PresidentClinton’sdecisiononApr.8tosendChinesePremierZhuRongjipackingwithoutanagreementonChina’sentryintotheWorldTradeOrganizationseemedtobeamassivemiscalculation.ThePresidenttookadrubbingfrommuchofthepress,whichhadbreathlesslyreportedthatadealwasinthebag.TheCabinetandWhitHousestillappeareddivided,andbusinessleaderswerecharacterizedasfuriousoverthelostopportunity.ZhuchargedthatClintonlacked“thecourage”toreachanaccord.AndwhenClintonlatertelephonedtheangryZhutopledgearenewedeffortatnegotiations,thegesturewaswidelyportrayedasaflip-flop.
Infact,ClintonmadetherightdecisioninholdingoutforabetterWTOdeal.Alotmorehorsetradingisneededbeforeafinalagreementcanbereached.AndwithouttheAdministration’sgoalofa“bullet-proofagreement”thatbusinesslobbyistscanenthusiasticallyselltoaRepublicanCongress,thewholeprocesswillendupinpartisanacrimonythatcouldharmrelationswithChinaforyears.
THEHARDPART.Manybusinesslobbyists,whiledisappointedthatthedealwasnotclosed,agreethatbettertermscanstillbehad.AndTreasurySecretaryRobertE.Rubin,NationalEconomicCouncilDirectorGeneB.Sperling,CommerceSecretaryWilliamM.Daley,andtoptradenegotiatorCharleneBarshefskyalladvisedClintonthatwhiletheChinesehadmadearemarkablenumberofconcessions,“we’renotthereyet,”accordingtoseniorofficials.
NegotiatingwithZhuovertheremainingissuesmaybetheeasypart.AlthoughClintoncansignalU.S.approvalforChina’sentryintotheWTOhimself,heneedsCongresstograntBeijingpermanentmost-favored-nationstatusaspartofabroadtradeaccord.AndthetemptationformeddlingonCapitalHillmayproveover-whelming.ZhuhadbarelylandedbeforeSenateMajorityLeaderTrentLott(R-Miss)declaredhimselfskepticalthatChinadeservedentryintotheWTO.AndSenatorsJesseA.Helms(R-N.C.)andEmestF.Hollings(D-S.C.)promisedtointroduceabillrequiringcongressionalapprovalofanydeal.
Thehiddenmessagefromthesethreetextile-stateSoutherners:GetmoreprotectionfortheU.S.clothingindustry.Hopingtosmooththeway,theAdministrationtried,butfailed,tobudgeZhuontextiles.Alsoleftinthelurch:WallStreet,Hollywood,andDetroit.ZhurefusedtoopenupmuchofthelucrativeChinesesecuritiesmarketandinsistedon“cultural”restrictionsonAmericanmoviesandmusic.HealsoblockedeffortstoallowU.S.automakerstoprovidefleetfinancing.
BIGJOB.Already,businesslobbyistsareblanketingCapitolHilltopresaleanyeventualagreement,butwhatthey’veheardsofarisn’tencouraging.Republicans,includingLott,saythat“thetimejustisn’tright”forthedeal.Translation:We’redeterminedtomakeitlookasifClintonhascapitulatedtotheChineseandisignoringhuman,religious,andlaborrightsviolations;thetheftofnuclear-weaponstechnology;andthesaleofmissilepartstoAmerica’senemies.Beijing’sfiercecriticswithintheDemocraticParty,suchasSenatorPaulD.WellstoneofMinnesotaandHouseMinorityleaderRichardA.GephardtofMissouri,won’thelp,either.
JusthowtoughthelobbyingjobonCapitolHillwillbebecomeclearonApr.20,whenRubinlectured19chiefexecutivesontheneedtodisciplinetheirRepublicanallies.WithbusinessandtheWhiteHousestilltradingchargesoverwhoisresponsibleforthedefeatoffast-tracktradenegotiatinglegislationin1997,workingtogetherwon’tbeeasy.AndRepublicans—withawink—saythatthey’lleventuallyembraceChina’sentryintotheWTOasafavortoCorporateAmerica.ThoughnotlongbeforetheytortureClinton.ButZhuisoutonalimb,andifCongressoverdoesthecriticism,hemaybeforcedbydomesticcriticstorenege.BusinessmustmakethismuchdeartobothitsGOPalliesandtheWhitHouse:Thishistoricdealistooimportanttorisklosingtoanymorepartisansquabbling
1.Themainideaofthispassageis
[A].TheContradictionbetweentheDemocraticPartyandtheRepublicanParty.
[B].OnChina’sentryintoWTO.
[C].Clintonwasright.
[D].BusinessLobbyistsControlCapitolHill.
2.Whatdoesthesentence“Alsoleftinthelurch:WallStreet,Hollywood,Detroit”convey
[A].PremierZhurejectedtheirrequirements.
[B].Thethreeplacesoverdidcriticism.
[C].Theywantedmoreprotection.
[D].Theyareintrouble.
3.WhatwastheattitudeoftheRepublicanPartytowardChina’sentryintotheWTO
[A].Contradictory.[B].Appreciative.
[C].Disapproving.[D].Detestful.
4.WhoplaystheleadingpartinthedealinAmerica
[A].WhiteHouse.[B].Republicans.
[C].TheDemocraticParty.[D].Businessmen.
5.Itcanbeinferredfromthepassagethat
[A].Americawillmakeconcessions.
[B].AmericawillholdoutforabetterWTO
[C].ClintonhastherighttosignalU.S.approvalforChina’sentry.
[D].DemocraticpartyapproveChina’sentryintotheWTO.
Vocabulary
1.drubbing痛打
get/takeadrabbing遭人痛打
2.flip-flop=greatchangesuddenly游说，突然改变，突然反方向。人字拖鞋，趾拖鞋
3.holdout维持，保持
holdoutforsth.故意拖延达成协议以谋求……
4.horse–trading精明的讨价还价
5.bullet-proof防弹的
6.lobby收买，暗中活动
7.lobbyist院外活动集团成员
8.partisan党人，帮派，是党派强硬支持者
9.acrimony语言/态度的刻薄
10.sellto说服(某人)接受或采用
11.meddle干预
12.CapitolHill美国国会
13.budge使稍微移动，改变
14.lucrative有利可图的，赚钱的
15.block制止
16.fleet舰队，船队，车队，机队
17.blanket覆盖，妨碍扫兴，扑灭
18.Capitulate投降，停止抵抗
19.fasttrack快速行程(轻车熟路)
20.withawink眼睛一眨，很快的
21.outonalimb孤立无援(尤指争论和意见上)
22.renege违约
23.squabble争吵
难句译注
1.PresidentClinton’sdecisiononApr.8tosendChinesePremierZhuRongjipackingwithoutanagreement…
[结构分析]sendonepacking打发人走。
[参考译文]克林顿于4月8日决定不达成中国加入世贸组织的协议便打发中国总理朱容基走人。
2.ThePresidenttookadrubbingfrommuchofthepress,whichhadbreathlesslyreportedthatadealwasinthebag.
[结构简析]inthebag倒手，囊中之物。
[参考译文]总统遭到许多报界舆论的抨击，它们曾报道过这桩买卖(入世贸)已是囊中之物。
3.ZhuchargedthatClintonlacked“thecourage”toreachanaccord.
[参考译文]朱指责克林顿缺乏达成协议的勇气。
4.thegesturewaswidelyportrayedasaflip-flop
[参考译文]普遍认为总统的姿态来了一个一百八十度的转弯。
5.ClintonmadetherightdecisioninholdingoutforabetterWTOdeal.
[参考译文]总统故意拖延协议以谋取一笔更好的入世贸组织交易的决定完全正确。
6.AndwithouttheAdministration’sgoalofa“bullet-proofagreement”thatbusinesslobbyistscanenthusiasticallyselltoaRepublicanCongress,thewholeprocesswillendupinpartisanacrimonythatcouldharmrelationswithChinaforyears.
[参考译文]没有商界院外活动集团成员热情的劝说共和党国会采纳政府目标中的防弹性(保护性)协议，那么整个过程将会以党派之间的尖刻的争吵而结束，这会影响以后多年和中国的关系。
7.theAdministrationtried,butfailed,tobudgeZhuontextiles.
[参考译文]美国政府希望(为纺织业)铺平道路，试图使朱在纺织品上让步，结果失败。
8.Alsoleftinthelurch:WallStreet,Hollywood,andDetroit.
[结构简析]这句句子连接上文而说。
Leavesb.Inthelurch固定用法，义：置某人于困难之中弃之不顾，遗弃某人。完整句型应该是：WallStreet,HollywoodandDetraitarealsoleftinthelurch.
[参考译文]同样也陷于困境的有华尔街，好莱坞和底特律。
9.ZhurefusedtoopenupmuchofthelucrativeChinesesecuritiesmarketandinsistedon“cultural”restrictionsonAmericanmoviesandmusic.HealsoblockedeffortstoallowU.S.automakerstoprovidefleetfinancing.
[参考译文]朱容基总理不允许开放金融股票市场，坚持对美国电影和音乐作文化方面的限制规定，不让美国汽车商染指投资汽车。
10.Translation.翻译。这是作者为共和党的“Thetimeisn’tright”做注解/解释。
答案祥解
第三，四段是商业方面的高级官员的代表纷纷却说Clinton“当中国作出许多优惠让步时，美国不在那里。”(意：美国吃亏了现在不要再吃亏了。)克林顿有权签署赞成中国加入世贸组织，可他需要国会批准北京永久性最惠国作为扩大贸易协定的组成部分。再说对国会的干预的诱惑力相当大：就在朱踏上美国本土时，参议院多数派领袖TrentLott宣布他对中国是该不该入世持怀疑态度，而参议院TesseAHelms…承诺提出一项要求国会批准任何交易的提案。
第五段讲了朱总理的强硬立场。第六段又是共和党的反对声，使民主党内站在北京以便的批评家也无能为力。
最后一段指出：尽管困难重重，这一历史事件太重要了，不能因党争而冒失失去机会的危险。
2.A.朱总理拒绝了他们的要求。见难句译注9。
B.这三个地方批评过头。C.他们要求更多的保护。D.他们陷入困境。
B.赞赏。C.不赞成。D.厌恶。
4.D.商界。第一段中就点出：商界领袖对失去这次机会火冒三丈。第二段中提到商界院外活动成员要以实实在在的协议来说服共和党国会，免得以党争告终。第三段明确指出：许多商界院外人士一方面对协议未签定表示失望，另方面又同意，还会更好的条件。各种和商界直接关系的高级官员对克林顿劝说。
第五段：纺织，金融股票，汽车以至电影等都是商界的要求。朱总理拒绝的就是商界要求。
第六段提及商界院外活动的成员制止国会事先接受最终协定。
最后一段又是商界使共和党联盟和白宫懂得此事的重要性。
5.A.美国将会作出让步，见上面注释。商人是绝对不会放弃中国市场的。
B.美国会故意拖延以求取得更好的条件。这一点恐怕不会，见上文注释。朱总理的强硬立场，商人的见解。C.克林顿有签署批准中国入世之权。D.民主党赞成中国加入世贸，这两项都是事实。