美國郵政即將面臨其歷史上首次違約大綱

While lawmakers continue to fight over how to fix the ailing U.S. Postal Service, the agency's Money problems are only growing worse.

當美國議員們仍在爭論如何讓境況不佳的美國郵政服務公司(U.S. Postal Service)擺脫困境時，該公司的財務問題卻變得越來越糟。

The Postal Service repeated on Wednesday that without congressional action, it will default-a first in its long history, a spokesman said-on a legally required annual $5.5 billion payment, due Aug. 1, into a health-benefits fund for future retirees. Action in Congress isn't likely, as the House prepares to leave for its August recess.
美國郵政週三再次表示，美國國會若不採取行動，該公司就將因無法支付8月1日到期的55億美元賬單而出現公司歷史上的首次債務違約。按照美國法律規定，美國郵政須每年向未來退休人員的醫療福利基金支付55億美元。由於美國衆議院正在爲8月休會做準備，所以國會不太可能採取行動。

The agency said a default on the payment, for 2011, wouldn't directly affect service or its ability to pay employees and suppliers. But 'these ongoing liquidity issues unnecessarily undermine confidence in the viability of the Postal Service among our customers,' said spokesman David Partenheimer.
美國郵政說，拖欠這份2011年的賬單不會對公司的服務或公司向員工和供應商付款的能力造成直接影響。但美國郵政發言人帕滕赫莫爾(David Partenheimer)說，這些持續的流動資金問題會不必要地削弱客戶對我公司生存能力的信心。

The agency says it will default on its 2012 retiree health payment as well-also roughly $5.5 billion, due Sept. 30-if there is no legislative action by then.

美國郵政說，它還有一份9月30日到期的2012年退休人員醫療福利賬單要支付，金額也差不多是55億美元，如果屆時國會不採取立法行動，公司將付不起這個賬單。

Most everyone agrees the Postal Service needs an overhaul. It had a loss of $3.2 billion in the second quarter of this fiscal year; it is to report third-quarter results on Aug. 9. The agency blames factors including declining mail volumes and the unusual 2006 mandate by Congress that it annually set aside billions for future retirees. But while the Senate has passed legislation to overhaul the agency, the House says it doesn't expect to take up its own proposal until after August.
幾乎所有人都認爲，美國郵政應進行大規模改革。本財年第二財季，該公司虧損32億美元。8月9日，這家公司將發佈第三財季業績報告。美國郵政認爲，虧損的原因在於郵件數量下滑和美國國會2006年頒佈的那項不尋常的法令。該法令規定，美國郵政每年應爲未來退休人員預留出數十億美元的醫療費用。雖然美國參議院已經通過了改革美國郵政的法案，但衆議院說，預計在8月份之後它纔會拿出自己的提案。

The two sides remain far apart. Senators voted in April, on a bipartisan basis, for legislation that largely shores up the agency's finances by returning an estimated $10.9 billion overpayment made into the federal employee pension system. The legislation limits the agency's ability to close postal branches and stop Saturday delivery.
美國參衆兩院在這個問題上仍存在很大分歧。參議員今年4月在兩黨合作的基礎上投票通過一項法案，同意退還美國郵政向美國聯邦僱員退休金系統多支付的約109億美元，以此來改善美國郵政的財務狀況。這項法案還對美國郵政關閉分支機構和暫停週六遞送服務的能力進行了限制。

Republican House leaders support legislation they say would require the agency to operate more like a business, in part by setting up a panel to reduce the network of post offices. Some rural-district House members, from both parties, have been worried about closures in their areas.
美國衆議院的共和黨領導人同意制定能夠要求美國郵政要更像企業那樣經營的法案，法案的具體內容之一是建立一個工作組，以縮減郵政網絡的規模。一些來自農村地區的共和黨和民主黨衆議員對關閉這些地區的郵局表示擔心。

A chief backer of the House bill, Rep. Dennis Ross (R., Fla.), wouldn't consider financial relief in the Senate bill 'absent wholesale reforms' that are in the House bill, said Fredrick Piccolo Jr., chief of staff for Mr. Ross. He said that there will 'in all likelihood be no vote before the August recess.'
來自佛羅里達州的共和黨衆議員羅斯(Dennis Ross)是衆議院版美國郵政改革法案的主要支持者，他的辦公室主任皮科洛(Fredrick Piccolo Jr.)說，羅斯不會考慮參議院法案中的財政救濟措施，因爲它缺少衆議院法案中提到的大規模改革措施。皮科洛說，衆議院8月休會前很可能不會對郵政改革法案進行表決。

The office of Sen. Tom Carper (D., Del.), one of the authors of the Senate bill, said Wednesday that 'every day that is lost in passing reform legislation puts the Postal Service another step closer to collapse, and unfortunately it appears that House Leaders are prepared to let that happen.'
民主黨參議員卡帕(Tom Carper)的辦公室週三表示，在通過改革法案這件事上，每耽擱一天都是將美國郵政向倒閉的邊緣又推進了一步，遺憾的是，衆議院領導人似乎準備讓這一幕發生。卡帕是參議院版美國郵政改革法案的作者之一。