VOA慢速英语2013 IN THE NEWS - President Obama Sets His Goals for 2013

 

IN THE NEWS - President Obama Sets His Goals for 2013

新闻报道 - 奥巴马确立2013年执政目标

From VOA Learning English, this is IN THE NEWS in Special English.

这里是美国之音慢速英语新闻报道。

President Obama set out goals for his second term earlier this week during his fifth State of the Union message to Congress. The president spoke¹ largely about his economic goals for the United States. He noted² the need for the two main political parties to support his efforts to help the middle class, create jobs and reduce the deficit³.

本周早些时候，奥巴马在第五次向国会发表国情咨文时确立了他第二个任期的目标。奥巴马总统主要谈到了美国的经济目标。他指出了两个主要政党在支持他帮助中产阶级、创造就业和削减赤字的措施的必要性。 

“Nothing I am proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a single dime⁴. It is not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government that sets priorities and invests in broad-based growth.”

我今晚提出的方案不会增加一分钱预算赤字。我们不需要大政府，而是需要一个能够明辨主次，对广泛增长进行投资的更聪明的政府。

Mr. Obama promised that his proposals would not increase the size of the federal deficit. He said major economic growth requires a balanced method to reduce the deficit, where everyone does his fair share. He suggested reforming Medicare, the government-assisted health care program. His proposals include cutting taxpayer⁵ money to drug companies.

奥巴马承诺，他的建议不会增加联邦赤字规模。他表示，主要经济增长需要一种人人各司其职的平衡之道来削减赤字。他建议改革政府扶助的Medicare医保计划。他的建议还包括削减提供给医药公司的纳税人资金。

President Obama also repeated his call to do away with tax laws and deductions⁶ for the wealthy. He called for a tax system that does not result in the movement of jobs overseas, and one that lowers tax rates for businesses that create jobs in the United States. He urged lawmakers to pass a budget that replaces unnecessary cuts with “smart savings⁷ and wise investments in our future.” 

奥巴马总统还再次呼吁废除面向富人的税法和削减。他呼吁制定一种不会导致工作岗位转移到海外，降低创造了就业机会的企业的税率的税制。他督促国会议员通过预算案来取代无意义的削减，对未来进行灵活的节约和智慧的投资。

The president said the American economy is stronger when the skills and creativity of “striving, hopeful immigrants” are used. He said leaders from the business, labor⁸, law enforcement and religious communities all agree that the time has come for immigration reform. He asked lawmakers to speed passage of measures aimed at improving immigration policy. 

奥巴马总统说，当“努力奋斗和满怀希望的移民”的技能和创意得到发挥时，美国经济就会更强大。他说，来自企业、劳工、执法和宗教团体的领袖们一致认为，进行移民改革的时机已到。他要求国会议员加速通过旨在改善移民政策的措施。

“As we speak, bipartisan groups in both chambers⁹ are working diligently¹⁰ to draft a bill, and I applaud their efforts. Now let's get this done. Send me a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next few months, and I will sign it right away, and America will be better for it. Let's get it done.”

“就在此时此刻，参众两院的一些跨党派小组正在努力草拟一项法案，我对他们的努力表示赞赏。那么让我们来完成这项工作吧。未来几个月内请把一项全面移民改革的法案提交给我，我会立即予以签署。美国将因为它而变得更美好。让我们把它完成。”

Mr. Obama said real reform means stronger border security and establishing a responsible pathway to citizenship¹¹. He said the reform means fixing the legal immigration system to cut waiting periods and reduce bureaucratic¹² barriers.

奥巴马表示，真正的改革意味着需要更强有力的边境安保，建立一个负责任的获取公民身份的途径。他表示，改革意味着修正合法移民制度以减少等待时间和降低官僚障碍。

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida gave the official Republican Party reaction to the president’s speech. He agreed to the need for immigration reform and for a system to invite what he called the “best and the brightest” to come to America. The Senator said the country needs a responsible system for dealing¹³ with illegal immigrants. And he called for stronger enforcement of existing laws. 

佛州参议员马可·卢比奥（Marco Rubio）对总统的讲话给出了代表共和党的正式回应。他同意移民改革和邀请他所谓的“最好和最聪明者”到美国来的这样一种制度的必要性。他表示，美国需要一个负责任的制度来处理非法入境者。他还呼吁加强现有法律的执行。

“We need a responsible, permanent solution to the problem of those who are here illegally. But first, we must follow through on the broken promises of the past, to secure our borders and enforce our laws.”

“我们需要一个负责任的永久性解决方案来处理非法移民的问题。但首先，我们必须兑现过去的诺言，以确保边境安全和执行我们的法律。” 

Mr. Rubio was elected to the Senate in 2010 with the help of Tea Party activists¹⁴. The Tea Party is a movement largely within the Republican Party. Its goal is to reduce the power and size of the federal government in the lives of Americans. Tuesday night, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky spoke for the Tea Party on the immigration issue.

2010年，卢比奥在茶党活动分子的帮助下当选为参议员。茶党运动主要是在共和党内。其目标是降低政府在美国人生活中的能力和规模。周二晚上，肯塔基州参议员兰德·保罗（Rand Paul）在移民问题上为茶叶党辩护。

“We're the party that embraces hard work and ingenuity¹⁵, therefore, we must be the party that embraces the immigrant who wants to come to America for a better future. We must be the party who sees immigrants as assets, not liabilities. We must be the party that says, 'If you want to work, if you want to be an American, we welcome you.'“

“我党倡导勤奋智慧，因此，我党必须接受到美国寻求更好未来的移民，我党必须将移民视为资产而不是负债。我党必须认可，‘如果你想工作，想成为美国人，我们就欢迎你。’”

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

4 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。

5 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

6 deductions   

扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演

参考例句：

• Many of the older officers trusted agents sightings more than cryptanalysts'deductions. 许多年纪比较大的军官往往相信特务的发现，而不怎么相信密码分析员的推断。
• You know how you rush at things,jump to conclusions without proper deductions. 你知道你处理问题是多么仓促，毫无合适的演绎就仓促下结论。

7 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

8 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。

9 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

10 diligently   

ad.industriously;carefully

参考例句：

• He applied himself diligently to learning French. 他孜孜不倦地学法语。
• He had studied diligently at college. 他在大学里勤奋学习。

11 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

12 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

13 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

14 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 ingenuity   

n.别出心裁；善于发明创造

参考例句：

• The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
• I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。