奥巴马每周电视讲话：总统呼吁加班应有报酬 勤劳应有回报

Hi, everybody.
大家好！
In this year of action, I'm doing everything I can, with or without Congress, to expand opportunity for more Americans.
在本年的施政纲领中，无论国会是否配合，我将尽我所能，我都将为更多人创造更多机会。
This week, I ordered a review of our nation's overtime¹ rules, to give more Americans the chance to earn the overtime pay they've worked for.
本周，我下令调查我国加班补偿规定，让更多美国人获得他们应得的加班补偿费用。
Here's why this matters.
为何如此原因很简单。
Our businesses have created 8.7 million new jobs over the past four years.
过去四年，我们的企业已经创造了870万个工作岗位。
But in many ways, the trends that have battered² the middle class for decades have grown even starker³.
但在很多方面，中产阶级十多年来受到的冲击越来越严重。
While those at the top are doing better than ever, average wages have barely budged⁴.
社会最顶层的人越来越富有，而社会平均工资几乎没什么变化。
Too many Americans are working harder than ever just to keep up.
有太多太多美国人辛苦工作却只能勉强收支相抵。
We've got to build an economy that works for everybody, not just a fortunate few.
我们的经济体应该为所有人服务，而不是富有的少数人。
We know from our history that our economy grows best from the middle out, when growth is more widely shared.
我们都知道，历史上，我们的经济惠及更多人的时候，其增长也最好，而增长最大的贡献来自中产阶级。
So we've got to restore opportunity for all-the idea that with hard work and responsibility, you can get ahead.
因此，我们需要为所有人创造机会，这一理念就是，只要辛勤工作和勇于承担责任，你就可以获得成功。
Now, for more than 75 years, the 40-hour workweek and the overtime protections that come with it have helped countless⁵ workers climb the ladder of success.
75年以来，每周40小时工作制和超时保护政策帮助无数劳动者爬上了成功的阶梯。
But today, an overtime exception originally meant for highly-paid employees now applies to workers who earn as little as $23,660 a year.
但现在，原本只适用于高收入人群的不算加班费的规定却对年收入只有23660美元的人同样适用。
It doesn't matter if you do mostly physical labor⁶, or if you work 50, 60, even 70 hours a week.
无论是体力活，或者每周工作50、60甚至70小时都一样。
Your employer may not have to pay you a single extra dime⁷.
雇主不需要为你额外的工作多付一分钱。
In some cases, this rule makes it possible for workers earning a salary to actually be paid less than the minimum wage.
在某些情况下，这一准则有可能让员工得到的实际工资比最低工资标准还要低。
And it means that business owners who treat their employees fairly can be undercut by competitors who don't.
这也意味着那些公正对待其员工的雇主会受到那些不遵守规则的同行竞争者的侵害。
That's not right.
这样是不对的。
So we're going to update those overtime rules to restore that basic principle that if you have to work more, you should be able to earn more.
因此我们将及时跟进修订这些规定，重新制定一些基本原则，如果你必须工作更多时间，你就应该能得到更多的收入。
And we'll do it by consulting workers and businesses, and simplifying the system so it's easier for everyone.
我们将咨询员工和企业，简化这一体系，让这一规定更方便的为所有人服务。
Americans have spent too long working more and getting less in return.
在工作更长时间而得到回报更少这一问题上，美国人民争取了太长时间。
So wherever and whenever I can make sure that our economy rewards hard work and responsibility, that's what I'm going to do.
因此无论何时何地，只要我有能力确保我们的经济发展可以回报辛勤付出和勇于承担责任的人，我都将尽我所能去做。
Because what every American wants is a paycheck that lets them support their families, know a little economic security, and pass down some hope and optimism to their kids.
因为每个美国人都希望他的付出获得的收入可以支撑其家庭的开支，确保家庭收支平衡，给孩子们希望和未来。
That's something worth fighting for.
这就是我们为之奋斗的。
And I'll keep fighting for it as long as I'm President.所只要还是总统我就要为之奋斗。
Thanks, and have a great weekend.
谢谢大家，祝你们周末愉快。

1 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

2 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

3 starker   

（指区别）明显的( stark的比较级 )； 完全的； 了无修饰的； 僵硬的

参考例句：

• As night falls, the contrast between these worlds grows starker. 随着夜幕的降临，两个世界的对比更为鲜明。
• What's more, compared with 1992, voters face a starker economic choice. 另外，跟1992年相比，选民面临着一种更为刻板的经济选择。

4 budged   

v.（使）稍微移动( budge的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）改变主意，（使）让步

参考例句：

• Old Bosc had never budged an inch--he was totally indifferent. 老包斯克一直连动也没有动，他全然无所谓。 来自辞典例句
• Nobody budged you an inch. 别人一丁点儿都算计不了你。 来自辞典例句

5 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 dime   

n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角

参考例句：

• A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。
• The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。