奥巴马每周电视讲话 汽车工业好消息不断

Weekly Address: President Obama Hails Successes of the Restructuring of the Auto¹ Industry, Calls on GOP Leaders to Stop Blocking Aid for Small Businesses
 每周电视讲话：奥巴马总统为汽车工业的重建成就喝彩，同时呼吁共和党领导人停止阻挠对小企业的援助
 
WASHINGTON – In this week’s address, President Obama praised the successes of the auto industry restructuring.  When his administration decided² to invest in the American car companies, some said such a move was bound to fail.  But since GM and Chrysler have emerged from bankruptcy³, the auto industry has added 55,000 jobs – the strongest growth in 10 years – and for the first time since 2004, all three companies are operating at a profit.  The President also called on Republican leaders in the Senate to stop blocking a vote on a bill helping⁴ small businesses.  Even though this bill will help the recovery, and has been endorsed⁵ by groups like the Chamber⁶ of Commerce and the National Federation⁷ of Independent Business, the Republican Senate leadership continues to hold it hostage to politics by denying an up-or-down vote on the bill.
 华盛顿消息：在本周的讲话中，奥巴马总统赞扬了汽车工业的重建成就。当时在政府决定为美国汽车企业投资时，一些人就说这样的行动注定要失败。但自从通用汽车和克莱斯勒脱离破产边缘以来，汽车工业已增加了55,000个工作岗位——这是10年来最强劲的增长——而且自2004年以来，三家汽车公司首次全部盈利。总统也号召参议院的共和党领导人停止阻挠对援助小企业法案的投票。尽管该法案将帮助经济复苏，而且也得到了诸如全国总商会和全国独立商业协会的赞同，但参议院的共和党领导层依然将其作为政治筹码，阻挠对该法案进行投票表决。
 
Hello everyone.  I’m speaking to you from the GM auto plant here in Detroit, Michigan, where a hopeful story is unfolding in a place that’s been one of the hardest hit in America.
 大家好。我在密歇根州底特律市的通用汽车工厂向大家发表演讲，这里是美国（在本次危机中）遭受重创的地方，但现在，这里正在展开一个充满希望的故事。
 
In the twelve months before I took office, American auto companies lost hundreds of thousands of jobs.  Sales plunged⁸ 40 percent.  Liquidation⁹ was a very real possibility.  Years of papering over tough problems and failing to adapt to changing times – combined with a vicious economic crisis – brought an industry that’s been the symbol of our manufacturing might for a century to the brink¹⁰ of collapse¹¹.
 在我主政前的十二个月里，美国的汽车公司有数十万人失业。销售也跳水40%。当时，倒闭清盘是一个很现实的选择。多年掩盖突出问题和不能适应时代变化的要求——再遭遇这次凶猛的经济危机——使得这个一个世纪以来曾是我们制造业标志的产业濒临崩溃的边缘。
 
We didn’t have many good options.  On one hand, we could have continued the practice of handing out billions of taxpayer¹² dollars to the auto industry with no real strings¹³ attached.  On the other hand, we could have walked away and allowed two major auto companies to go out of business – which could have wiped out one million American jobs.
 我们并没有太多好的选择。一方面，我们可以不带任何附加条件地给汽车工业分发数十亿纳税人的援助款。另一方面，我们可以不管不问，让两家最大的汽车公司关门歇业——这将导致一百多万美国人失业。
 
I refused to let that happen.  So we came up with a third way.  We said to the auto companies – if you’re willing to make the hard decisions necessary to adapt and compete in the 21st century, we’ll make a one-time investment in your future.
 我拒绝让这些发生。因此我们选择了第三种方案。我们当时就对这些汽车公司说——如果你们愿意下决心做出调整改变，参与21世纪的竞争，我们将为你们的未来做一次性的投资。
 
Of course, if some folks had their way, none of this would be happening at all.  This plant might not exist.  There were leaders of the “just say no” crowd in Washington who argued that standing¹⁴ by the auto industry would guarantee failure.  One called it “the worst investment you could possibly make.”  They said we should just walk away and let these jobs go.
 当然，如果有人有别的方案，这些也都不会发生了。这项计划也就不存在了。那些反对派的领头人们聚集在华盛顿，声称援助汽车工业注定要失败。有人甚至称其为“你们所能做的投资里面最糟糕的”。他们说我们就应该不管，让失业顺其自然的发生。
 
Today, the men and women in this plant are proving these cynics wrong.  Since GM and Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy, our auto industry has added 55,000 jobs – the strongest period of job growth in more than ten years.  For the first time since 2004, all three American automakers are operating at a profit.  Sales have begun to rebound¹⁵.  And plants like this that wouldn’t have existed if all of us didn’t act are now operating maximum capacity.
 今天，工厂里的男男女女们证明这些嘲笑者错了。自从通用汽车和克莱斯勒脱离破产以来，我们的汽车工业增加了55,000个岗位——这是10多年来最强劲的就业增长期。自2004年以来，三家汽车生产商也是首次都盈利了。销售也开始反弹。像这样的工厂如果当时我们什么都不做可能就不会存在了，现在它们正在满负荷运转。
 
What’s more, thanks to our investments, a lot of these auto companies are reinventing themselves to meet the demands of a new age.  At this plant, they’re hard at work building the high-quality, fuel-efficient cars of tomorrow – cars like the plug-in hybrid¹⁶ Chevy Volt¹⁷ that can run 40 miles before taking a sip¹⁸ of gasoline.  Throughout Michigan, an advanced battery industry is taking root that will power clean electric cars – an industry that produced only 2 percent of the world’s advanced batteries last year, but will now be able to produce as much as 40 percent in a little over five years.  That’s real progress.
 更重要的是，有了我们的投资，大量的汽车公司开始重塑自己的形象来满足新时代的要求。在这家工厂，人们正在努力生产未来的高品质节能汽车——像Chevy Volt这样的可充电混合动力汽车只要加一点点油就可以跑40英里（约64公里）。在密歇根州，为电动汽车提供清洁动力的先进电池工业在此扎根——该产业去年还只能生产全球2%的先进电池，但5年以后将能达到全球产量的40%。这是真正的进步。
 
There’s no doubt that we have a long way to go and a lot of work to do before folks here and across the country can feel whole again.  But what’s important is that we’re finally beginning to see some of the tough decisions we made pay off.  And if we had listened to the cynics and the naysayers – if we had simply done what the politics of the moment required – none of this progress would have happened.
 毫无疑问，在全国人民再次找回安宁富足的感觉之前，我们还有很长的路要走还有很多工作要做。但重要的是我们已经开始看到我们所做出的艰难的抉择开始有了回报了。如果我们当时听从了嘲讽者和反对者们的——如果我们只是简单的按当时政策所要求的去做——是不会有这样的进步发生的。
 
Still, even as these icons¹⁹ of American industry are being reborn, we also need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with America’s small businessmen and women, as well -- particularly since they’re the ones who create most of the new jobs in this country.
 尽管这些美国的标志产业获得重生，我们还是要与美国的小企业和妇女们肩并肩站在一起，当然，部分原因就是他们为这个国家创造了最多的新增就业。
 
As we work to rebuild our economy, I can’t imagine anything more common-sense than giving additional tax breaks and badly-needed lending assistance to America’s small business owners so they can grow and hire.  That’s what we’re trying to do with the Small Business Jobs Act – a bill that has been praised as being good for small businesses by groups like the Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business.  It’s a bill that includes provision after provision authored by both Democrats²⁰ and Republicans.  But yesterday, the Republican leaders in the Senate once again used parliamentary procedures to block it. Understand, a majority of Senators support the plan. It’s just that the Republican leaders in the Senate won’t even allow it to come up for a vote.
 在我们重建经济的过程中，我不能想象还有什么比为美国的小企业主提供额外的税收减免和急需贷款援助更为常识性的东西，这些能帮助他们保持增长和雇佣人力。这是我们通过小企业就业法案要努力达到的——该法案被全国总商会和全国独立商业协会这样的团体称之为小企业的福音。该法案包含了民主党和共和党共同授权的持续的援助供应。但昨天，参议院的共和党领导人再一次利用国会议事程序阻挠该法案。要知道，大多数的参议员都支持该法案。只是这些参议院共和党的领导人们不给该法案一个参与投票表决的机会。
 
That isn’t right. And I’m calling on the Republican leaders in the Senate to stop holding America’s small businesses hostage to politics, and allow an up-or-down vote on this small business jobs bill.
 这是不对的。我在此号召参议院的共和党领导人停止以劫持美国小企业为政治筹码，给该项小企业就业法案一个投票表决的机会。
 
At a time when America is just starting to move forward again, we can’t afford the do-nothing policies and partisan²¹ maneuvering²² that will only take us backward.  I won’t stand here and pretend everything’s wonderful.  I know that times are tough.  But what I also know is that we’ve made it through tough times before.  And we’ll make it through again.  The men and women hard at work in this plant make me absolutely confident of that.
 当美国再一次刚刚启动向前的时候，我们不能承受无所事事的政策和党派内斗，这只会使我们后退。我不能站在这儿假装一切都很美好。我知道现在很艰难。但我知道我们以前共同度过了艰难时期。而我们也将再一次度过这次的艰难时期。在这家工厂勤劳工作的人们使我坚信这一点。
 
So to all the naysayers out there, I say this:  Don’t ever bet against the American people.  Because we don’t take the easy way out.  That’s not how we deal with challenge.  That’s not how we build this country into the greatest economic power the world has ever known.  We did it by summoning the courage to persevere²³, and adapt, and push this country forward, inch by inch.  That’s the spirit I see in this plant today, and as long as I have the privilege of being your President, I will keep fighting alongside you until we reach a better day.
 所以对于那些反对者们，我要说：永远也不要拿反对美国人民来做赌注。因为我们不会寻求捷径。那不是我们面对挑战的解决方法。那也不是我们将这个国家建设成为世界上最强大的经济大国的途径。我们通过鼓足勇气，坚持不懈，不断调整，将国家一寸一寸的不断推向前进。这是我今天在这家工厂所见到的精神。而且只要我还在总统位置上，我就会一直与你们站在一起并肩战斗直到我们迎来更加美好的明天。
 
Thanks.
 谢谢！
 
 

1 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

7 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

8 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

9 liquidation   

n.清算，停止营业

参考例句：

• The bankrupt company went into liquidation.这家破产公司停业清盘。
• He lost all he possessed when his company was put into liquidation.当公司被清算结业时他失去了拥有的一切。

10 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

11 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

12 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

13 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

14 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

15 rebound   

v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回

参考例句：

• The vibrations accompanying the rebound are the earth quake.伴随这种回弹的振动就是地震。
• Our evil example will rebound upon ourselves.我们的坏榜样会回到我们自己头上的。

16 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

17 volt   

n.伏特，伏

参考例句：

• You may use 100 and 110 volt appliances in your room.您可以在房间使用100及110伏特的电器。
• The common service voltage of electric power in our country is 220/380 volt.我国普通供电电压为220/380伏。

18 sip   

v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量

参考例句：

• She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。
• Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。

19 icons   

n.偶像( icon的名词复数 )；（计算机屏幕上表示命令、程序的）符号，图像

参考例句：

• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons. 用图标来区分重要的文本项。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Daemonic icons should only be employed persistently if they provide continuous, useful status information. 只有会连续地提供有用状态信息的情况下，后台应用程序才应该一直使用图标。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

20 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

22 maneuvering   

v.移动，用策略( maneuver的现在分词 )；操纵

参考例句：

• This Manstein did, with some brilliant maneuvering under the worse winter conditions. 曼施坦因在最恶劣的严冬条件下，出色地施展了灵活机动的战术，终于完成了任务。 来自辞典例句
• In short, large goals required farsighted policies, not tactical maneuvering. 一句话，大的目标需要有高瞻远瞩的政策，玩弄策略是不行的。 来自辞典例句

23 persevere   

v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• They are determined to persevere in the fight.他们决心坚持战斗。
• It is strength of character enabled him to persevere.他那坚强的性格使他能够坚持不懈。