Bush Confident Congress Will Approve Financial Bailout Plan
布什相信国会能批准救助金融计划

　
U.S. President George Bush says he is confident that Congress will agree on a robust plan to bailout America's troubled financial sector. There is strong opposition to the president's $700 billion rescue plan among lawmakers.

美国总统布什表示，他相信国会将就一个强有力的救助美国处于困境之中的金融部门的计划达成一致。然而在美国国会，针对布什总统提出的7千亿美元的救助计划，存在着强烈的反对意见。

President Bush met with other leaders from the Western Hemisphere to talk about free trade on the sidelines of the opening of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

布什总统在纽约联合国大会开幕的空隙，会见了其他西半球的国家领导人，讨论自由贸易的问题。

But it was America's own financial turmoil that dominated the session. Mr. Bush said he knows leaders want to hear about the rescue plan he has submitted to Congress.

但是美国自己的金融动荡主导了这些会谈。布什说，他知道，这些领导人希望了解有关他向国会递交的救助计划的问题。

"They can see our legislative process is full of give-and-take, that there is ample debate. But I am confident that when it's all said and done, there will be a robust plan. And there needs to be," Mr. Bush said.

他说：“他们可以看到，我们的立法程序充满了互让和妥协，有很多的辩论。但是我相信，当所有的辩论结束的时候，最终会有一个强有力的计划，而且我们也需要有这样的一个计划。”

The president wants Congress to allow the government to buy as much as $700 billion worth of devalued assets from troubled financial firms. The bad investments have made banks reluctant to lend money, and the lack of credit threatens to stall the U.S. economy.

布什总统希望国会允许政府从有问题的金融公司那里收购高达7千亿美元的贬值资产。这些不良投资导致银行不愿意继续提供贷款，而信贷的缺乏可能导致美国经济停滞不前。

The president's top economic advisers urged members of the Senate Banking Committee to quickly approve the rescue package. But the Democratic chairman o the committee called the plan "unacceptable" in its current form. The committee's top Republican said it must be closely examined to ensure that it does not waste taxpayers' money.

布什总统的高级经济顾问于星期二和星期三两天到美国国会参众两院负责银行、金融和经济的委员会作证，敦促他们尽快批准这个救助方案。但是国会的民主党领袖把这个计划目前的样子称作是“不可接受”的。有些资深的共和党议员也说，必需对这个方案进行仔细的审查以确保它不会浪费纳税人的钱。

President Bush canceled plans to attend a political fundraiser in Florida Wednesday and will instead return to the White House after his meetings in New York.

布什总统取消了星期三出席在佛罗里达举行的一个政治竞选筹款会的计划，而是在纽约参加了联合国大会之后便返回白宫。

Mr. Bush met with the leaders of 11 countries that have a free trade agreement with the United States or have one pending before Congress.

布什总统在纽约会见了11个与美国签署了自由贸易协议的国家的领导人。其中有些自贸协议还有待美国国会的批准。

"These agreements are mutually beneficial. And most importantly, they help small business owners and workers and farmers and ranchers," Mr. Bush said.

他说：“这些协议是互惠的。而且最重要的是，它们对小企业主、工人以及农场主会有所帮助。”

Mr. Bush and the leaders of Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and Peru agreed on a new plan to continue the economic benefits of free trade.

布什总统与加拿大、智利、哥伦比亚、哥斯达黎加、多米尼加、萨尔瓦多、危地马拉、洪都拉斯、墨西哥、巴拿马和秘鲁的领导人就一个新的计划达成一致，继续推广自由贸易的经济利益。

"This initiative will provide a forum where leaders can work to ensure that the benefits of trade are broadly shared. It will deepen the connections among regional markets. It will expand our cooperation on development issues," Mr. Bush said.

他说：“这个倡议将提供一个平台，使各国领导人能够共同努力确保贸易的好处得到普遍的分享。它将深化区域市场之间的联系。它将扩展我们在发展问题上的合作。”

In the nearly 15 years since the North American Free Trade Agreement came into force, President Bush says trade between the United States, Canada and Mexico has increased by a combined total of more than 200 percent.

布什总统说，在北美自由贸易协议生效以来的将近15年时间里，美国、加拿大和墨西哥之间的贸易总共增长了两倍多。

Mr. Bush again called on Congress to approve free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea.

布什总统再次呼吁国会批准美国同哥伦比亚、巴拿马和韩国的自由贸易协议。