奥巴马总统每周电台演讲:总统呼吁国会向房主们伸出援手

Hi, everybody.

大家好。

In recent weeks, you might have noticed something.

最近几周，你们可能注意到了一些事情，

Or maybe even heard the sound of it if you live close enough.

或者如果你住在附近，也应该有所耳闻。

New homes are going up.

新房子正在拔地而起。

In fact, construction workers are breaking ground on new homes in America at the fastest pace in more than four years.

实际上，建筑工人们正以四年多来的最快速度建造新房。

At the same time, more homes are being sold.

而与此同时，更多房屋也正被售出。

Home values are back on the rise.

房屋价格重回上升势头。

And foreclosure filings are at their lowest point in the five years since the housing bubble burst and left millions of responsible families holding the bag.

自从五年前房地产泡沫破裂，致使成千上万负责任的房主们被迫背上包袱时，现在地产取消赎回权已经降到了最低点。

Now, we're not where we need to be yet.

而现在，我们还远未达到我们企及的目标。

Too many homes are still underwater.

还有太多的房屋仍然没有被建造，

Too many families are still having a hard time making the mortgage on their piece of the American Dream.

还有太多的家庭依然为了实现美国梦而处于艰难的还贷时期。

But one of the heaviest drags on our recovery is getting lighter¹.

但影响着我们复苏的最重的其中一个包袱已经减轻了许多。

Now we have to build on the progress we've made, and keep moving forward.

现在我们要以所取得的成绩为基础继续前进。

I never believed that the best way to deal with the housing market was to just sit back, do nothing, and simply wait for things to hit bottom.

我从来都不相信处理房地产市场问题的最佳方案是坐视不管，等待市场触底。

That would have been a disaster for all the responsible families who—through no fault of their own—were struggling to make ends meet.

这样对于那些没有错的负责任家庭而言是一次灾难，他们要为了实现收支平衡而还贷。

Instead, I've made helping² those homeowners a priority.

因此，我一直都把帮助这些房主当成第一要务。

Since I took office, my Administration has taken action to help millions of families stay in their homes.

而自从我出任总统以来，我的政府已经采取措施帮助数百万家庭保住了他们的房子。

We teamed up with attorneys general in almost every state to investigate and crack down on the practices that caused this mess.

我们与最高检察官们组成团队一起调查几乎每个州的引发房地产危机的恶劣行径并进行严厉处罚。

And in the end, we secured a $25 billion settlement from the biggest banks—one of the biggest settlements in history—and used it to provide relief to families all across America.

最后，我们从最大的银行担保了史上最大规模的250亿美元安置资金缓解了全国还贷家庭的压力。

We've taken action to help responsible homeowners refinance their mortgages.

我们已经采取措施帮助负责任的房主们进行转按揭贷款。

As a result, just this year hundreds of thousands of Americans who were stuck in high-interest loans have been able to take advantage of historically low rates and are saving thousands of dollars every year.

结果，仅今年一年，成百上千万负担高利率贷款重压的房主们利用史上最低的利率这一优势并且每年节省了数千美元。

And now I want every homeowner in America to have that chance.

而现在我希望美国的每位房主都有这样的机会。

I just wish it didn't require an act of Congress.

我希望不需要国会的授权。

But it does.

但实事上却需要。

So, back in February, I sent Congress a plan to give every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage by refinancing at historically low rates.

所以，我在今年2月向国会提交了一份计划，让每一个负责任的房主有机会在历史新低的利率下进行转按揭，每年都可以节省3000美元。

That's the equivalent of a $3,000 tax cut.

这相当于3000美元的减税。

It's a plan that we know will work.

这是一个我们知道肯定能奏效的计划。

It has the support of independent, nonpartisan economists³ and leaders across the housing industry.

而且该计划也得到了独立、无党派经济学家以及全国房地产领军人物们的支持。

It's a no-brainer that should have passed easily.

这个计划不需动脑筋也应该很容易通过。

But Republicans in Congress banded together and kept this plan from even coming to a vote.

但它遭到了国会的共和党人一致反对，甚至参加投票的机会也不给。

They banded together and prevented millions of Americans—including many of you listening today—from saving $3,000 a year.

他们一致拒绝的是数百万美国人民，包括很多今天在听我演讲的人，每年能够节省的3000美元。

That's money that could have gone back into the value of your home, or your kid's college savings⁴ account.

这笔钱本该可以用于重新注入你住房的价值，或者进入你孩子的大学储蓄账户。

That's money that could have gone into your local businesses, so they could hire and create more jobs in your town.

这笔钱本该回到你们的本地企业，他们可以雇佣员工并创造更多本地的就业机会。

But Republicans in Congress still won't let that happen.

但国会的共和党人仍然不想让这件事成真。

And that's only held back the economy, when we should be doing everything we can to accelerate our economic engine.

当我们想尽办法推动经济发展的时候，他们却成为了阻碍。

Let's be honest—Republicans in Congress won't act on this plan before the election.

我们开诚布公的讲，国会的共和党人在大选前不会对这项计划有所动作。

But maybe they'll come to their senses afterward⁵ if you give them a push.

但如果向他们施压，他们可能会明白过来。

So contact your Representative, especially if this plan will help you or someone you know.

因此，请联系你们的议员，特别是如果这项计划成功可以帮到你或你的朋友的人。

Tell him or her that American homeowners have waited long enough.

告诉他或她，美国的房主们已经等待了很长时间。

Tell them that it's time for Congress to stop standing⁶ in the way of our recovery and to start standing up for you.

告诉他们，现在是国会不要挡住我们复苏的道路，站出来帮助大家的时候。

Thanks and have a great weekend.

谢谢大家，祝你们周末愉快！

1 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

2 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。

3 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

5 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

6 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。