CGTN原文：

United States lawmakers approved the bill to raise America's debt ceiling on Thursday, allowing the government to avert a disastrous credit default by borrowing more. America spends more money than it collects through taxation, so it borrows money via the issuing of government bonds. Lawmakers introduced a limit on how much federal debt could be accrued, but the ceiling has been raised for the 103rd time since 1945. The debt stands at around $31.5 trillion, more than 120 percent of the U.S. GDP.

美国国会议员周四通过了提高美国债务上限的法案，允许政府通过增加借贷来避免灾难性的信用违约。美国花费的钱比通过税收获得的钱还要多，所以它通过发行政府债券来借钱。国会议员提出了联邦债务上限，这是自1945年以来第103次提高上限。债务约为31.5万亿美元，超过美国GDP的120%。

1.raise debt ceiling 提高债务上限（ceiling n.天花板）

2.avert a disastrous credit default by borrowing more 通过增加借贷来避免灾难性的信用违约

3.the issuing of government bonds 发行政府债券（bond n.公债，债券）

4.federal debt 联邦债务

Both parties see raising the debt limit as politically toxic, although they acknowledge that failure to do so would plunge the U.S. economy into a depression and roil world markets if the government misses debt repayments. As with previous debt-ceiling sagas, the current passage of the deal represents a trade-off of partisan interests following a monthslong game of chicken between Democrats and Republicans, with each side trying to use an imminent default as a bargaining chip for advancing their political agenda.

两党都认为提高债务上限在政治上是有害的，尽管他们承认，如果政府无法偿还债务，将使美国经济陷入萧条，并扰乱全球市场。与以往的债务上限问题一样，在民主党和共和党之间进行了长达数月的懦夫博弈之后，目前通过的协议代表了两党利益的权衡，双方都试图利用即将到来的违约作为推进其政治议程的谈判筹码。

5.plunge the economy into a depression 使经济陷入萧条（plunge v.（使）突然向前倒下（跌落）)

6.roil world markets 扰乱全球市场（roil v.搅浑，扰乱）

7.game of chicken 懦夫博弈（chicken <非正式>胆小鬼，懦夫）

8.advance one's political agenda 推进某人的政治议程