欧美名人演讲 第20期:奥巴马最后一次国情咨文(1)

 　　Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice¹ President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans:

　　议长先生、副总统先生、各位国会议员和美国同胞们：

　　Tonight marks the eighth year I've come here to report on the State of the Union. And for this final one, I'm going to try to make it shorter.

　　今晚是我在这里做国情咨文的第八个年头，也是最后一次。我将尽量简而言之。

　　I know some of you are antsy to get back to Iowa.

　　我知道你们中有些人急着回爱荷华州（译者注：两党党内预选进行地）。

　　I've been there. I'll be shaking hands afterwards, if you want some tips.

　　我去过那里。如果你们需要些建议的话，我稍后会同你们握手。

　　I understand that because it's an election season, expectations for what we'll achieve this year are low.

　　我理解此时正当大选之季，因此公众对我们今年成就的期望并不高。

　　But, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the constructive² approach you and the other leaders took at the end of last year to pass a budget and make tax cuts permanent for working families.

　　但是，议长先生，您以及其他领导人去年年末通过了建设性的预算决议，使得工薪家庭减税计划能够长久实施下去，我对此深表感激。

　　So I hope we can work together this year on some bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform and helping³ people who are battling prescription⁴ drug abuse, and heroin⁵ abuse.

　　因此我衷心希望今年两党能够在一些重要事务上同心协作，比如，推行刑事司法改革，帮助那些与处方药和海洛因滥用行为抗争的人们。

　　So, who knows. We might surprise the cynics again.

　　我们很可能会让质疑者们再次大吃一惊。

　　But tonight, I want to go easy on the traditional list of proposals for the year ahead.

　　但在今晚，我打算少谈些像往年那样的发展计划。

　　Don't worry, I've got plenty, from helping students learn to write computer code to personalizing medical treatments for patients.

　　别担心，我还是有很多计划要谈，比如，帮助学生学习编写计算机代码，以及对病人进行个性化治疗。

　　And I'll keep pushing for progress on the work that I believe still needs to be done.

　　我将继续推动这些未竟事业的进步。

　　Fixing a broken immigration system, Protecting our kids from gun violence.

　　完善有漏洞的移民体系。保护我们的孩子们免遭枪械暴力。

　　Equal pay for equal work, paid leave, raising the minimum wage.

　　继续推行同工同酬及带薪休假，并提高最低工资水平。

　　All these things, all these things still matter to hardworking families; they are still the right thing to do; and I won't let up until they get done.

　　所有的这一切对于努力工作的家庭们来说依然至关重要；这些仍是我们要做的对的事情；我绝不会放松这些工作，直至他们完成为止。

　　But for my final address to this chamber⁶, I don't want to just talk about next year.

　　但这是我最后一次在此发表讲话，我不想只谈论来年的事宜。

　　I want to focus on the next five years, the next ten years, and beyond. I want to focus on our future.

　　我想关注今后的五年、十年，甚至更久远的事情。我更关注我们的未来。

　　We live in a time of extraordinary change. Change that's reshaping the way we live, the way we work, our planet and our place in the world.

　　我们生活在一个充满巨变的时代，这场巨变改变了我们的生活、工作方式，改变了我们的星球和我们在世界上的地位。

　　It's change that promises amazing medical breakthroughs, but also economic disruptions that strain working families.

　　这种巨变预示着医学将出现重大突破，也会带来困扰着工薪家庭的经济动荡。

　　It promises education for girls in the most remote villages, but also connects terrorists plotting an ocean away.

　　它为生活在边远山区的女孩们带去教育的希望，却也使远距重洋的恐怖分子得以串通一气策划阴谋。

1 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。

2 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

3 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。

4 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

5 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。