An outburst of controversies threatens to swamp President Barack Obama's second-term agenda, while giving Republicans new opportunities to galvanize their base ahead of the battle for control of Congress in the 2014 elections.

一系列争议的爆发可能令美国总统奥巴马(Barack Obama)第二届任期的日程受困，同时让共和党人有新的机会在争夺国会控制权的2014年选举之前强化自己一方的根基。

The latest controversies -- Internal Revenue Service probes of tea-party groups and the seizure of a news organization's phone records -- have provoked intense, bipartisan criticism that is hampering Mr. Obama's efforts to draw attention to his agenda. The IRS matter is likely to prompt a congressional investigation of the administration.

最新的争议包括美国国税局(Internal Revenue Service)调查茶党组织以及一家新闻机构的通话记录遭到窃取的事件，这些争议引发了两党的强烈责难，打击了奥巴马试图吸引人们注意其日程的努力。美国国税局的事件可能导致国会对该局进行调查。

For the GOP, the news seems made to order, allowing the party to rally behind a narrative that conservatives have pushed for years: Mr. Obama has fostered an era of government overreach. 'There's an overarching thread of a government out of control,' said Sean Spicer, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee.

对于共和党来说，这些消息似乎正中下怀，令他们得以团结在保守派多年来奉行的说法背后：奥巴马塑造了一个政府管得太宽的时代。共和党全国委员会(Republican National Committee)发言人斯派塞(Sean Spicer)说，政府有一条伸得过长的失控的线。

White House officials don't believe the inquiries pose a mortal threat to the presidency, predicting the furor will flame out in short order.

白宫官员认为，质询并不会给总统地位带来致命威胁，他们预测公众的怒火很快就会平息。

The recent developments -- in addition to questions over the administration's handling of the attack on a Libyan diplomatic outpost in Benghazi -- have the potential to unite the Republicans' tea party and mainstream factions, which have been variously uneasy with each other or engaged in outright hostilities.

最近的一系列事件有可能使共和党中的茶党与主流派系团结起来。这些派系彼此之间都多少有些不满，甚至是完全的敌对关系。除此之外，公众还对政府处理美国驻利比亚班加西领事馆遭袭事件的方式提出了质疑。

For Mr. Obama, one political danger is that Republicans see the prospect of gains in the 2014 elections as more important than working with the administration on such common goals as an agreement on deficit reduction, tax reform and changes to Medicare, Social Security and other entitlement programs.

对奥巴马来说，他面临的一个政治危险是，相比与政府携手实现共同目标，比如就减斥、税改、医改及社会保险改革等福利项目达成协议，共和党认为2014年胜选前景更重要。

The broader risk to Mr. Obama is that the problems could bring on, exceptionally early, the second-term political malaise common to U.S. presidents and their parties.

奥巴马面临的一个更大风险是，这些问题可能使美国总统及其政党常会面临的第二届任期政治困境过早出现。

Some Republican lawmakers who had been among Mr. Obama's most promising partners in bipartisan legislative talks have turned into critics.

在两党就立法举行的会谈中，一些共和党议员曾是奥巴马最有希望的合作者，但其中一些议员现已变为批评者。

One of Mr. Obama's priorities, an overhaul of immigration laws, has significant Republican support. But the president already faced long odds of enlisting GOP lawmakers for his other agenda items, including proposals to raise the minimum wage, spend tens of billions on highways and infrastructure, and broaden early-childhood education.

改革移民法是奥巴马的主要任务之一，该议案获得了共和党的大力支持。但在其他日程上，奥巴马已经面临难以争取到共和党议员合作的局面，其中包括提高最低工资、投资数百亿美元建设高速公路和基础设施、扩大幼儿教育等议案。

The new disclosures will likely heighten partisan tensions and encourage lawmakers to think even earlier about next year's elections.

披露的新情况将可能加剧两党之间的紧张关系，使议员们更早地考虑明年的选举。

Some Democrats facing competitive election fights are already seeking to distance themselves from Mr. Obama.

一些面临差额选举战的民主党议员已经开始寻求与奥巴马保持距离。

A White House can usually expect political cover from its own party. That's been true for Benghazi. But Democrats have denounced the controversial actions by the IRS and Justice Department. They included several incumbents up for re-election in 2014, including Sens. Mark Warner of Virginia, Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Jean Shaheen of New Hampshire.

白宫通常可以从总统所在的党获得政治掩护。班加西领事馆遭袭事件就是这样。但民主党议员一直谴责国税局和司法部引发争议的行为，包括数名将在2014年竞选连任的现议员，其中包括弗吉尼亚州参议员沃纳(Mark Warner)、北卡罗来纳州参议员黑根(Kay Hagan)和新罕布什尔州参议员沙欣(Jean Shaheen)。

The White House has settled on a two-pronged response. Officials are trying to distance Mr. Obama from the disputed actions, while keeping a tight focus on easing unemployment, overhauling immigration and tightening gun laws.

白宫做出了两手抓的反应。一方面，官员们试图让奥巴马与引发争议的行动保持距离；另一方面，专注于减少失业、改革移民法、加强枪支法。

Administration officials said Tuesday the IRS and Justice Department acted independently of the White House. Press Secretary Jay Carney continued to describe the Benghazi questions as a partisan sideshow.

政府官员周二说，国税局和司法部的行动独立于白宫之外。白宫新闻发言人卡尼(Jay Carney)仍说班加西问题是一个党派枝节问题。

Republicans, meanwhile, are riding high on the news. 'If there was ever something that's going to motivate the base and get conservative activists riled up, it's going to be the IRS targeting conservatives in the tea party,' said Brad Dayspring, of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. The committee has already launched fundraising drives off the controversy.

与此同时，共和党则对这些消息大加利用。共和党参议院全国委员会(National Republican Senatorial Committee)的戴斯普林(Brad Dayspring)说，如果有什么事能把基础调动起来，发动保守派活动人士，那就是国税局针对茶党中的保守派。该委员会已经借这一争议事件发起了筹款活动。