VOA慢速英語:US Postal Service Wants Congress to Make Changes to Its Business Model

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語經濟報道。

This month, the United States Postal Service reported a loss of over five billion dollars from April to June. The Postal Service says it expects to report a loss of fifteen billion dollars for the twelve-month period ending in September. And the government agency has warned of even bigger losses if Congress does not let it change the way it does business.

本月，美國郵政服務公司本月從四至六月錄得虧損超過50億美元。郵政公司表示，預計在截至9月份的12個月內將錄得虧損150億美元。這家政府機構警告稱，如果國會不讓它改變業(yè)務運作方式，虧損會更大。

51VOA注：美國郵政服務公司是一家獨立的美國機構，前身是美國郵政部，1971年改為美國郵政服務公司。

The United States Postal Service, or USPS, has a long history in America. Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first Postmaster General, or head of the postal service, in seventeen seventy-five.

美國郵政(簡稱為USPS)在美國有著悠久的歷史。1775年，本杰明·富蘭克林(Benjamin Franklin)曾被任命為第一任郵政部長。

But the Postal Service says its income has not kept up with growing costs. Profitable first class mail is decreasing.

但美國郵政稱其收入未能跟上日益攀升的成本?？捎念^等郵件銳減。

The service says most of its recent losses resulted from making payments to its health care program for retirees. About a billion dollars of the loss was for payments to injured workers.

郵政公司稱其最近虧損主要來自支付退休人員醫(yī)保計劃。虧損中的約10億美元支付給了受傷員工。

The news from April to June was not all bad. Improvements in the economy fueled a nine percent increase in income from shipping and delivery. The Postal Service says it is less costly to send letters and packages in the mail than to use private companies.

四月到六月并非全都是壞消息。經濟的改善為運輸和投遞增加了9%的收入。美國郵政稱使用郵件寄送信件和包裹比其它私人公司便宜。

The Postal Service says it has cut operating costs by a total of fourteen billion dollars in the past five years. To improve its financial health, the agency has proposed cutting service on Saturdays. It also wants Congress to cancel a requirement that the postal service make advance payments to the health care program for retired workers. USPS also wants the Treasury Department to return eleven billion dollars in overpayments made to its pension plan for retirees.

美國郵政表示，在過去5年中其運營成本總共削減了140億美元。為了改善其財務狀況，該機構已經提議削減周六的郵政服務，還希望國會取消郵政公司為退休員工預付醫(yī)保計劃的要求。美國郵政還希望美國財政部返還離退休人員養(yǎng)老金計劃多付的110億美元。

On August first, USPS failed to make a required payment of five point five billion dollars for health care benefits for future retirees. It was the first time the postal service has ever failed to make such a payment. And, the service is warning that it may have to delay making payments to companies to which it owes money.

8月1日，美國郵政未能如期支付未來退休人員醫(yī)保福利的55億美元。這是郵政首次未能如期支付這樣一類賬單。此外，美國郵政警告稱，它可能不得不推遲向那些它欠賬的公司付款。

The Postal Service says that without major changes, it will continue to lose billions of dollars a year. The Washington Post newspaper reported that Postmaster General Patrick Donohue told reporters "Congress needs to act responsibly." In his words, "this is no way to run any kind of business."

美國郵政表示，如果沒有重大變化，該公司每年仍會虧損數(shù)十億美元?！度A盛頓郵報》報道稱，美國郵政署長特里克·多諾霍(Patrick Donohue)告訴記者，“國會需要采取負責任的行動。”用他的話來說，“業(yè)務沒法進行了。”

The Postal Service receives money to pay for operations from the sale of stamps, products and shipping services. It does not receive direct government assistance, but is controlled by the federal government.

美國郵政收到錢用于出售郵票、產品和運輸服務的支出。它不接受政府的直接援助，但它由聯(lián)邦政府控制。