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It is Friday, and that is awesome.
今天是星期五,太棒了。
Welcome to CNN STUDENT NEWS.
欢迎收看CNN学生新闻。
We talked earlier this week about the tense relationship between the United States and Iran.
我们本周早些时候谈到了美伊间紧张关系。
In recent years, Iran's controversial nuclear program has added to that tension.
近年来,伊朗具有争议的核项目增加了两国间的紧张局势。
Iran says the program is for peaceful purpose, the U.S. and other countries believe Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons.
伊朗表示其核项目是用于和平目的,而美国和其他国家认为伊朗正试图制造核武器。
One way the U.S. and other countries have reacted to Iran's nuclear program is with sanctions.
美国和其他国家应对伊朗核项目的一种方式是给予制裁。
Now, these are punishments, penalties that restrict Iran's economic activities.
现在,这些惩罚,处罚将限制伊朗的经济活动。
Sanctions are designed to pressure Iran into talking with the international community.
制裁旨在施压伊朗使其与国际社会进行谈判。
Yesterday, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Jawad Zurif and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met in New York about Iran's nuclear program.
昨天伊朗外交部长穆罕默德·贾瓦德·扎里和美国国务卿约翰·克里就伊朗核计划在纽约会晤。
Here's why that's significant.
至于为什么此次会晤如此重要的原因，
It's the first meeting between high level U.S. and Iranian officials in more than 30 years.
这是超过30年来美国和伊朗高级官员的首次会晤。
Is this legit?
这是合法的吗?
Ben Franklin was the first person to run the U.S. Postal Service.
本·富兰克林是执掌美国邮政服务的第一人。
It's true.
这是真的。
In 1775 the continental congress appointed Franklin as the first U.S. postmaster general.
1775年,大陆会议指定富兰克林作为第一任美国邮政大臣。
Back in the 18 century, the good old days, it cost six cents to send the letter through the mail.
早在18世纪旧日,通过邮件发信要花费6美分。
In 1975, 200 years after Ben Franklin became the postmaster general, it cost ten cents.
而本·富兰克林成为邮政大臣200年后的1975年,需要花费10美分。
Today, a first class stamp cost 46 cents, but the postal service wants to increase that to 49 cents staring next January.
现如今一张一等的邮票成本46美分,但邮政服务希望从明年1月起增加到49美分。
Then you might say, who cares, I don't send anything through the mail.
对此你可能会说,谁会在乎,我不会通过邮件寄任何东西。
That's part of the issue.
这只是一部分问题所在。
Every year the amount of mail the postal service handles drops by hundreds of millions of pieces.
每年邮政服务处理的邮件数量下降数亿件。
The postal service lost $16 billion in 2012, another 1740 million from April through June of this year.
邮政服务在2012年亏损160亿美元,而今年从4月到6月亏损17.4亿。
One of the ways to make up those losses is by increasing stand prices.
而弥补这些损失的其中一个方法就是增加价格。
The postal service board of governors describes that move as the last resort, this three cent increase could raise $2 billion for the postal service, but the board of governors has to approve it first.
邮政服务理事会称此举为最后的手段,这增加的三分可能会为邮政服务筹资20亿美元,但理事会首先必须批准才可执行。
The postal service isn't the only part of the U.S. government that's facing some serious economic questions.
邮政服务并不是美国政府唯一面临的严重经济问题。
Congress and President Obama have to consider something called the debt ceiling.
国会和奥巴马总统不得不考虑所谓的债务上限问题。
This is a limit on the total amount of money the U.S. government can borrow,
这是美国政府可以借款的限制总量,
the ceiling, $16.7 trillion of debt is in sight and heeding it could have some consequences.
而眼前的16.7万亿美元债务忽视它可能有一些后果。
