奥巴马每周电视讲话：总统呼吁让人民重返工作岗位

Good morning.

早上好。

Over the past few days, I've met with Republicans and Democrats¹ from both houses of Congress in an effort to reopen your government and remove the dangers of default from our economy.

在过去的几天里，我会见了国会参众两院的共和党人和民主党人，就如何让政府重新开启及消除美国经济违约的危险进行探讨。

It's a positive development that House Republicans have agreed on the need to avoid the economic consequences of not meeting our country's commitments.

众议院共和党人已就避免不能兑现我们国家承诺的经济后果的必要性达成一致，这是一个积极的变化。

Because once the debt ceiling is raised, and the shutdown is over, there's a lot we can accomplish together.

因为一旦债务上限得以提高、政府关门结束，我们可以一起完成许多事情。

We've created seven and a half million new jobs in the past three and a half years.

在过去3年半的时间里，我们创造了750万个新的工作岗位。

Now let's create more.

现在，让我们创造的更多。

We've cut our deficits² in half over the past four years.

在过去四年里，我们将美国政府财政赤字削减了一半。

Now let's do it in a smarter, balanced way that lets us afford to invest in the things we need to grow.

现在，让我们以更明智的平衡方式削减财政赤字，使我们可以投资需要发展的项目吧！

The truth is, there's a lot we can agree on.

事实上，有许多问题我们都可以达成一致。

But one thing we have to agree on is that there is no good reason anyone should keep suffering through this shutdown.

不过，我们不得不达成一致的一件事情是，不存在人们应该继续遭受这次政府关门折磨的充分理由。

I met with some really innovative³ small business owners on Friday who've already lost contracts, lost customers, and put hiring on hold-because the pain of this Republican shutdown has trickled⁴ down to their bottom lines.

周五，我会见了一些真正具有创新精神的小企业主，他们已经失去了合同、失去了客户，不得不推迟招聘人手—因为这次共和党式政府关门带来的阵痛，严重影响了他们的最终利润。

It's hurting the very citizens that our government exists to serve.

政府关门正在伤害我们政府所服务的每位公民。

That's why a growing number of reasonable Republicans say it should end now.

正是出于这一理由，越来越多明智的共和党人认为，现在这一切该结束了。

And it wouldn't be wise, as some suggest, to just kick the debt ceiling can down the road for a couple months, and flirt⁵ with a first-ever intentional⁶ default right in the middle of the holiday shopping season.

我认为，像一些人建议的那样，只把政府借款授权延长区区数月，在假期购物季节当口，开玩笑地对待有史以来的第一次故意违约是不明智的。

Because damage to America's sterling⁷ credit rating wouldn't just cause global markets to go haywire; it would become more expensive for everyone in America to borrow money.

因为伤害美国的顶级信用评级，不仅会导致全球市场失去控制；美国人民的借贷成本也会变得更加高昂。

Students paying for college.

支付学费的学生。

Newly weds⁸ buying a home.

购买住房的新婚夫妇。

It would amount to a new tax-a Republican default tax-on every family and business in America.

这等于向美国每个家庭和企业开征一个新的税种—共和党违约税。

It doesn't have to be this way.

不是这种方式。

It's not supposed to be this way.

不应是这种方式。

Manufacturing crises to extract massive concessions⁹ isn't how our democracy works, and we have to stop it.

制造危机来获取重大让步，这不是我们的民主运作的方式，我们要去阻止它。

Politics is a battle of ideas, but you advance those ideas through elections and legislation-not extortion.

政治是思想的斗争，但是，提出和推动这些思想的方式是选举和立法，而不是勒索和敲诈。

I know you're frustrated¹⁰ by what you see in your nation's capital right now.

我知道，你们对首都华盛顿目前发生的一切倍感懊恼。

But because it's easy to get lost in or give up on the political back-and-forth, I want you to remember: this is not normal.

但是，由于太容易在政治的推来攘去中迷失方向或放弃目标，我希望你们记住：这不正常！

Our government is closed for the first time in 17 years.

我们的政府17年来首次关闭。

A political party is risking default for the first time since the 1700s.

一个政党正在冒发生美国建国以来首次违约的风险。

This is not normal.

这不正常！

That's why we have to put a stop to it. Not only because it's dangerous, but because it saps everyone's faith in our extraordinary system of self-government.

正是这一原因，我们要阻止它。不仅因为它充满危险，还因为它削弱每个人对我们卓越的自治系统的信任。

And that hurts us all.

这对我们全体都造成伤害。

Whether it's the work of creating jobs, growing the economy, or getting our fiscal¹¹ house in order for the long haul, we've got a lot of work to do-and constant brinksmanship doesn't let us do it.

不管是创造工作岗位、发展经济，还是为了长期发展而重整我们的财政机构，我们有太多的工作要做，可不断出现的边缘政策却不让我们有所作为。

It inflicts¹² real pain on real people.

它使人民遭受真真切切的痛苦。

It creates spasms¹³ of uncertainty¹⁴ for business owners.

它给企业主造成一阵又一阵的不确定性。

It threatens our nation's credit and standing¹⁵ in the world.

它威胁我们国家在国际上的信用和地位。

And the longer it goes on-the more frequently this brinksmanship is inflicted-the more we'll see markets react, businesses put off plans to spend and hire, and unemployment claims tick up.

这种局面持续得越长—这种边缘政策出现得越频繁—我们就会看到，市场反应越激烈，企业越倾向推迟开支和销售计划，失业率越日高一日。

The hundreds of thousands of hardworking civil servants who go even longer without pay will worry that they won't be able to cover their bills, and that their own creditworthiness will be ruined for no good reason at all.

成千上万勤劳的公务员经历更长的时间拿不到工资，担心他们无法支付账单，担心他们自己的信誉毫无理由地遭受伤害。

And I want to thank all the neighbors and local business owners who've shown acts of kindness to these Americans who serve their country.

我想感谢所有的邻居和当地企业主，他们对为他们国家服务的这些美国人表现得如此友好。

I ask that same spirit of citizenship¹⁶ from lenders who do business with these folks.

我恳求与这些同胞做生意的借贷者表现同样的公民精神。

Because they're being punished enough through no fault of their own.

因为这些同胞代人受过、吃够了苦头。

So let's pass a budget, put people back to work, and end this Republican shutdown.

因此，让我们通过预算、让人们重返工作岗位、结束这场共和党式的政府关门吧。

Let's pay our bills, and prevent an economic shutdown.

让我们支付我们的账单，防止经济关门。

Then let's get back to the work of the American people.

然后，让我们回到美国人民的工作上吧！

Because there is so much else we should be focusing our energies on right now.

因为，目前有如此多的其他事情需要我们倾注精力。

We've got to create more jobs, and kids to educate, and an immigration system to fix.

我们要创造更多的工作岗位，要教育孩子，要修复移民系统。

We've got more troops to bring home, and a middle class to rebuild, and opportunity to restore.

我们要让更多的军人返回故土，要重建中产阶级，要恢复机会。

There's so much America has going for it in this new century.

在这个新世纪，美国有如此多的目标需要去实现。

And as always, this country works better when we work together.

像往常一样，当我们团结一致时，这个国家就会运转得更好。

Thank you, and have a great weekend.

谢谢大家！祝你们周末愉快！

1 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》

2 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

3 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

4 trickled   

v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动

参考例句：

• Blood trickled down his face. 血从他脸上一滴滴流下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The tears trickled down her cheeks. 热泪一滴滴从她脸颊上滚下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 flirt   

v.调情，挑逗，调戏；n.调情者，卖俏者

参考例句：

• He used to flirt with every girl he met.过去他总是看到一个姑娘便跟她调情。
• He watched the stranger flirt with his girlfriend and got fighting mad.看着那个陌生人和他女朋友调情，他都要抓狂了。

6 intentional   

adj.故意的，有意（识）的

参考例句：

• Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
• His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。

7 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。

8 weds   

v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Confetti showered down on the newly-weds. 彩屑撒在一双新人身上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The newly-weds are head over heels in love. 这对新婚夫正情溶意蜜。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

10 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

12 inflicts   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Bullfrog 50 Inflicts poison when your enemy damages you at short range. 牛娃50对近距离攻击你的敌人造成毒伤。
• The U.S. always inflicts its concept of human nature on other nations. 美国总是把自己的人权观念强加于别国。

13 spasms   

n.痉挛( spasm的名词复数 )；抽搐；（能量、行为等的）突发；发作

参考例句：

• After the patient received acupuncture treatment,his spasms eased off somewhat. 病人接受针刺治疗后，痉挛稍微减轻了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The smile died, squeezed out by spasms of anticipation and anxiety. 一阵阵预测和焦虑把她脸上的微笑挤掉了。 来自辞典例句

14 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

15 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。

16 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。