奥巴马每周电视讲话：总统呼吁国会应尽快提高最低工资标准

Hi, everybody.
大家好。
This week, I traveled to New England, where I was joined by four governors who are working to raise the minimum wage in each of their states.
本周，我到访了新英格兰地区，支持当地四位州长提高各自州内的最低工资标准。
And they've also joined me in calling on Congress to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour.
他们也与我一起呼吁国会将最低工资标准从7.25美元每小时提高到10.10美元。
Because it would give nearly 800,000 Americans in their states a raise -and lift wages for about 28 million across the country.
此举将提高他们所在各州约80多万人的生活水平，并提高全国2800万人的工资收入。
So these governors aren't waiting for Congress to make up its mind.
这几位州长没有等待国会做最后决定。
And in my State of the Union Address, I asked America's business leaders to go ahead and do what they could to raise their employees' wages, too.
在我的国情咨文中，我也请求美国的各个公司领导提前谋划，尽他们能力提高员工工资。
And increasingly, it's not just large companies like Costco or the Gap that choose to pay their employees higher starting wages.
最近，不仅像Costco和Gap这样的大公司选择为其员工提供更高的工资。
It's smaller businesses like Jaxson's, a family-owned ice cream parlor¹ in South Florida.
连Jaxson这样的南佛罗里达地区的家庭经营的冰激凌小店都加入了。
They answered the call and raised their wages so that more than 70 employees would earn at least $10.10 an hour, without cutting back on hiring.
他们响应我的号召，提高员工工资，70多位员工每小时至少可以得到10.10美元的工资，而公司并没有因此没有解雇一个人。
And two weeks ago, an Atlanta small business owner named Darien Southerland wrote me to share a lesson his grandmother taught him -that if you treat your employees right, they'll treat you right.
两周前，亚特兰大一家小企业主Darien Southerland写信给我，讲述他祖母给他的教诲：如果你善待你的员工，他们也将善待你。
And Vice² President Biden paid him a visit this week.
为此，拜登副总统本周前去拜访了他。
I agree with these business owners, which is why I issued an executive order requiring federal contractors³ to pay their employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour.
我完全支持这些企业主的做法，因此，我签署了一份行政命令，要求所有联邦政府合同承包商向其员工支付最低10.10美元每小时的工资。
It's good for our bottom line.
这对改善社会底层境遇有帮助。
And working Americans have struggled through stagnant⁴ wages for far too long.
工薪阶层忍受低工资太长时间了。
A clear majority of Americans support raising the minimum wage, because we believe that nobody who works full-time⁵ should have to live in poverty.
很明显，大部分美国人是支持提高最低工资标准的，因为我们相信，任何辛勤工作的人都不应该生活在贫困之中。
About half of all Republicans support raising the minimum wage, too.
大约有一半的共和党人也支持提高最低工资标准。
It's just too bad they don't serve in Congress.
可惜的是他们并不都是国会议员。
Because the Republicans who do serve in Congress don't want to vote on the minimum wage at all.
因为国会的共和党人并不想给提高最低工资标准一个投票表决的机会。
Some even want to get rid of it completely. Seriously.
有些人甚至想完全废掉这份提案。
That's why what business leaders and everyday Americans are doing to raise wages is so important.
正因如此，大量的企业主和美国人民提高工资的行动才显得如此重要。
Because change doesn't come from Washington -change comes to Washington.
因为华盛顿不会轻易改变，只有压力到来他们才会改变。
I've always believed that, and it's true in this case, too.
我始终相信，这一切终会到来。
Outside Washington, Americans are ready to put aside old political arguments and move this country forward.
华盛顿之外的美国人民早已做好准备，将陈旧的政治争论抛之脑后，推动这个国家向前发展。
The American people are way ahead of Congress on this issue, and we've just got to let Congress know that.
在这个问题上，美国人民已经走到了国会的前面，我们应该让国会知道这一切。
It's time for “ten-ten.” It's time to give America a raise.
10.10美元的工资标准刻不容缓。提高美国人民生活水平刻不容缓。
And it's time to restore opportunity for all.
为所有人提供更多机会刻不容缓。
Thanks, and have a great weekend.
谢谢大家，祝你们周末愉快！

1 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

5 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。