奥巴马总统每周电台演讲:总统呼吁调动一切力量共同抗旱

Today, I want to talk about something that most of you know already—it's hot outside.

今天,我想谈论的事情想必你们已经知道—它在外面已经被炒的沸沸扬扬。

It's really hot.

真的非常火爆。

And if this feels worse than normal, that's because it is.

而且如果这个感觉比普通还要糟糕,这是因为它就是这样。

We just found out that the month of July was the warmest month on record—warmer than any other month since we began keeping track more than a century ago.

我们刚刚发现7月是记录有史以来最热的月份——比超过一个世纪以前自从我们开始记录的其他任何月份还要热上加热。

But the heat is just half the story.

但热只是这个故事的一半。

We're also suffering through one of the worst droughts in over 50 years.

同时我们也遭受着超过50年来最严重的干旱之一。

More than a fifth of this country is experiencing what we call “extreme” or “exceptional” drought

这个国家超过五分之一的州正在经历我们所说的“极端”或“异常”干旱

with states like Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas getting hit harder than most.

而内布拉斯加州、堪萨斯州,密苏里州,俄克拉何马州和阿肯色州所承受的情况要更为糟糕。

That's bad news for a lot of people, but it's especially tough on our farmers.

这对很多人而言是一则坏消息,但尤其对我们的农民来说异常艰难。

Right now, half of the corn crop in America is in poor or very poor condition.

现在, 美国一半的玉米作物正处于差或非常差的状况。

Cattle farmers are struggling to feed their animals.

养牛农民们正在为了喂养他们的动物们挣扎。

Many folks are seeing their livelihoods¹ dry up in front of their eyes.

许多人眼睁睁看到他们的营生干涸。

And if we don't get relief soon, Americans everywhere will start feeling the pinch, with higher prices on grocery store shelves all across the country.

如果我们不能很快得到救济,各地的美国人会开始感到压力,全国各地所有商店货架上的商品价格都会随着干旱而水涨船高。

We can't let that happen.

我们不能让这样的事情发生。

That's why, at my direction, the Department of Agriculture, led by Secretary Vilsack, has been working with other agencies across the federal government to make sure we're doing everything we can to help farmers and ranchers fight back and recover from this disaster.

这就是为什么,在我的指示下由维尔萨克领导的农业部一直在与整个联邦政府的其他机构协作以确保我们会尽一切可能帮助农民和牧场主从这场灾难中缓解并恢复。

Already, we've given farmers across 32 states access to low-interest emergency loans.

现在,我们已经为32个州的农民们提供低息应急贷款。

We've opened up more federal land for grazing.

我们也开放了更多用于放牧的联邦土地。

And we're working with crop insurance companies to give farmers a short grace period on their premiums²,

而且我们正在与农作物保险公司协调在保险费用问题上给予农民短期限期,

since some families will be struggling to make ends meet at the end of the year.

而一些家庭在今年年底将努力使收支平衡。

This past week, we went even further—announcing an additional $30 million to help get more water to livestock³ and restore land affected⁴ by the drought.

在过去的一周,我们走得更远——宣布增拨3000万美元,使更多的水用于喂养牲畜及恢复受干旱影响的土地。

We're making it easier for even more farmers, ranchers and businesses to get emergency loans.

我们甚至使更多的农民、农场主和企业更为便捷的获得紧急贷款。

And the Department of Transportation is helping⁵ more truck drivers deliver supplies to states that need them the most.

而交通部正在帮助更多的卡车司机运送物资到最需要的州去。

This is an all-hands-on-deck response, and we'll be doing even more in the coming weeks to help families and communities that are suffering right now.

这一切尽在我们掌控之中,我们会在未来几周做得更多帮助现在正在遭受苦难的家庭和社区。

But my Administration can't do it alone.

但仅靠我的政府不能独自做到这一点。

Congress needs to do its part, too.

国会也需要尽自己的一部分责任。

They need to pass a farm bill that not only helps farmers and ranchers respond to these kinds of disasters, but also makes necessary reforms and gives them some certainty year-round.

他们需要通过一项农业法案,这一法案不仅帮助农民和牧场主应对这些种类型的灾难,也要做出必要的改革,并为他们提供全年的一些保障。

That's the single best way we can help rural communities right now, and also in the long-term.

这是我们可以在现在及长期帮助农村社区的最好方式。

So call your Members of Congress, write them an email, and tell them that now is the time to come together and get this done.

所以打电话给你的国会成员们,给他们写一封电子邮件,告诉他们,现在是重新一起把这件事做好的时候了。

Too many Americans are suffering right now to let politics get in the way.

太多的美国人现在正遭受苦难，所以让政治靠边站。

Let's help farmers, ranchers and business owners recover.

让我们帮助农民、农场主和企业主们恢复。

Let's make sure that families who already stretch their budgets to the limit don't have to pay more for groceries this fall.

让我们确保家庭已经舒展自己的预算限制，在今年秋天没有太多的负担。

In the meantime, I'll keep doing everything I can to help respond to this disaster.

同时,我将会继续尽我一切所能来帮助应对这一灾难。

Because at times like these, it doesn't matter if you live in Des Moines or Detroit—we're Americans first.

因为在这种情况下,不管你住在得梅因或底特律—首先我们同是美国人。

And if we look out for each other, we'll come out of this stronger than before.

如果我们互相照顾,我们会比以前更为坚强的渡过这次灾难。

Have a great weekend, everybody. And stay cool.

祝大家周末愉快。并保持冷静。

1 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

2 premiums   

n.费用( premium的名词复数 )；保险费；额外费用；（商品定价、贷款利息等以外的）加价

参考例句：

• He paid premiums on his life insurance last year. 他去年付了人寿保险费。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Moves are afoot to increase car insurance premiums. 现正在酝酿提高汽车的保险费。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 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。