欧美名人演讲 第25期:奥巴马最后一次国情咨文(6)

 　　In the coming years, we should build on that progress, by providing Pre-K for all offering every student the hands-on computer science and math classes that make them job-ready on day one, and we should recruit and support more great teachers for our kids.

　　未来，我们要以这些成绩为基础，通过普及全民早教，让所有学生都接受计算机实践和数学课程培训，为他们将来步入职场做好准备。同时，我们要为孩子们招录更多优秀的教师，并给予这些教师更好的待遇。

　　And we have to make college affordable¹ for every American.

　　同时，我们要让每个美国人都能上得起大学。

　　No hardworking student should be stuck in the red.

　　因为，勤奋的学生不应该因为贫困被挡在校门之外。

　　We've already reduced student loan payments to ten percent of a borrower's income. And that's good.

　　我们已经将助学贷款的还款额降至借款人收入的10%。

　　But now, we've actually got to cut the cost of college.

　　接下来，我们需要降低大学费用。

　　Providing two years of community college at no cost for every responsible student is one of the best ways to do that, and I'm going to keep fighting to get that started this year. That's the right thing to do.

　　两年制的社区大学将为每一位有责任感的学生提供免费教育，这是降低大学费用最理想的方式之一，我会不断努力让这个方案在今年启动。那是正确的事情。

　　But a great education isn't all we need in this new economy.

　　但在新经济中，我们所需要的不仅仅是优质的教育。

　　We also need benefits and protections that provide a basic measure of security.

　　我们还需要能够提供基本生活保障的福利和保护措施。

　　It's not much of a stretch to say that some of the only people in America who are going to work the same job, in the same place, with a health and retirement² package, for 30 years, are sitting in this chamber³.

　　如果说在座的各位，是美国为数不多的能够在同一个地方从事同一份工作30年，还能获得健康和养老保障的人，也不算夸张。

　　For everyone else, especially folks in their forties and fifties, saving for retirement or bouncing back from job loss has gotten a lot tougher.

　　而对于其他人，特别是四五十岁的美国人来说，为退休后的生存点钱或是在失业后重振旗鼓，已经越来越困难。

　　Americans understand that at some point in their careers, in this new economy, they may have to retool⁴ they may have to retrain.

　　大家都认识到，在新的经济形势下，在他们职业生涯的某个时刻，他们不得不重新接受培训，重新学习技能。

1 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

2 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

3 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。

4 retool   

v.改组，重新装备

参考例句：

• Each time the product changes,the machines have to be retooled.每次更换产品，就得重新装备机器。
• In the computer industry,engineers have to retool frequently.在电脑业中，工程师必须经常以新知识充实装备自己。