01-24-08

白宫和国会谈判刺激经济方案 (White House Negotiating Economic Stimulus with Congress)

布什行政当局和国会议员看来接近就刺激正在滑坡的美国经济法案达成协议。

美国财政部长保尔森星期三与美国众议院议长佩洛西以及众议院共和党领袖博纳举行了三次长长的会谈。博纳表示各方都对达成协议抱有希望。预计双方星期四举行新一轮会谈。

刺激经济方案预计将耗资多达1千5百亿美元，包括为了促进新的投资而给企业减免税收，以及向纳税的个人退税800到1600美元。

民主党议员在佩洛西领导下努力把退税范围扩大到那些收入不足以交税的低收入美国人。

The Bush administration and congressional lawmakers appear to be nearing an agreement on legislation to boost the slumping U.S. economy.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson held three lengthy negotiating sessions Wednesday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Republican leader John Boehner. Boehner says all sides were "hopeful" about a possible deal. The two sides are expected to hold another round of meetings today (Thursday).

The stimulus package is expected to cost as much as 150-billion dollars. It will include income tax breaks for businesses to spur new investment, and tax rebates for individuals between 800 and 16-hundred dollars. 

Democratic lawmakers, led by Pelosi, are pushing to extend the tax rebates for low-income Americans who do not make enough to pay income tax. 

缅甸诗人因为暗批军政府领导人而被捕 (Burmese Poet Detained for Secret Criticism of Junta Leader)

缅甸当局逮捕了一位著名诗人，罪名是他最近出版的诗暗藏批评军政府领导人丹瑞的内容。

诗人索瓦在一个受欢迎的周刊杂志上为下个月的情人节提前发表了这首情诗。

仔细阅读后发现，每行诗的第一个词所组成的句子称丹瑞是权力狂。

缅甸军政府密切注意所有媒体，以封杀对军政府统治的任何批评。但是异议人士过去曾使用类似手段来躲避政府的新闻检查。缅甸一家报纸去年刊登的一个广告就影射丹瑞是杀人凶手。

Authorities in Burma have arrested a prominent poet over a recently published work that contains a hidden message criticizing junta leader Than Shwe. 

The romantic-themed poem by Saw Wai was published in a popular weekly magazine in advance of next month's Valentine's Day observance.

But on closer reading, the first word of each line forms a phrase that calls General Shwe power crazy.

Burma's ruling military junta keeps a close watch on all media outlets to snuff out any criticism of its rule. But dissidents have used similar techniques in the past to avoid government censors. An advertisement in a Burmese newspaper last year contained a hidden message calling Than Shwe a "killer."