U.S. President Barack Obama says it is time to overhaul the rules governing the nation's financial sector. The Obama administration says that while it wants tighter regulations, it has no plans to nationalize banks.
美国总统奥巴马指出，现在是全面整顿管理国家金融体系法规的时候了。奥巴马政府表示，尽管白宫希望加强监管，但没有将银行国有化的计划。
One day after a speech to the nation on his economic plan, President Obama weighed in on the need to set new rules for America's ailing financial sector.
奥巴马总统向全国发表经济计划演讲的第二天，又强调指出为美国问题重重的金融领域制定新法规的必要性。
"We now know from painful experience that we can no longer sustain 21st century markets with 20th century regulations," said President Obama.
奥巴马说：“痛苦的经历使我们认识到，我们再也不能用20世纪的法规维持21世纪的市场了。”
The president spoke after meeting with his top economic advisors and leading members of the two Congressional financial committees.
奥巴马是在会晤他的高级经济顾问和国会两个财政委员会主要成员之后说这番话的。
Mr. Obama said the process of drafting the necessary legislation to put tougher financial regulations in place starts now. He said the aim is clear.
奥巴马指出，起草必要的议案、实施更严格的金融法规，就从现在开始。他说，这样做的目的很明确。
"Strong financial markets require clear rules of the road - not to hinder financial institutions, but to protect consumers and investors and ultimately to keep those financial institutions strong," he said.
奥巴马说：“坚挺的金融市场需要明确的行为规范，这不是为了妨碍金融机构的运转，而是为了保护消费者和投资人，并最终保持金融机构的健康。”
He said new regulations must promote openness and transparency. He said they must be comprehensive and promote accountability.
奥巴马指出，新的法规必须促进开放和透明，必须是全面的，而且要明确责任。
Congressional leaders say there is no hard timetable for completing the legislation, insisting that it is more important to do the job right than to do it fast.
国会领袖表示，现在没有完成立法的硬性时间表，他们强调说，把事情做好要比做快更重要。
But President Obama makes clear he would like to have a regulation plan in hand when he goes to London for the April 2 summit of the world's leading developed and emerging economies.
但是奥巴马总统明确表示，他希望4月2日前往伦敦出席世界主要发达国家和新兴经济体首脑会议之前拿到有关新法规的计划。
"As we work to set high regulatory standards here in the United States, we have to challenge other countries around the world to do the same," he said.
他说：“我们在美国努力制定高管理标准的时候，必须要求世界其他国家也这样做。”
The president acknowledged that drafting the necessary legislation will be difficult. But he predicted that Democrats and Republicans will be able to come together on this issue.
奥巴马总统承认，起草必要的立法议案是困难的，但是他预计民主党和共和党人能够坐在一起讨论这个问题。
Representative Spencer Baucus, the top Republican on the House of Financial Services Committee, agrees.
国会众议院金融服务委员会资深共和党议员斯潘塞.鲍卡斯同意奥巴马的看法。
"This is too important to fail," he said. "And it is too important for partisanship."
他说：“这项工作太重要了，不能失败，不能有党派色彩。”
The White House push for financial services reform comes amidst worries that the administration might go further and nationalize troubled banks.
白宫推动金融系统改革的同时，有人担心，奥巴马政府可能会再进一步，把有问题的银行国有化。
But in congressional testimony on Wednesday, central bank chairman Ben Bernanke played down the possibility of a government takeover.
但是美联储主席伯南克星期三在国会作证时降低了政府接管的可能性。
"A nationalization to my mind is when the government seizes the bank, zeros out the shareholders and begins to manage and run the bank," he said. "And we don't plan anything like that."
他说：“在我看来，国有化就是政府没收银行，赶走股东，然后开始经手管理这家银行。我们不打算采取任何这类行动。”
At the same time, the Treasury Department announced that the nation's biggest banks would be granted immediate access to more of the federal government's $700 billion financial rescue fund.
与此同时，财政部宣布，美国最大的几家银行很快将从联邦政府7千亿美元金融救助资金中得到更多的拨款。 |