当地时间1月28日晚上9点(北京时间29日上午10点),美国总统奥巴马在首都华盛顿的国会发表年度国情咨文演讲。
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, my fellow Americans:
议长先生,副总统先生,国会议员们,美国同胞们:
Today in America, a teacher spent extra time with a student who needed it, and did her part to lift America's graduation rate to its highest level in more than three decades.
今天,在美国教师会花费额外时间帮助有需要的学生,并为将美国学生的毕业率提高到30多年来的最高水平尽职尽责。
An entrepreneur flipped on the lights in her tech startup, and did her part to add to the more than 8 million new jobs our businesses have created over the past four years.
企业家在其技术创业公司夜以继日,为过去4年来增加800万新的就业岗位尽职尽责。
An autoworker fine-tuned some of the best, most fuel-efficient cars in the world, and did his part to help America wean itself off foreign oil.
汽车工人在改进世界上最好最节油的汽车,为帮助美国减少对外国石油的依赖尽职尽责。
A farmer prepared for the spring after the strongest five-year stretch of farm exports in our history. A rural doctor gave a young child the first prescription to treat asthma that his mother could afford. A man took the bus home from the graveyard shift, bone-tired but dreaming big dreams for his son. And in tight-knit communities across America, fathers and mothers will tuck in their kids, put an arm around their spouse, remember fallen comrades, and give thanks for being home from a war that, after twelve long years, is finally coming to an end.
农民在我国历史上5年来最强劲的农业出口后准备春耕。农村医生为幼儿开出他妈妈承担得起的药方,治疗哮喘。男人下班回家虽精疲力竭,但却怀着对儿子更大的希望。在美国各地的社区,父母为孩子盖好被子,与自己的伴侣互相拥抱。人们缅怀逝去的同事,感谢那场12年的战争终于结束,终于平安回到家中。
Tonight, this chamber speaks with one voice to the people we represent: It is you, our citizens, who make the state of our union strong.
今晚,这个大厅用一个声音对我们代表的人民说,正是你们——我们的公民——创造了我们强大的联邦。
Here are the results of your efforts: The lowest unemployment rate in over five years. A rebounding housing market. A manufacturing sector that's adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s. More oil produced at home than we buy from the rest of the world - the first time that's happened in nearly 20 years. Our deficits - cut by more than half. And for the first time in over a decade, business leaders around the world have declared that China is no longer the world's No. 1 place to invest; America is.
这是你们奋斗的结果:失业率5年来最低、房地产市场反弹、制造业的就业岗位自上世纪90年代以来首次增加、近20年来国产石油产量首次超过进口。我们的赤字削减一半还多。10年来,世界商界领袖第一次宣布世界首选投资地点是美国而非中国。
That's why I believe this can be a breakthrough year for America. After five years of grit and determined effort, the United States is better-positioned for the 21st century than any other nation on Earth.
这就是为何我相信今年将是美国突破之年。在坚强拼搏5年后,美国比地球上任何其他国家都为21世纪准备得更好。
The question for everyone in this chamber, running through every decision we make this year, is whether we are going to help or hinder this progress. For several years now, this town has been consumed by a rancorous argument over the proper size of the federal government. It's an important debate - one that dates back to our very founding. But when that debate prevents us from carrying out even the most basic functions of our democracy - when our differences shut down government or threaten the full faith and credit of the United States - then we are not doing right by the American people.
留给这个大厅里所有人的问题是,我们今年做出的每个决定是有利于还是有碍于这种进步。多年来,这座城市忙于争执联邦政府的规模。这是可以追溯到我们建国时期的重要的辩论。但当辩论阻止我们发挥民主的最基本功能、当我们的分歧迫使政府关门、威胁美国的信仰和声誉时,我们做的并不正确。
As president, I'm committed to making Washington work better, and rebuilding the trust of the people who sent us here. I believe most of you are, too. Last month, thanks to the work of Democrats and Republicans, this Congress finally produced a budget that undoes some of last year's severe cuts to priorities like education. Nobody got everything they wanted, and we can still do more to invest in this country's future while bringing down our deficit in a balanced way. But the budget compromise should leave us freer to focus on creating new jobs, not creating new crises.
作为总统,我致力于让华盛顿工作得更好,重建将我们送到这里的人民的信心。我相信你们大多数人也是如此。上月,由于民主党人和共和党人的努力,这个国会终于通过预算,一举扭转削减教育等优先项目资金的态势。没有人能够得到他想要的一切,但我们依然能够为投资国家未来做得更多,同时以平稳的方式减少我们的赤字。不过,预算妥协应当让我们放手增加新的就业,而非增加新的危机。
In the coming months, let's see where else we can make progress together. Let's make this a year of action. That's what most Americans want - for all of us in this chamber to focus on their lives, their hopes, their aspirations. And what I believe unites the people of this nation, regardless of race or region or party, young or old, rich or poor, is the simple, profound belief in opportunity for all - the notion that if you work hard and take responsibility, you can get ahead.
在未来的几个月,让我们看看在哪些地方我们可以共同进步。让今年成为行动之年。这是大多数美国人想要的,身处这个会议厅里的每一个人,都关注他们的生活,他们的希望,他们的愿望。而我相信,不分种族,地域和党派,不论老少贫富,将这个国家的人民团结在一起的就是一条简单深刻的信念:只要你努力工作,勇于承担责任,你就能够出人头地。
Let's face it: that belief has suffered some serious blows. Over more than three decades, even before the Great Recession hit, massive shifts in technology and global competition had eliminated a lot of good, middle-class jobs, and weakened the economic foundations that families depend on.
让我们面对现实:这种信念遭受了一些严重的打击。超过30年的时间里,甚至在经济大衰退之前,技术和全球竞争的巨大变化已经削减了中产阶级的许多好的工作机会,并削弱了中产家庭依赖的经济基础。
Today, after four years of economic growth, corporate profits and stock prices have rarely been higher, and those at the top have never done better. But average wages have barely budged. Inequality has deepened. Upward mobility has stalled. The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by - let alone get ahead. And too many still aren't working at all.
现在,经过4年的经济增长,企业利润和股价均开始上升,而那些身处高位的人从来没有做的更好。平均工资却几乎没有变化。社会不平等加深,向上流动几近停滞。冰冷而又无法回避的事实是,即使是在复苏之中,太多的美国人还是在勉强度日,更不用说出人头地。还有许多人仍然没有工作。
Our job is to reverse these trends. It won't happen right away, and we won't agree on everything. But what I offer tonight is a set of concrete, practical proposals to speed up growth, strengthen the middle class, and build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class. Some require congressional action, and I'm eager to work with all of you. But America does not stand still - and neither will I. So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that's what I'm going to do.
我们的工作就是要扭转这些趋势。虽然局势不会马上好转,我们也不会就所有事情达成一致。但是,我今晚提出的是一组促进增长、壮大中产阶级的具体实际的方案。有些需要国会采取行动,我渴望与大家合作。不过,美国不会停滞不前,我也不会。所以无论何时何地,我都要采取不必立法的措施去为更多美国家庭扩大机会,这就是我要做的。
As usual, our first lady sets a good example. Michelle's Let's Move partnership with schools, businesses, and local leaders has helped bring down childhood obesity rates for the first time in thirty years - an achievement that will improve lives and reduce health care costs for decades to come. The Joining Forces alliance that Michelle and Jill Biden launched has already encouraged employers to hire or train nearly 400,000 veterans and military spouses. Taking a page from that playbook, the White House just organized a College Opportunity Summit where already, 150 universities, businesses, and nonprofits have made concrete commitments to reduce inequality in access to higher education - and help every hardworking kid go to college and succeed when they get to campus. Across the country, we're partnering with mayors, governors and state legislatures on issues from homelessness to marriage equality.
像往常一样,我们的第一夫人就是一个范例。米歇尔的“让我们继续前进”活动与学校、企业和地方领导人合作,30年来第一次降低了儿童肥胖率 。这一成就将改善他们的生活质量,并降低未来几十年的医疗成本。米歇尔和副总统拜登推出的“联合力量(Joining Forces)”活动已经鼓励雇主雇用或培训近40万名退伍军人及其配偶。比如,白宫刚刚举办了“大学教育峰会”, 会议期间,150所大学、企业和非营利组织已作出具体承诺,以减少接受高等教育的不均等状况, 帮助每一个勤奋的孩子去上大学,确保他们上大学后能够获得成功。在全国范围内,我们正在与市长、州长和州议员合作解决从无家可归到婚姻平等的问题。
The point is, there are millions of Americans outside Washington who are tired of stale political arguments, and are moving this country forward. They believe, and I believe, that here in America, our success should depend not on accident of birth, but the strength of our work ethic and the scope of our dreams. That's what drew our forebears here. It's how the daughter of a factory worker is CEO of America's largest automaker; how the son of a barkeeper is speaker of the House; how the son of a single mom can be president of the greatest nation on Earth.
问题的关键是,在华盛顿之外有成千上万的美国人厌倦了陈腐的政治争论,正是他们在推进这个国家前行。他们相信,我也相信,在这里,在美国,我们的成功不应取决于出身,而是要依赖于我们的工作伦理和我们的梦想。这正是吸引我们祖先之所在。这就是一个工人的女儿如何成为美国最大的汽车制造商的CEO 的原因,也是一个酒吧老板的儿子怎么成为众议院议长,一个单身母亲的儿子又如何成为地球上最伟大国家总统之所在。
Opportunity is who we are. And the defining project of our generation is to restore that promise.
机会属于我们自己。而我们这一代人的目标就是恢复这一承诺。
We know where to start: the best measure of opportunity is access to a good job. With the economy picking up speed, companies say they intend to hire more people this year. And over half of big manufacturers say they're thinking of insourcing jobs from abroad.
我们知道从哪里开始:促进就业是创造机会的最佳措施。随着经济增长,企业表示有意在这一年雇佣更多员工。超过半数的大型制造商表示正在考虑让海外的就业岗位回归美国。
So let's make that decision easier for more companies. Both Democrats and Republicans have argued that our tax code is riddled with wasteful, complicated loopholes that punish businesses investing here, and reward companies that keep profits abroad. Let's flip that equation. Let's work together to close those loopholes, end those incentives to ship jobs overseas, and lower tax rates for businesses that create jobs here at home.
那么,让我们促使更多企业更轻松地做出这样的决定吧。民主党人和共和党人都认为,我们的税法充满复杂的漏洞,效率低下,使得在美国投资的企业受损,把利润留在国外的企业受益。让我们扭转这样的局面。让我们一起努力,填补这些漏洞,消除将就业包给海外的诱因。为了在这里,在祖国创造就业的企业,让我们降低税率。
Moreover, we can take the money we savefrom this transition to tax reform to create jobs rebuilding our roads, upgrading our ports, unclogging our commutes - because in today's global economy, first-class jobs gravitate to first-class infrastructure. We'll need Congress to protect more than three million jobs by finishing transportation and waterways bills this summer. But I will act on my own to slash bureaucracy and streamline the permitting process for key projects, so we can get more construction workers on the job as fast as possible.
还有,我们在税制改革中节约的资金可以用于创造就业岗位,可以修路、升级港口、疏导交通。在今天的全球经济中,一流的基础设施吸引一流的工作。我们需要国会今年夏天完成运输和水路法案,保护超过300万的就业岗位。而我会尽最大努力,消除官僚作风,使重要工程的审批程序更合理。这样我们就能让更多的建设者尽快走上岗位。
We also have the chance, right now, to beat other countries in the race for the next wave of high-tech manufacturing jobs. My administration has launched two hubs for high-tech manufacturing in Raleigh and Youngstown.
我们现在也有机会、有权利在下一轮高科技制造业岗位的竞争中战胜其他国家。我的政府已经在罗利和扬斯敦开始运行高科技制造业中心。
Where we've connected businesses to research universities that can help America lead the world in advanced technologies. Tonight, I'm announcing we'll launch six more this year. Bipartisan bills in both houses could double the number of these hubs and the jobs they create. So get those bills to my desk and put more Americans back to work.
把商业和帮助美国引领世界先进技术的研究型大学联系起来。今晚,我宣布我们将着手建设运营另外6个这样的中心。两院、两党的法案能够让这些中心的数量翻一番,让中心带来的就业岗位翻一番。那么,让这些法案放上我的办公桌吧,让更多的美国人回到工作中。
Let's do more to help the entrepreneurs and small business owners who create most new jobs in America. Over the past five years, my administration has made more loans to small business owners than any other. And when ninety-eight percent of our exporters are small businesses, new trade partnerships with Europe and the Asia-Pacific will help them create more jobs. We need to work together on tools like bipartisan trade promotion authority to protect our workers, protect our environment, and open new markets to new goods stamped "Made in the USA." China and Europe aren't standing on the sidelines. Neither should we.
让我们给予企业家和小企业主更多帮助,美国多数新岗位都是他们创造的。在过去的5年中,政府向小企业主发放的贷款数额之多,前所未有。我们98%的出口商都是小企业,与欧洲和亚太的新贸易伙伴关系会帮助他们创造更多就业。我们需要共同努力,通过两党的权威与合作,以贸易促进等方式保护我们的工人,保护我们的环境,向标有“美国制造”的新产品开放新市场。中国和欧洲都在积极行动,我们也应该行动起来。
We know that the nation that goes all-in on innovation today will own the global economy tomorrow. This is an edge America cannot surrender. Federally funded research helped lead to the ideas and inventions behind Google and smartphones. That's why Congress should undo the damage done by last year's cuts to basic research so we can unleash the next great American discovery - whether it's vaccines that stay ahead of drug-resistant bacteria, or paper-thin material that's stronger than steel. And let's pass a patent reform bill that allows our businesses to stay focused on innovation, not costly, needless litigation.
我们知道,今天在创新方面锐意进取的国家明天将主宰世界经济。这是美国不能放弃的战线。联邦政府资助的研究帮扶了谷歌和智能手机背后的发明和创意。因此,国会应该缓解由去年削减基础研究资金带来的伤害,这样我们就能解放美国人的下一个伟大发现——不论是能对付耐药菌的疫苗,还是纸一样纤薄,钢一样强硬的材料。让我们通过专利改革法案,让我们的商界长期专注于创新,不为毫无必要却花销巨大的诉讼分神。
Now, one of the biggest factors in bringing more jobs back is our commitment to American energy. The all-of-the-above energy strategy I announced a few years ago is working, and today, America is closer to energy independence than we've been in decades.
现在,我们对美国能源的承诺是将更多工作带回美国的关键因素之一。我在几年前宣布的所有能源策略都在起作用。今天,美国比近10年来任何时候都接近能源独立。
One of the reasons why is natural gas - if extracted safely, it's the bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution that causes climate change. Businesses plan to invest almost $100 billion in new factories that use natural gas. I'll cut red tape to help states get those factories built, and this Congress can help by putting people to work building fueling stations that shift more cars and trucks from foreign oil to American natural gas. My administration will keep working with the industry to sustain production and job growth while strengthening protection of our air, our water, and our communities. And while we're at it, I'll use my authority to protect more of our pristine federal lands for future generations.
原因之一是天然气——如果安全萃取,它将成为合适的燃料,既能为我们的经济提供能量,又能减少导致气候变化的碳污染。商业部门计划投资使用天然气的工厂,金额总值近1000亿美元。我将简化手续以敦促各州建立此类工厂,此次会议还将组织人员建立加油站,借以将更多轿车和卡车的燃料从外国进口石油变为美国产天然气。为维持现有产量和就业增长率,同时更多保护我们的空气、水资源及社区,我的行政部门将持续与工业部门合作。一旦我们的合作到达预想的高度,为了我们的子孙后代,我将利用我的职权保护我们的原始联邦土地。
It's not just oil and natural gas production that's booming; we're becoming a global leader in solar, too. Every four minutes, another American home or business goes solar; every panel pounded into place by a worker whose job can't be outsourced. Let's continue that progress with a smarter tax policy that stops giving $4 billion a year to fossil fuel industries that don't need it, so that we can invest more in fuels of the future that do.
迅猛增长的不仅仅是石油和天然气的产量。我们也会成为太阳能方面的国际领袖。每4分钟就有一个美国家庭或美国公司采用太阳能系统,每一片太阳板都是由业务不能外包的工人放置。让我们通过更灵活的税收政策继续进步,包括停止向不需要化石燃料的工厂供应每年40亿美金,这样我们就能向未来使用化学燃料的工厂投资更多资金。
And even as we've increased energy production, we've partnered with businesses, builders and local communities to reduce the energy we consume. When we rescued our automakers, for example, we worked with them to set higher fuel efficiency standards for our cars. In the coming months, I'll build on that success by setting new standards for our trucks, so we can keep driving down oil imports and what we pay at the pump.
我们能源生产率增加的同时,为了减少所消耗的能量,我们与商业部门、建筑商及当地社区建立了合作伙伴关系。举个例子,当我们向汽车制造商提供援助时,我们与他们合作从而提高了轿车的燃料效率标准。未来几个月里,我将延续这一成功的做法,为卡车设定新的标准,这样我们就能继续减少燃油出口量并降低油价了。
Taken together, our energy policy is creating jobs and leading to a cleaner, safer planet. Over the past eight years, the United States has reduced our total carbon pollution more than any other nation on Earth. But we have to act with more urgency - because a changing climate is already harming western communities struggling with drought, and coastal cities dealing with floods. That's why I directed my administration to work with states, utilities, and others to set new standards on the amount of carbon pollution our power plants are allowed to dump into the air. The shift to a cleaner energy economy won't happen overnight, and it will require tough choices along the way. But the debate is settled. Climate change is a fact. And when our children's children look us in the eye and ask if we did all we could to leave them a safer, more stable world, with new sources of energy, I want us to be able to say yes, we did.
综上所述,我们的能源政策提高了就业率,使世界变得更加清洁安全。过去8年间,美国碳污染排放减少量比世界其他任何国家都要多。但是我们需要行动地更加迅速——因为气候变化已经开始危害西部地区,它们正与干旱作斗争,同时沿海城市也被受洪灾困扰。以上是我领导我的行政机构与各州、各公共事业单位和其他单位一同合作并设立允许排放的碳污染物量标准的原因。建立更加清洁的美国能源经济不是一夜之间就能完成的,这需要我们一路上艰难的进行抉择。然而这一议题已定,气候变化已成为事实。当我们孩子的孩子看着我们的眼睛,问我们是不是已经尽力为他们提供更加安全又稳定的世界,是不是有新能源的资源时,我想那时我们能够回答出,是的,我们做到了。
Finally, if we are serious about economic growth, it is time to heed the call of business leaders, labor leaders, faith leaders and law enforcement - and fix our broken immigration system. Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have acted. I know that members of both parties in the House want to do the same. Independent economists say immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink our deficits by almost $1 trillion in the next two decades. And for good reason: when people come here to fulfill their dreams - to study, invent, and contribute to our culture - they make our country a more attractive place for businesses to locate and create jobs for everyone. So let's get immigration reform done this year.
最后,如果我们要认真对待经济增长,就应该留心商界领袖、劳工领导、宗教领袖及执法机关的需求,并修补我们不完善的移民系统。参议院的共和党及民主党已经采取了行动。据我所知,两党成员对此意见一致。独立经济学家称移民改革政策将提高经济水平,未来20年内将减少近1万亿美元的财政赤字。同时,出于合理的原因,当人们来美国完成他们的梦想时——学习、创造、为我们的文化做出贡献——他们共同使美国成为一个更加引人注目的国家,将有更多的企业在美国注册并为大家提供更多的就业机会。让我们今年就开始改革移民政策吧。
The ideas I've outlined so far can speed up growth and create more jobs. But in this rapidly changing economy, we have to make sure that every American has the skills to fill those jobs.
我以上的观点能够加速经济增长,增加就业率。然而,在经济迅猛发展的同时,我们需要确保每位美国公民都具有就业的技能。
The good news is, we know how to do it. Two years ago, as the auto industry came roaring back, Andra Rush opened up a manufacturing firm in Detroit. She knew that Ford needed parts for the best-selling truck in America, and she knew how to make them. She just needed the workforce. So she dialed up what we call an American Job Center - places where folks can walk in to get the help or training they need to find a new job, or better job. She was flooded with new workers. And today, Detroit Manufacturing Systems has more than 700 employees.
好消息是,我们现在知道该怎么做了。两年前当汽车行业回暖时,安德拉•拉什在底特律创办了一家业公司。她知道,福特要造出美国销量最好的卡车需要哪些部件以及怎样加工这些部件。她缺的是劳动力,于是她拨通了美国就业中心(提供就业信息和职业培训的地方)的电话。求职者随即蜂拥而至。现在底特律制造系统公司已有超过700名员工。
What Andra and her employees experienced is how it should be for every employer - and every job seeker. So tonight, I've asked Vice President Biden to lead an across-the-board reform of America's training programs to make sure they have one mission: train Americans with the skills employers need, and match them to good jobs that need to be filled right now. That means more on-the-job training, and more apprenticeships that set a young worker on an upward trajectory for life. It means connecting companies to community colleges that can help design training to fill their specific needs. And if Congress wants to help, you can concentrate funding on proven programs that connect more ready-to-work Americans with ready-to-be-filled jobs.
安德拉和其员工的经历正是每个招聘者和每个求职者的真实写照。因此今晚,我邀请副总统拜登发起一项美国职业培训系统的全盘改革,让人们能够掌握雇主所期望他们拥有的技能,迅速填补就业市场的空缺。这意味着企业要举办更多的在职培训,提供更多学徒见习的机会,让年轻的工人能够在职业道路上不断前进。这意味着加强公司和社区学院间的校企沟通,让培训与实际需求接轨。如果国会原意出一份力,请为已获批的项目提供资金,请让我们的人民都能找到工作。
I'm also convinced we can help Americans return to the workforce faster by reforming unemployment insurance so that it's more effective in today's economy. But first, this Congress needs to restore the unemployment insurance you just let expire for 1.6 million people.
我也相信,通过改革失业保险,加强其在当下经济中的实效性,人们能更快地回到工作岗位上。但首先,国会要重新启动失业保险,现在已经有160万美国人失去了这项保障。
Let me tell you why.
请让我来告诉你们为什么必须这么做。
Misty DeMars is a mother of two young boys. She'd been steadily employed since she was a teenager. She put herself through college. She'd never collected unemployment benefits. In May, she and her husband used their life savings to buy their first home. A week later, budget cuts claimed the job she loved. Last month, when their unemployment insurance was cut off, she sat down and wrote me a letter - the kind I get every day. "We are the face of the unemployment crisis," she wrote. "I am not dependent on the government.Our country depends on people like us who build careers, contribute to society . care about our neighbors . I am confident that in time I will find a job . I will pay my taxes, and we will raise our children in their own home in the community we love. Please give us this chance."
米斯蒂•迪马尔斯是一位有着两个年幼儿子的母亲。年轻时,她的工作一直很稳定。她自己支付了大学的学费,从未领过失业保险。去年5月,她和丈夫用存款购置了他们的第一套房子。一周后,由于预算削减,她丢了饭碗。上个月,这对夫妻的失业保险被中断,米斯蒂给我写了一封信——我每天都会收到这类信件。 “我们正面临失业危机。” 在信中她这样说道,“我并不依赖政府。我们自食其力,为社会贡献自己的力量,关爱邻居。美国需要我们这样的人。我有信心自己一定能很快找到工作的。我会纳税,我们会在自己热爱的社区里将孩子抚养长大。请给我们这个机会。”
Congress, give these hardworking, responsible Americans that chance. They need our help, but more important, this country needs them in the game. That's why I've been asking CEOs to give more long-term unemployed workers a fair shot at that new job and new chance to support their families; this week, many will come to the White House to make that commitment real. Tonight, I ask every business leader in America to join us and to do the same - because we are stronger when America fields a full team.
国会同胞们,请给这些辛勤工作、以身作则的美国公民们这个机会吧。他们需要我们的帮助,更重要的是,美国也需要他们。因此,我一直希望企业的首席执行官们能为更多长期失业的工人们提供公平竞争的就业机会,让他们能够扶持家庭。本周,许多首席执行官会来到白宫,兑现这个承诺。今晚,我邀请每一位美国的商业领袖加入这个行列,因为只有团结一致,我们的国家才会更加强大。
Of course, it's not enough to train today's workforce. We also have to prepare tomorrow's workforce, by guaranteeing every child access to a world-class education.
当然,仅培训现有劳动力是不够的。我们还要为未来的生力军提供条件,让每个孩子享有世界一流的教育。
Estiven Rodriguez couldn't speak a word of English when he moved to New York City at age 9. But last month, thanks to the support of great teachers and an innovative tutoring program, he led a march of his classmates - through a crowd of cheering parents and neighbors - from their high school to the post office, where they mailed off their college applications. And this son of a factory worker just found out he's going to college this fall.
当伊斯蒂文•罗德里格斯来到纽约时只有9岁,一句英语都不会。但在优秀的老师和创新的辅导计划支持下,上个月,这个普通工人的儿子被大学录取了,将在今年秋季入学。在欢呼雀跃的家长和邻里的簇拥下,他带领全班从学校出发去往邮局举行庆祝游行,那是他们寄出大学申请书的地方。
Five years ago, we set out to change the odds for all our kids. We worked with lenders to reform student loans, and today, more young people are earning college degrees than ever before. Race to the Top, with the help of governors from both parties, has helped states raise expectations and performance. Teachers and principals in schools from Tennessee to Washington, D.C., are making big strides in preparing students with skills for the new economy - problem solving, critical thinking, science, technology, engineering, and math. Some of this change is hard. It requires everything from more challenging curriculums and more demanding parents to better support for teachers and new ways to measure how well our kids think, not how well they can fill in a bubble on a test. But it's worth it - and it's working.
5年前,我们竭尽所能为孩子们努力,我们和贷款者一起改革学生贷款。今天,越来越的年轻人能够获得大学学位。在两党领导人的帮助下,我们力争上游,让各个州提升了期望值和表现。从田纳西州到华盛顿,从校长到老师,都在尽最大的努力让学生学习当今社会的技能——解决问题、批判性思维、科学、技术、工程和数学。其中一些改变是很困难的,需要更多挑战性的课程,需要更多要求高的家长给教师更好的支持,需要新的方法去检验孩子的学习成果,而不仅仅是考试分数。但是这一切都是值得的——也正在进行中。
The problem is we're still not reaching enough kids, and we're not reaching them in time. That has to change.
问题是,我们没有把这件事覆盖到所有的孩子,也不是很及时。我们必须要进行改变。
Research shows that one of the best investments we can make in a child's life is high-quality early education. Last year, I asked this Congress to help states make high-quality pre-K available to every four year-old. As a parent as well as a president, I repeat that request tonight. But in the meantime, thirty states have raised pre-k funding on their own. They know we can't wait. So just as we worked with states to reform our schools, this year, we'll invest in new partnerships with states and communities across the country in a race to the top for our youngest children. And as Congress decides what it's going to do, I'm going to pull together a coalition of elected officials, business leaders, and philanthropists willing to help more kids access the high-quality pre-K they need.
调查研究显示,我们能为孩子们做的最好的投资之一就是给他们高质量的学前教育。去年,我要求国会帮助各州为4岁小孩提供高质量的学前教育。作为一名总统,也作为一名家长,今晚,我再次重申这个要求。但与此同时,已经有30个州用自己的预算开展学前教育了,他们知道我们不能再等了。因此,就让我们与各州同行,改革我们的教育吧。今年,我们将会在全国范围内投资各州和社会团体的学前教育,努力达到最高标准。国会将决定下一步的行动,而我将联合官员、商界领袖和慈善家们,让更多的孩子接触到必须的高质量的学前教育。
Last year, I also pledged to connect 99 percent of our students to high-speed broadband over the next four years. Tonight, I can announce that with the support of the FCC and companies like Apple, Microsoft, Sprint, and Verizon, we've got a down payment to start connecting more than 15,000 schools and 20 million students over the next two years, without adding a dime to the deficit.
去年,我呼吁在未来4年里实现99%的学生能够接入宽带。今天,我宣布,我们已经获得了联邦通讯委员会(FCC)和像苹果、微软、斯普林特、威瑞森电信等公司的支持,在不增加一分财政赤字的情况下在未来两年内让1.5万多所学校和2000多万学生用上宽带。
We're working to redesign high schools and partner them with colleges and employers that offer the real-world education and hands-on training that can lead directly to a job and career. We're shaking up our system of higher education to give parents more information, and colleges more incentives to offer better value, so that no middle-class kid is priced out of a college education. We're offering millions the opportunity to cap their monthly student loan payments to ten percent of their income, and I want to work with Congress to see how we can help even more Americans who feel trapped by student loan debt. And I'm reaching out to some of America's leading foundations and corporations on a new initiative to help more young men of color facing tough odds stay on track and reach their full potential.
我们正在重新规划高中教育,让高中与大学、公司真正的连接起来,给学生提供社会所需的教育和实习培训,能他们能够直接适应工作。我们正在重组高等教育体系,给家长们更多的讯息,激励大学提供更有价值的教育,不会让任何一个中产阶级的小孩因为高昂的学费不能读大学。我们给上百万学生提供了只需支付自己每月收入10%的贷款机会,我希望和国会一起合作来帮助更多的学生,即使越来越多的学生因为债务而陷入困境。在一项新倡议中,我会和一些美国顶尖的基金会和公司做一个新项目,即帮助更多不同肤色的年轻人能够继续努力、发挥最大的潜力、实现个人价值。
The bottom line is, Michelle and I want every child to have the same chance this country gave us. But we know our opportunity agenda won't be complete - and too many young people entering the workforce today will see the American Dream as an empty promise - unless we do more to make sure our economy honors the dignity of work, and hard work pays off for every single American.
归根结底,米歇尔和我希望每个孩子都能享受国家给予的同等机会。但是我们都知道我们关于机会的这项议程尚不完善——现在许多已经具有劳动力的年轻人认为美国梦只是一张空头支票——除非我们采取更多措施来确保经济能够尊重劳动的价值而且让他们相信,努力工作能够使每一个美国人受益。
Today, women make up about half our workforce. But they still make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. That is wrong, and in 2014, it's an embarrassment. A woman deserves equal pay for equal work. She deserves to have a baby without sacrificing her job. A mother deserves a day off to care for a sick child or sick parent without running into hardship - and you know what, a father does, too. It's time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a "Mad Men" episode. This year, let's all come together - Congress, the White House and businesses from Wall Street to Main Street - to give every woman the opportunity she deserves. Because I firmly believe when women succeed, America succeeds.
如今,女士是劳动力的半边天。但是相同的工作,她们只能得到男士们薪酬的77%。这是不合理的,在2014年,这是一个让人尴尬的情况。女士们应该获得与她们工作等价的酬劳。她应该有个孩子但这不是以牺牲她的工作为代价。一位母亲理应有一天的休假去照顾她生病的孩子或者生病的父母而不是陷入工作家庭难兼顾的境地——而且,众所周知,父亲也应该是这样。是时候远离类似《广告狂人》某一集里的工作场所政策了。今年,让我们一起呼吁国会,白宫和来自华尔街或缅因街的企业——给予每位女士应有的权利。因为我坚信,当女士们的事业成功时,美国就成功了。
Now, women hold a majority of lower-wage jobs - but they're not the only ones stifled by stagnant wages. Americans understand that some people will earn more than others, and we don't resent those who, by virtue of their efforts, achieve incredible success.
现在,女士们占了低收入工作者的大半,她们也不是唯一的被停滞不前的工资困扰的。美国人理解那些高收入者,我们不会嫉妒那些用自己的工作成果创造了令人难以置信的成功的人。
But Americans overwhelmingly agree that no one who works full time should ever have to raise a family in poverty. 但是大多数美国人认为全职工作养家糊口的人不应该处在贫穷中。 In the year since I asked this Congress to raise the minimum wage, five states have passed laws to raise theirs. Many businesses have done it on their own. Nick Chute is here tonight with his boss, John Soranno. John's an owner of Punch Pizza in Minneapolis, and Nick helps make the dough. Only now he makes more of it: John just gave his employees a raise, to ten bucks an hour - a decision that eased their financial stress and boosted their morale.
从我请求国会提高最低工资的那年起,五个州已经出台了提高当地最低工资法律规定。许多企业也实行了这项规定。今晚尼克•邱特和他的的老板约翰•索拉诺都在这里。约翰是明尼阿波里斯市一家匹萨店的老板,尼克帮他做面团。最近他做了些改善:约翰把员工的工资涨到了每小时10美元,这项决定不仅改善了员工的经济压力也提高了员工的士气。
Tonight, I ask more of America's business leaders to follow John's lead and do what you can to raise your employees' wages. To every mayor, governor and state legislator in America, I say, you don't have to wait for Congress to act; Americans will support you if you take this on. And as a chief executive, I intend to lead by example. Profitable corporations like Costco see higher wages as the smart way to boost productivity and reduce turnover. We should too. In the coming weeks, I will issue an executive order requiring federal contractors to pay their federally-funded employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour - because if you cook our troops' meals or wash their dishes, you shouldn't have to live in poverty.
今晚,我希望能有更多的美国企业家能够效仿约翰,尽最大努力地提高员工的工资。对每一位市长、地方长官和州议员,我想说的是,你们不必等到国会的决策出台后再行动,如果你们能执行这项决定,全美国都会支持你们。作为美国总统,我希望能以身作则。像科斯科(美国连锁企业)以创造利润为目标的企业,都把提高员工工资看作是提高生产效率和降低员工离职率的方式。我们也应该采取这种办法。在接下来的几周,我将签发一项总统令,要求联邦承包商付给那些为联邦工作的雇员们的最低工资为10.10美元每小时——因为如果你在为我们的军队做饭或者是洗碗,你不该为维持生计发愁。
Of course, to reach millions more, Congress needs to get on board. Today, the federal minimum wage is worth about 20 percent less than it was when Ronald Reagan first stood here. Tom Harkin and George Miller have a bill to fix that by lifting the minimum wage to $10.10. This will help families. It will give businesses customers with more money to spend. It doesn't involve any new bureaucratic program. So join the rest of the country. Say yes. Give America a raise.
当然,要想达到几百万甚至更多公司提高最低工资,还得国会同意。现在的联邦最低工资比罗纳德•里根第一次站在这里时少20%。在最低工资提高到10.10美元后,汤姆•哈尔金和乔治•米勒将会有一笔账要算。这项总统令可以帮助很多家庭,让企业的客户们有更多的钱消费。而且它没有卷入任何具有官僚主义的政治项目里。所以希望国家的其它地方加入到这个计划进来,与美国一起进步。
There are other steps we can take to help families make ends meet, and few are more effective at reducing inequality and helping families pull themselves up through hard work than the earned income tax credit. Right now, it helps about half of all parents at some point. But I agree with Republicans like Sen. Rubio that it doesn't do enough for single workers who don't have kids. So let's work together to strengthen the credit, reward work, and help more Americans get ahead.
我们也可以采取其他措施实现各个家庭收支相抵。在减少不平等现象、帮助家庭改善现状方面,减免所得税额似乎更能达到该目的。现在它已在一定程度上帮助了大约半数的家庭。不过,我也同意共和党参议员鲁比奥先生的看法,这对尚无孩子的单身工人来说还远远不够。那就让我们一同协作,加强税收减免,奖励工作,让更多美国人实现富裕。
Let's do more to help Americans save for retirement. Today, most workers don't have a pension. A Social Security check often isn't enough on its own. And while the stock market has doubled over the last five years, that doesn't help folks who don't have 401ks. That's why, tomorrow, I will direct the Treasury to create a new way for working Americans to start their own retirement savings: MyRA. It's a new savings bond that encourages folks to build a nest egg. MyRA guarantees a decent return with no risk of losing what you put in. And if this Congress wants to help, work with me to fix an upside-down tax code that gives big tax breaks to help the wealthy save, but does little to nothing for middle-class Americans. Offer every American access to an automatic IRA on the job, so they can save at work just like everyone in this chamber can. And since the most important investment many families make is their home, send me legislation that protects taxpayers from footing the bill for a housing crisis ever again, and keeps the dream of homeownership alive for future generations of Americans.
让我们一起帮助民众为退休储蓄。如今大多数员工都没有退休金。单靠一张社会保险金的支票是不够的。虽然过去五年里股票市场翻了一番,但这并没能帮到那些未加入401k退休计划的人。因此明天我会指示财政部创造一种新方式,确保工作人群可以开始为退休储蓄,它就是“我的退休账户(MyRA)”——一种鼓励人们创建新账户的新型储蓄债券,可确保人们存钱后无任何赔钱的风险,未来也会有一笔可观的收入。如果这一届国会想出一份力,那就和我一起修复原先那个糟糕的免税代码——它提供的税务减免有助于富人储蓄,对中产阶级的民众却无多大帮助。让每个工作的美国人都能自动拥有“个人退休金账户(IRA)”,这样他们就可以跟在场的各位一样为退休储蓄。由于很多家庭进行的最重要的投资就是他们的家,因此我们要通过立法,确保纳税人不再为住房危机埋单,让美国未来的世世代代保持着拥有住房的梦想。
One last point on financial security. For decades, few things exposed hard-working families to economic hardship more than a broken health care system. And in case you haven't heard, we're in the process of fixing that.
关于财政保障我再提最后一点。数十年来,没有什么会比一个失败的医保体制更能让勤劳努力的家庭陷入经济困难的境地。如果你们还不清楚情况的话,那么我告诉你们,我们正在修复这个体制。
A pre-existing condition used to mean that someone like Amanda Shelley, a physician assistant and single mom from Arizona, couldn't get health insurance. But on January 1st, she got covered. On January 3rd, she felt a sharp pain. On January 6th, she had emergency surgery. Just one week earlier, Amanda said, that surgery would've meant bankruptcy.
“已有疾病情况”指的就是像阿曼达•谢莉这一类人,她是亚利桑那州的一名医师助理,也是一位单亲妈妈,原先没有健康保险。但是1月1日,她有了医保。1月3日,她感觉到一阵疼痛。1月6日,她接受了紧急手术。一周前,她说如果没有保险,那次手术就会意味着破产。
That's what health insurance reform is all about - the peace of mind that if misfortune strikes, you don't have to lose everything.
所以这就是为什么要进行医保改革,这样不幸降临时你就能平常心面对,你也不用失去一切。
Already, because of the Affordable Care Act, more than 3 million Americans under age 26 have gained coverage under their parents' plans.
现在,由于平价医疗法案,300多万26岁以下的年轻人加入了父母的医疗保险计划。
More than 9 million Americans have signed up for private health insurance or Medicaid coverage.
900多万美国人已经注册了私人医疗保险或针对穷人的医疗补助计划。
And here's another number: zero. Because of this law, no American can ever again be dropped or denied coverage for a pre-existing condition like asthma, back pain, or cancer. No woman can ever be charged more just because she's a woman. And we did all this while adding years to Medicare's finances, keeping Medicare premiums flat, and lowering prescription costs for millions of seniors.
再说一个数字:0。由于这项法案,再也不会有美国人因为哮喘、背痛或癌症这样的已有疾病而享受不到医疗保险。再也不会有女性因为自己的性别而要多支付费用。同时,我们也在继续提供资金支持老年保健医疗计划,保持其保费稳定,并为无数老年人降低处方药成本。
Now, I don't expect to convince my Republican friends on the merits of this law. But I know that the American people aren't interested in refighting old battles. So again, if you have specific plans to cut costs, cover more people, and increase choice - tell America what you'd do differently. Let's see if the numbers add up. But let's not have another forty-something votes to repeal a law that's already helping millions of Americans like Amanda. The first 40 were plenty. We got it. We all owe it to the American people to say what we're for, not just what we're against.
如今,我并不期待我的共和党朋友们能信服这部法案的益处。但我知道美国民众对为此再产生分歧也不感兴趣。因此,我又要说,如果你有确定的计划可以削减成本,那就覆盖更多的民众,增加更多的选择,告诉美国人民你做的有什么不同。让我们拭目以待,看看数字是否会增长。但让我们不要再为废除这项已经帮助了数百万美国民众的法案举行更多次投票了,之前的40多次已经足够了。我们已经明了。我们应该为美国民众说出支持什么,而不仅仅是反对什么。
And if you want to know the real impact this law is having, just talk to Gov. Steve Beshear of Kentucky, who's here tonight. Kentucky's not the most liberal part of the country, but he's like a man possessed when it comes to covering his commonwealth's families. "They are our friends and neighbors," he said. "They are people we shop and go to church with.farmers out on the tractors . grocery clerks . they are people who go to work every morning praying they don't get sick. No one deserves to live that way."
如果你想了解这部法案的真实影响,就和肯塔基州州长史蒂夫•贝希尔聊聊吧,他今晚也在现场。肯塔基州在美国算不上最开明,但在推行医改法案上,他做得非常出色。他说:“民众是我们的朋友,我们的邻居,与我们一起搭伴购物和去教堂,有驾驶拖拉机的农场主,也有杂货店的职员。他们每天早晨上班时祈祷自己不要生病。没人应该过那样的生活。”
Steve's right. That's why, tonight, I ask every American who knows someone without health insurance to help them get covered by March 31st. Moms, get on your kids to sign up. Kids, call your mom and walk her through the application. It will give her some peace of mind - plus, she'll appreciate hearing from you.
史蒂夫是对的。这也是为什么我想在今晚请认识无医保人士的人帮助他们在3月31日前购买医保。母亲们,请给孩子们购买医保,孩子们,也请你们让你的母亲购买医保,这会让她的心情更加平静,而且她将感激你的建议。
After all, that's the spirit that has always moved this nation forward. It's the spirit of citizenship - the recognition that through hard work and responsibility, we can pursue our individual dreams, but still come together as one American family to make sure the next generation can pursue its dreams as well.
正是这种精神鼓励美国前进。正是这种公民精神,通过辛苦工作和承担责任而来的精神,使得我们每个人可以追求自己的梦想。但我们仍要团结为统一的美国大家庭,这样才能确保我们的下一代也可以追求他们的梦想。
Citizenship means standing up for everyone's right to vote. Last year, part of the Voting Rights Act was weakened. But conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats are working together to strengthen it; and the bipartisan commission I appointed last year has offered reforms so that no one has to wait more than a half hour to vote. Let's support these efforts. It should be the power of our vote, not the size of our bank account, that drives our democracy.
公民权意味着支持每个人的选举权。在去年,《选举权法》部分遭到弱化。但保守的共和党和自由的民主党正一起努力加强其实施,并且去年我任命的两党委员会提出了改革举措,因此没人需要再为投票等上半个小时了。让我们支持这些努力。我们投票的力量,而非我们的银行账户,使得我们走向民主。
Citizenship means standing up for the lives that gun violence steals from us each day. I have seen the courage of parents, students, pastors and police officers all over this country who say "we are not afraid," and I intend to keep trying, with or without Congress, to help stop more tragedies from visiting innocent Americans in our movie theaters, shopping malls, or schools like Sandy Hook.
公民权意味着为每天丧身枪击案的生命大声疾呼。我见证了全美各地父母、学生、牧师和警察的努力,他们说“我们不害怕”;我也要一直努力,不管是否通过国会,防止我们的电影院、超市、或者桑迪胡克小学那样的学校发生更多的枪击案悲剧,防止无辜的美国民众命丧枪口。
Citizenship demands a sense of common cause; participation in the hard work of self-government; an obligation to serve to our communities.
公民权需要大家感到在为共同的事业而付出努力,参与到自治政府的工作中,并且承担服务社区的义务。
And I know this chamber agrees that few Americans give more to their country than our diplomats and the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.
美国的外交官和军队为美国做出了巨大的贡献。
Tonight, because of the extraordinary troops and civilians who risk and lay down their lives to keep us free, the United States is more secure. When I took office, nearly 180,000 Americans were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, all our troops are out of Iraq. More than 60,000 of our troops have already come home from Afghanistan. With Afghan forces now in the lead for their own security, our troops have moved to a support role. Together with our allies, we will complete our mission there by the end of this year, and America's longest war will finally be over.
今晚,因为杰出的军人和一些民众冒着危险保护我们,美国才更加安全。在我就职时,有近18万美国人正在伊拉克和阿富汗服役。今天,美军已经完全撤离伊拉克,并已从阿富汗撤军超过6万人。现在阿富汗的安全已由阿富汗军队负责,美军仅提供一些支持。我们将在年底与盟国一起结束在阿富汗的作战任务,美国在国外的长期作战终于要结束了。
After 2014, we will support a unified Afghanistan as it takes responsibility for its own future. If the Afghan government signs a security agreement that we have negotiated, a small force of Americans could remain in Afghanistan with NATO allies to carry out two narrow missions: training and assisting Afghan forces, and counterterrorism operations to pursue any remnants of al-Qaida. For while our relationship with Afghanistan will change, one thing will not: our resolve that terrorists do not launch attacks against our country.
2014年后,我们将支持一个统一的阿富汗承担起自己未来的责任。如果阿富汗政府签署于我们谈判的安全协议,美国将与北约盟国在阿富汗保持小规模的部队,执行两项任务:训练和协助阿富汗部队,执行反恐行动追击基地组织残余势力。我们与阿富汗的关系会变,但有一样不会变:那就是我们不让恐怖分子袭击我们国家的决心。
The fact is, that danger remains. While we have put al-Qaida's core leadership on a path to defeat, the threat has evolved, as al-Qaida affiliates and other extremists take root in different parts of the world. In Yemen, Somalia, Iraq and Mali, we have to keep working with partners to disrupt and disable these networks. In Syria, we'll support the opposition that rejects the agenda of terrorist networks. Here at home, we'll keep strengthening our defenses, and combat new threats like cyberattacks. And as we reform our defense budget, we have to keep faith with our men and women in uniform, and invest in the capabilities they need to succeed in future missions.
事实上,威胁依旧存在。尽管我们将基地组织核心领导层赶上了失败之路,威胁已经变化。基地组织分支与其他极端分子在世界不同地区扎根。在也门、索马里、伊拉克和马里,我们不得不与伙伴国家合作,打击这些网络。在叙利亚,我们将支持抵制恐怖网络的反对派。在国内,我们将加强我们的防御,迎战网络攻击等新威胁。我们将改革我们的国防预算,我们必须相信我们男女军人,投资于他们未来行动成功所需的能力。
We have to remain vigilant. But I strongly believe our leadership and our security cannot depend on our military alone. As commander-in-chief, I have used force when needed to protect the American people, and I will never hesitate to do so as long as I hold this office. But I will not send our troops into harm's way unless it's truly necessary; nor will I allow our sons and daughters to be mired in open-ended conflicts. We must fight the battles that need to be fought, not those that terrorists prefer from us - large-scale deployments that drain our strength and may ultimately feed extremism.
我们需要保持警惕。但我坚信我们的领导和我们的安全不能仅仅依靠军队。作为武装部队总司令,我必须在必要时使用武力保护美国人民,只要我任职一天,我就将毫不犹疑地这样做。但除非必要,我不会让我们的军队走向受损之路,也不会让我们的儿女陷入无穷无尽的冲突。我们必须打需要打的战斗,但不是恐怖分子希望我们打的战斗——分散我们的力量,可能最终有利于恐怖主义的大规模部署。
So, even as we aggressively pursue terrorist networks - through more targeted efforts and by building the capacity of our foreign partners - America must move off a permanent war footing. That's why I've imposed prudent limits on the use of drones - for we will not be safer if people abroad believe we strike within their countries without regard for the consequence. That's why, working with this Congress, I will reform our surveillance programs - because the vital work of our intelligence community depends on public confidence, here and abroad, that the privacy of ordinary people is not being violated. And with the Afghan war ending, this needs to be the year Congress lifts the remaining restrictions on detainee transfers and we close the prison at Guantanamo Bay - because we counter terrorism not just through intelligence and military action, but by remaining true to our constitutional ideals, and setting an example for the rest of the world.
因此,尽管我们通过更定向的努力,通过提高盟国的能力,积极追击恐怖网络,美国必须远离长期战争。这就是我为何限制使用无人机,因为如果国外的人认为我们不顾后果地轰炸他们的国家,我们难以更安全。这就是为何,通过与国会合作,我将改革我们的监控项目,因为我们情报机构重要的工作有赖于国内外公众的信任,普通人的隐私不得侵犯。随着阿富汗战争结束,需要国会取消转移囚犯和关闭关塔那摩监狱的其他限制,因为我们不仅仅通过情报和军事行动反恐,还依靠忠于我们的宪法理念,为世界树立典范。
You see, in a world of complex threats, our security and leadership depends on all elements of our power - including strong and principled diplomacy. American diplomacy has rallied more than fifty countries to prevent nuclear materials from falling into the wrong hands, and allowed us to reduce our own reliance on Cold War stockpiles. American diplomacy, backed by the threat of force, is why Syria's chemical weapons are being eliminated, and we will continue to work with the international community to usher in the future the Syrian people deserve - a future free of dictatorship, terror and fear.
你们看,面对世界纷繁紧张的局势,我们的安全保障和领导地位取决于我们各个力量的配合,当然也包括我们国家强有力而有原则的外交能力。我们通过外交手段,号召了全球50个国家为阻止核原料落入不法分子手中而一起努力,同时呼吁减少对冷战时期库存的依赖。美国的外交策略以武力威胁作为后盾,这也是为什么通过美国外交的能力,叙利亚的化学武器能被摧毁。在日后,我们将继续与国际社会一道让叙利亚人民能在一个没有独裁统治,恐怖组织和恐惧担忧的社会下生活。
As we speak, American diplomacy is supporting Israelis and Palestinians as they engage in difficult but necessary talks to end the conflict there; to achieve dignity and an independent state for Palestinians, and lasting peace and security for the State of Israel - a Jewish state that knows America will always be at their side. 就像上述提到的,美国的外交还为陷入僵局的以色列和巴勒斯坦两国创造机会,对结束两国间的斗争进行了重要交谈;使巴勒斯坦的人民能实现国家独立,有尊严的生活,让以色列的人民能享受长久和平和安定——任何一个犹太国家的人民都知道,美国将会永远支持你们。 And it is American diplomacy, backed by pressure, that has halted the progress of Iran's nuclear program - and rolled parts of that program back - for the very first time in a decade. As we gather here tonight, Iran has begun to eliminate its stockpile of higher levels of enriched uranium. It is not installing advanced centrifuges. Unprecedented inspections help the world verify, every day, that Iran is not building a bomb. And with our allies and partners, we're engaged in negotiations to see if we can peacefully achieve a goal we all share: preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
正是在美国的外交努力下,在外部压力的支持下,我们成功使伊朗终止了核计划项目——这也是十年来首次终止项目进程。今晚,当我们聚集在这里时,伊朗已经开始拆除高浓缩铀储备。伊朗不在安装离心机设备。全面的巡查已经开展,每天进行监控,以保证伊朗不会制造核弹。并且在盟友和伙伴的参与下,我们正在协商,以期望达成一个共同目的:阻止伊朗获得核武器。
These negotiations will be difficult. They may not succeed. We are clear-eyed about Iran's support for terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, which threaten our allies; and the mistrust between our nations cannot be wished away. But these negotiations do not rely on trust; any long-term deal we agree to must be based on verifiable action that convinces us and the international community that Iran is not building a nuclear bomb. If John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan could negotiate with the Soviet Union, then surely a strong and confident America can negotiate with less powerful adversaries today.
这次的协商讨论可能会遇到困难,也有可能无法达成一致。但对于受到伊朗支持的恐怖组织例如真主党,对于他们给盟友带来的威胁,对于两国间不能消除的疑虑,我们看的清清楚楚。然而,这次的的协商并不依赖于信任,任何达成一致的长期的协议都是基于实际的行动,那样才能使我们与国际社会相信,伊朗并没有在制造核武器。如果约翰•F•肯尼迪和罗纳德•里根能与苏联进行谈判,那么在今天,强大而又自信的美国可与次强大的对手进行谈判。
The sanctions that we put in place helped make this opportunity possible. But let me be clear: if this Congress sends me a new sanctions bill now that threatens to derail these talks, I will veto it. For the sake of our national security, we must give diplomacy a chance to succeed. If Iran's leaders do not seize this opportunity, then I will be the first to call for more sanctions, and stand ready to exercise all options to make sure Iran does not build a nuclear weapon. But if Iran's leaders do seize the chance, then Iran could take an important step to rejoin the community of nations, and we will have resolved one of the leading security challenges of our time without the risks of war.
而我们实施的制裁正为这一机会提供可能性。但也请允许阐明我的观点:如果国会现在送我一个新的制裁法案,而可能会阻碍这次会谈,很可能我将否决它。但为了国家的安全,我们必须给外交一次成功的机会。但如果伊朗的领导人没有抓住这次的橄榄枝,那么我将首先呼吁更多的制裁,并随时准备采取任何方案以确保伊朗不会制造核武器。但如果伊朗的领导人能通力合作,那么伊朗将有机会为重新加入国际社会而迈出重要一步。这样我们将不会采取武力手段解决这个时代主要安全问题之一的难题。
Finally, let's remember that our leadership is defined not just by our defense against threats, but by the enormous opportunities to do good and promote understanding around the globe - to forge greater cooperation, to expand new markets, to free people from fear and want. And no one is better positioned to take advantage of those opportunities than America.
最后,让我们记住,我们的领导力不仅仅是由防御威胁的成绩决定,更重要的是,通过良机为促进世界各国的理解而进行推进——打造更广的合作关系,拓展新市场,使人民免于恐惧,心生希望。而这一切没有谁能比美国更适合,能好好的应用这些良机。
Our alliance with Europe remains the strongest the world has ever known. From Tunisia to Burma, we're supporting those who are willing to do the hard work of building democracy. In Ukraine, we stand for the principle that all people have the right to express themselves freely and peacefully, and have a say in their country's future. Across Africa, we're bringing together businesses and governments to double access to electricity and help end extreme poverty. In the Americas, we are building new ties of commerce, but we're also expanding cultural and educational exchanges among young people. And we will continue to focus on the Asia-Pacific, where we support our allies, shape a future of greater security and prosperity, and extend a hand to those devastated by disaster - as we did in the Philippines, when our Marines and civilians rushed to aid those battered by a typhoon, and were greeted with words like, "We will never forget your kindness" and "God bless America!"
我们与欧洲的联盟迄今为止仍然是世界上最稳固的。从突尼斯到缅甸,我们支持那些愿意努力建立民主的国家。在乌克兰,我们坚持这样的原则,即所有人都有自由、和平地表达自己见解的权利,并对自己国家的未来都有发言权。在整个非洲,我们的政府和企业联手,正加速给当地通电,并帮助消除极度贫困。在拉丁美洲,我们建立了新的商务关系,但我们也在年轻人中拓展了文化和教育领域的交流。我们将继续聚焦亚太,在该地区支持我们的盟友,为该地区构建一个更加安全和繁荣的未来,并对那些遭受灾难的国家施以援手——就像我们在菲律宾做的,我们的海军陆战队和平民竞相帮助那些遭遇台风袭击的人们,菲律宾民众用这样的话语感谢我们“我们永不会忘记你们的恩德”和“天佑美利坚!”
We do these things because they help promote our long-term security. And we do them because we believe in the inherent dignity and equality of every human being, regardless of race or religion, creed or sexual orientation. And next week, the world will see one expression of that commitment - when Team USA marches the red, white, and blue into the Olympic Stadium - and brings home the gold.
我们所做的这些事情帮助促进了我们的长期安全。我们这么做是因为我们坚信无论种族,信仰或性别,人人生而平等并有尊严。下周,世界将看到我们所承诺的表现——美国队高举红白蓝的国旗进入奥林匹克体育场——并带着金牌回家。
My fellow Americans, no other country in the world does what we do. On every issue, the world turns to us, not simply because of the size of our economy or our military might - but because of the ideals we stand for, and the burdens we bear to advance them.
美国同胞们,世界上没有别的国家能做到我们所做的。在每个问题上,世界都会征求我们的意见,不仅仅是因为我们的经济规模或我们的军事实力——而是因为我们所坚持的理念,和我们帮助他们进步所承担的责任。
No one knows this better than those who serve in uniform. As this time of war draws to a close, a new generation of heroes returns to civilian life. We'll keep slashing that backlog so our veterans receive the benefits they've earned, and our wounded warriors receive the health care - including the mental health care - that they need. We'll keep working to help all our veterans translate their skills and leadership into jobs here at home. And we all continue to join forces to honor and support our remarkable military families.
没有人比军人更了解这点了。随着这次的战争接近尾声,新一代的英雄们将重返平民生活。我们会继续削减沉滞,以使我们的老兵能享受他们争取到的福祉,我们受伤的战士能得到所需的康复治疗——包括精神康复治疗。我们将继续工作,来帮助我们的老兵转换技能,在新岗位上再建伟绩。我们所有人将继续联合起来,爱戴并支持我们非同凡响的军人家属。
Let me tell you about one of those families I've come to know.
我来说一个我所知道的军人家庭。
I first met Cory Remsburg, a proud Army Ranger, at Omaha Beach on the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Along with some of his fellow Rangers, he walked me through the program - a strong, impressive young man, with an easy manner, sharp as a tack. We joked around, and took pictures, and I told him to stay in touch.
我第一次见到克里•瑞斯堡是在诺曼底登陆65年纪念日那天的奥马哈海滩。在游骑兵同伴的陪同下,他按原定计划走向我——他是个强壮、令人印象深刻的年轻人,举止随和,风度翩翩。我们相互打趣,拍照,我告诉他要保持联系。
A few months later, on his 10th deployment, Cory was nearly killed by a massive roadside bomb in Afghanistan. His comrades found him in a canal, face down, underwater, shrapnel in his brain.
几个月后,在瑞斯堡第十次被派往阿富汗时,他几乎被一个威力巨大的路边炸弹炸死。他的战友在沟里找到了他,他脸朝下躺在水里,炮弹的碎片炸开了他的脑袋。
For months, he lay in a coma. The next time I met him, in the hospital, he couldn't speak; he could barely move. Over the years, he's endured dozens of surgeries and procedures, and hours of grueling rehab every day.
他在医院里昏迷了几个月。我再次在医院里见到他的时候,他不能说话,并且几乎不能动。这些年来,他每天经历很多个手术和治疗,并花数个小时做康复运动。
Even now, Cory is still blind in one eye. He still struggles on his left side. But slowly, steadily, with the support of caregivers like his dad Craig, and the community around him, Cory has grown stronger. Day by day, he's learned to speak again and stand again and walk again - and he's working toward the day when he can serve his country again.
目前,瑞斯堡的一只眼仍是瞎的。他身体的左半部分仍处于瘫痪状态。但慢慢地,稳定地,在像他的爸爸克雷格和他周边社区的照料者的帮助下,科里越来越健康了。日复一日,他又学会了说话,又一次站起来并走路了—— 而且他一直在为能再次为他的国家效力而努力着。
"My recovery has not been easy," he says. "Nothing in life that's worth anything is easy."
“我的康复很艰难。”他说,“生活中值得付出的事情没有什么是容易的。”
Cory is here tonight. And like the Army he loves, like the America he serves, Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsburg never gives up, and he does not quit.
瑞斯堡今晚就在现场。就像他热爱的军队,就像他为之服务的美国,一级中士克里从不放弃,从不退缩。
My fellow Americans, men and women like Cory remind us that America has never come easy. Our freedom, our democracy, has never been easy. Sometimes we stumble; we make mistakes; we get frustrated or discouraged. But for more than two hundred years, we have put those things aside and placed our collective shoulder to the wheel of progress - to create and build and expand the possibilities of individual achievement; to free other nations from tyranny and fear; to promote justice, and fairness, and equality under the law, so that the words set to paper by our founders are made real for every citizen. The America we want for our kids - a rising America where honest work is plentiful and communities are strong; where prosperity is widely shared and opportunity for all lets us go as far as our dreams and toil will take us - none of it is easy. But if we work together; if we summon what is best in us, with our feet planted firmly in today but our eyes cast towards tomorrow - I know it's within our reach.
同胞们,像瑞斯堡这样的男人和女人提醒我们美国的今日来之不易。我们的自由、民主来之不易。我们有时会步履蹒跚;我们有时会犯错;我们有时会感到沮丧或气馁。但超过两百年来,我们将这些阻碍弃之一边,汇集我们集体的力量推动着进步之轮——去创造、构建和拓展个人获得成就的可能性;去帮助别国的民众摆脱暴政和恐惧;去促进法制下的正义、公平和平等,让我们的开国者设为宪法的文字真正施惠给每一位公民。我们想为我们的孩子们留下这样的美国——一个不断进步的美国,在这里诚实劳动是主流,社区强大;在这里人们共享繁荣,人人机会均等;让我们追寻自己的梦想,让艰苦奋斗带我们前行——没有什么是容易的。但是,只要我们共同努力,只要我们拿出最好的自己,用我们的双手在今天辛勤耕耘,但将我们的眼睛投向明天——我知道我们必将成功。
Believe it.
请你们相信。
God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.
愿上帝保佑你们,愿上帝保佑美利坚合众国。
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