下午2时才能开会，正式否决众议院议案中有关“奥巴马医改方案”的内容，并将其退还给众议院再度投票表决。
【小编推荐】
