The Obama administration is hailing recent improvements in U.S. economic indicators, but says more must be done to put the United States on solid economic footing. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner proclaimed the risk of financial collapse to be over, but said the United States must shrink its massive national debt.
奥巴马政府对最近美国经济指标的改善表示欣慰，但是奥巴马政府表示，还有更多的事情要做才能使美国经济稳定。美国财政部长盖特纳说，尽管金融系统崩溃的风险已经过去，但是美国还必须减少巨大的国债。
Last week saw positive U.S. economic news, with increases in home sales and housing prices, a jump in manufacturing activity, a drop in new jobless claims, and a new growth figure showing the economy shrinking far less than had been anticipated.
美国经济上星期好消息连连：住房销售量和房价双双上升，制造业领域活动增加，新增失业数下降，而且新公布的增长数字显示经济衰退的速度大大低于预期。
Treasury Secretary Geithner welcomed the news.
美国财政部长盖特纳对这些好消息表示欢迎。
"There are signs the recession is easing," Geithner said. "And, if you think about where we were at the end of last year -- the economy in free fall, a financial system on the verge of collapse -- the actions this administration has taken have been very effective in helping stabilize conditions, help repair the financial system, bring down the cost of credit."
他说：“有迹象显示经济衰退的势头正在减慢。如果你想象一下去年年底我们的情况，当时经济急剧下滑，金融体系处于崩溃边缘。这届政府所采取的措施非常有效地稳定了形势，修复了金融系统，降低了信贷成本。”
Geithner was speaking on ABC's This Week program. He was quick to add that many Americans continue to feel economic pain.
盖特纳是在美国广播公司ABC的《本周》节目上将这些话的。他很快补充说，很多美国人还在承受经济的痛苦。
"Unemployment is very high in this country," Geithner said. "We need to make Americans more confident about their future."
“美国的失业率非常高。我们需要让美国人对他们的未来更有信心。”
Geithner said one key to a sustained economic recovery will be to reduce U.S. federal deficits and stop adding to America's national debt.
盖特纳说，使美国经济持续复苏的一个重要任务就是要减少美国联邦赤字，同时停止增加国债。
"We will not get this economy back on track, recovery will not be strong and sustained, unless we can convince the American people that we are going to have the will to bring these deficits down," Geithner said."
他说：“除非我们能够让美国人相信我们有把这些赤字降下来的意志，否则我们将无法让经济走上正轨，经济复苏也不会是扎实和持久的。”
The Treasury secretary said reforming America's costly health care system is one of several steps needed to put America's fiscal house in order. He did not rule out tax hikes to cut the deficit, once the U.S. economy is growing.
财政部长盖特纳说，改革美国昂贵的医疗保健体系是使美国经济恢复正常所必须采取的几个步骤之一。他没有排除在经济一旦开始增长后会通过提高税收来减少赤字的可能。
The Obama administration's efforts to combat the recession include an $800 billion economic stimulus package enacted earlier this year. For all the government's initiatives, Geithner said it is the private sector that will lead the United States to recovery.
奥巴马政府应对经济衰退的措施包括今年年初开始实行的8千亿美元经济刺激计划。盖特纳说，对于所有的政府计划而言，带领美国经济走向复苏的将是私营企业。
But Republicans accuse the Obama administration of swelling government and burdening private industry and ordinary citizens. Indiana Congressman Mike Pence spoke on Fox News Sunday.
不过共和党人指责奥巴马政府扩大政府规模，并且让私营产业和普通民众背上沉重负担。印第安纳州国会议员迈克.彭斯在福克斯新闻上讲话。
"We have lost two-million jobs since the stimulus bill was passed," Pence said. "And I think what we are seeing in the economy right now is the inherent resilience of the American economy and the American people. What we ought to be doing is pursuing the kind of broad-based prescription for recovery and stimulating this economy that has always worked: fiscal discipline in Washington and tax relief for working families, small businesses and family farms."
他说：“自从经济刺激法案通过以来，已经有200万人失业。我认为我们现在所看到的经济形势是美国经济和美国人民历来所固有的弹性。我们必须要做的是为恢复和刺激经济采用一种基于大众的方法，也就是：美国政府在财政上自我约束，给工薪家庭、小企业和家庭农场减税。”
At more than 18 months, the recession is the longest suffered in the United States since World War Two. Economists say unemployment will likely continue to rise for several months even after a recovery begins.
美国经济衰退已经持续了18个多月，这是美国自二战以来所经历的最长的经济衰退。经济学家表示，失业率在今后几个月内还会继续上升，甚至在经济开始复苏以后还会如此。 |