美国邮政即将面临其历史上首次违约

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

当美国议员们仍在争论如何让境况不佳的美国邮政服务公司(U.S. Postal Service)摆脱困境时，该公司的财务问题却变得越来越糟。

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.

美国邮政周三再次表示，美国国会若不采取行动，该公司就将因无法支付8月1日到期的55亿美元账单而出现公司历史上的首次债务违约。按照美国法律规定，美国邮政须每年向未来退休人员的医疗福利基金支付55亿美元。由于美国众议院正在为8月休会做准备，所以国会不太可能采取行动。

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.

美国邮政说，拖欠这份2011年的账单不会对公司的服务或公司向员工和供应商付款的能力造成直接影响。但美国邮政发言人帕滕赫莫尔(David Partenheimer)说，这些持续的流动资金问题会不必要地削弱客户对我公司生存能力的信心。

The agency says it will default on its 2017 retiree health payment as well-also roughly $5.5 billion, due Sept. 30-if there is no legislative action by then.

美国邮政说，它还有一份9月30日到期的2017年退休人员医疗福利账单要支付，金额也差不多是55亿美元，如果届时国会不采取立法行动，公司将付不起这个账单。

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.

几乎所有人都认为，美国邮政应进行大规模改革。本财年第二财季，该公司亏损32亿美元。8月9日，这家公司将发布第三财季业绩报告。美国邮政认为，亏损的原因在于邮件数量下滑和美国国会2006年颁布的那项不寻常的法令。该法令规定，美国邮政每年应为未来退休人员预留出数十亿美元的医疗费用。虽然美国参议院已经通过了改革美国邮政的法案，但众议院说，预计在8月份之后它才会拿出自己的提案。

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.

美国参众两院在这个问题上仍存在很大分歧。参议员今年4月在两党合作的基础上投票通过一项法案，同意退还美国邮政向美国联邦雇员退休金系统多支付的约109亿美元，以此来改善美国邮政的财务状况。这项法案还对美国邮政关闭分支机构和暂停周六递送服务的能力进行了限制。

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.

美国众议院的共和党领导人同意制定能够要求美国邮政要更像企业那样经营的法案，法案的具体内容之一是建立一个工作组，以缩减邮政网络的规模。一些来自农村地区的共和党和民主党众议员对关闭这些地区的邮局表示担心。

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.'

来自佛罗里达州的共和党众议员罗斯(Dennis Ross)是众议院版美国邮政改革法案的主要支持者，他的办公室主任皮科洛(Fredrick Piccolo Jr.)说，罗斯不会考虑参议院法案中的财政救济措施，因为它缺少众议院法案中提到的大规模改革措施。皮科洛说，众议院8月休会前很可能不会对邮政改革法案进行表决。

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.'

民主党参议员卡帕(Tom Carper)的办公室周三表示，在通过改革法案这件事上，每耽搁一天都是将美国邮政向倒闭的边缘又推进了一步，遗憾的是，众议院领导人似乎准备让这一幕发生。卡帕是参议院版美国邮政改革法案的作者之一。