President Obama's 2012 State of the Union Address美国总统奥巴马2012国情咨文_English Corner

President Obama's 2012 State of the Union Address: An America Built to Last
美国总统奥巴马2012国情咨文：为了美国的长治久安

THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:
总统: 众议院议长先生、副总统先生、各位国会议员、贵宾们和美国同胞们：

Last month, I went to Andrews Air Force Base and welcomed home some of our last troops to serve in Iraq. Together, we offered a final, proud salute to the colors under which more than a million of our fellow citizens fought -- and several thousand gave their lives.
上个月，我前往安德鲁斯空军基地（Andrews Air Force Base），欢迎在伊拉克服役的最后一批军人回国。我们一起最后骄傲地向国旗敬礼。一百多万美国同胞曾为之作战，其中数千人献出了自己的生命。

We gather tonight knowing that this generation of heroes has made the United States safer and more respected around the world. (Applause.) For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq. (Applause.) For the first time in two decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country. (Applause.) Most of al Qaeda’s top lieutenants have been defeated. The Taliban’s momentum has been broken, and some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home.
我们今晚聚集在此，深知这一代的英雄使得美国更安全，在全世界更受尊敬。（掌声）现在不再有美国人在伊拉克作战，这是9年来的第一次。（掌声）乌萨马∙本∙拉登（Osama bin Laden）不再对美国构成威胁，这是20年来的第一次。(掌声)“基地”的大多数头目都已溃散。塔利班的气焰已经破灭。驻阿富汗的一些部队已经开始撤回国内。

These achievements are a testament to the courage, selflessness and teamwork of America’s Armed Forces. At a time when too many of our institutions have let us down, they exceed all expectations. They’re not consumed with personal ambition. They don’t obsess over their differences. They focus on the mission at hand. They work together.
这些成就见证了美国军队的英勇无畏、无私和团队精神。在我们的许多机构都让令人失望之时，他们的作为超出了所有人的期望。他们不沉溺于个人的欲望。他们不计较相互间的分歧。他们全神贯注于肩负的使命。他们为此同心协力。

Imagine what we could accomplish if we followed their example. (Applause.) Think about the America within our reach: A country that leads the world in educating its people. An America that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs. A future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world. An economy built to last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.
可以想象，如果我们以他们为榜样，我们能完成什么样的业绩。（掌声）想一想我们完全力所能及可以为美国实现的目标：人民接受的教育领先全世界；吸引新一代高科技制造业和高薪工作；实现我们的未来，由我们自己掌握能源，我们的安全和繁荣不再依赖世界上某些不稳定地区；经济长盛不衰，辛勤工作总有回报，尽职尽责受到奖励。

We can do this. I know we can, because we’ve done it before. At the end of World War II, when another generation of heroes returned home from combat, they built the strongest economy and middle class the world has ever known. (Applause.) My grandfather, a veteran of Patton’s Army, got the chance to go to college on the GI Bill. My grandmother, who worked on a bomber assembly line, was part of a workforce that turned out the best products on Earth.
我们可以做到这一点。我知道我们可以，因为我们曾这样做过。二战结束时，上一代英雄离开战场返回家园，建成全世界迄今为止最强大的经济和中产阶级。（掌声）我祖父，巴顿（Patton）麾下的老兵，有机会借助《退伍军人法》（GI Bill)上大学。我祖母，在一个轰炸机装配线上工作，作为劳动大军的一员生产全世界第一流产品。

The two of them shared the optimism of a nation that had triumphed over a depression and fascism. They understood they were part of something larger; that they were contributing to a story of success that every American had a chance to share -- the basic American promise that if you worked hard, you could do well enough to raise a family, own a home, send your kids to college, and put a little away for retirement.
他们两个人都发扬了战胜大萧条和法西斯主义的国家拥有的乐观向上的精神。他们了解，自己是一个伟大事业的组成部分；他们为每一个美国人都有机会踏上的成功之路做出贡献——在美国可以实现最普遍的希望:你如果辛勤工作，就足以养活家庭，拥有住房，送孩子上大学，还可以为退休存点钱。

The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive. No challenge is more urgent. No debate is more important. We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well while a growing number of Americans barely get by, or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. (Applause.) What’s at stake aren’t Democratic values or Republican values, but American values. And we have to reclaim them.
我们这个时代的关键问题是如何让这样的希望生生不息。没有任何挑战比这更为迫切。没有任何争论比这更重要。我们可以满足于这样一个国家，其中越来越少的人富甲一方而越来越多的美国人却勉强度日，或者我们可以重建我国经济，让人人都得到公平的机会，人人都尽自己的一份力量，人人都遵守同样的规则。（掌声）利害攸关的问题不是民主党的价值观或共和党的价值观，而是美国的价值观。我们必须重新树立这些价值观。

Let’s remember how we got here. Long before the recession, jobs and manufacturing began leaving our shores. Technology made businesses more efficient, but also made some jobs obsolete. Folks at the top saw their incomes rise like never before, but most hardworking Americans struggled with costs that were growing, paychecks that weren’t, and personal debt that kept piling up.
让我们谨记我们是如何走到这一步的。在经济衰退爆发前，就业岗位和制造业早已开始离开我们的海岸。技术使各行各业更有效率，但一些工作岗位也因此陈旧过时。位于最高层的同胞们看到他们的收入前所未有地增长，但大多数勤奋工作的美国人开支上升，工资水平停滞，债务不断增加，为此生活十分艰难。

In 2008, the house of cards collapsed. We learned that mortgages had been sold to people who couldn’t afford or understand them. Banks had made huge bets and bonuses with other people’s money. Regulators had looked the other way, or didn’t have the authority to stop the bad behavior.
2008年，纸牌搭建的房子坍塌了。我们知道，抵押贷款批给了没有能力支付或对此一知半解的人。银行拿着别人的钱投下巨大的赌注，得到了丰厚的报酬。监管人员视若无睹，或没有权力阻止不良行为。

It was wrong. It was irresponsible. And it plunged our economy into a crisis that put millions out of work, saddled us with more debt, and left innocent, hardworking Americans holding the bag. In the six months before I took office, we lost nearly 4 million jobs. And we lost another 4 million before our policies were in full effect.
这是不对的。这是不负责任的。这使我们的经济陷入危机，数百万人失业，我们背上了更多的债务，让无辜、勤劳的美国人代人受过。在我上任前的6个月中，我们失去了近400万个就业岗位。在我们的政策全面落实之前，我们又失去400万个就业岗位。

Those are the facts. But so are these: In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than 3 million jobs. (Applause.)
这些都是事实。但是，以下这些也是事实：在过去22个月内，各行各业创造了300多万个就业岗位。（掌声）

Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005. American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s. Together, we’ve agreed to cut the deficit by more than $2 trillion. And we’ve put in place new rules to hold Wall Street accountable, so a crisis like this never happens again. (Applause.)
去年，这些行业创造了2005年以来的大多数就业岗位。美国制造商重新开始雇人，自1990年代末期以来首次创造了工作机会。我们共同努力，已同意将赤字至少降低两万亿美元，并且制定了让华尔街承担责任的新规则，防止类似的危机再度发生。（掌声）

The state of our Union is getting stronger. And we’ve come too far to turn back now. As long as I’m President, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place. (Applause.)
我们合众国的国情日益强盛。我们已取得长足的进展，绝不能走回头路。只要我还担任总统之职，就将与在座的每一位一起再接再厉。但是，我将采取行动打破障碍，并将反对恢复原有政策的任何要求，因为当初正是这些政策引发了这场经济危机。（掌声）

No, we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phony financial profits. Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last -– an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.
不，我们不能重蹈复撤，听任外包、坏账和虚假的金融利润削弱我国经济。今晚，我希望谈一谈今后如何取得进展，并为建设长盛不衰的经济制定蓝图——以美国制造业、美国能源、美国劳工的技能以及继续发扬美国价值观为出发点的经济。

Now, this blueprint begins with American manufacturing.
这份蓝图以美国制造业为开端。

On the day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse. Some even said we should let it die. With a million jobs at stake, I refused to let that happen. In exchange for help, we demanded responsibility. We got workers and automakers to settle their differences. We got the industry to retool and restructure. Today, General Motors is back on top as the world’s number-one automaker. (Applause.) Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S. than any major car company. Ford is investing billions in U.S. plants and factories. And together, the entire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs.
在我就职之日，我国的汽车产业正濒临崩溃。有些人甚至说我们应该任其消亡。但这事关上百万个就业岗位，我拒绝让这种情况发生。作为提供帮助的交换条件，我们要求他们负起责任。我们让工人和汽车制造商解决他们的分歧。我们让汽车产业更新设备，重新改组。今天，通用汽车（General Motors）重新坐上世界头号汽车制造商的宝座。（掌声）克莱斯勒（Chrysler）在美国的增长速度比其他任何大型汽车公司都快。福特（Ford）正在美国的车间和厂房挹注数十亿美元的资金。整个汽车产业总计增加了将近16万个就业岗位。

We bet on American workers. We bet on American ingenuity. And tonight, the American auto industry is back. (Applause.)
我们坚信美国的劳动者。我们坚信美国的创新能力。今晚，美国汽车产业已经东山再起。（掌声。）

What’s happening in Detroit can happen in other industries. It can happen in Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Raleigh. We can’t bring every job back that’s left our shore. But right now, it’s getting more expensive to do business in places like China. Meanwhile, America is more productive. A few weeks ago, the CEO of Master Lock told me that it now makes business sense for him to bring jobs back home. (Applause.) Today, for the first time in 15 years, Master Lock’s unionized plant in Milwaukee is running at full capacity. (Applause.)
在底特律（Detroit）发生的事情也可以在其他行业发生。它可以在克里夫兰（Cleveland）、匹茲堡（Pittsburgh）和罗利（Raleigh）发生。我们不可能把所有流失到海外的工作都找回来，但是现在，在诸如中国等地从事经营的成本越来越高。与此同时，美国的生产效率也越来越高。几周前，玛斯特锁（Master Lock）公司的首席执行长告诉我，在他看来，把就业岗位带回美国现在是明智的经营之道。（掌声）今天，玛斯特锁公司坐落在密尔沃基（Milwaukee）实行工会制的工厂已全面投产，这是15年来的第一次。（掌声）

So we have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back. But we have to seize it. Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed. (Applause.)
因此，我们面前有一个把制造业迁回来的大好机会，可是我们必须抓住机会。今晚，我对企业领导人要说的话很简单：问一问你们自己怎样才能把工作机会带回美国，你们的国家就会尽一切努力助你们成功。（掌声）

We should start with our tax code. Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas. Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and everyone knows it. So let’s change it.
我们应该从我国的税法入手。目前，公司把工作和利润移到海外会获得税收优惠。与此同时，选择留在美国的公司却要承受在全球最高之列的税率。这样做没有道理，人人都知道这一点。因此我们必须着手改革。

First, if you’re a business that wants to outsource jobs, you shouldn’t get a tax deduction for doing it. (Applause.) That money should be used to cover moving expenses for companies like Master Lock that decide to bring jobs home. (Applause.)
首先，如果你是想要外包的企业，你就不应当因此获得减税。（掌声）这笔钱应当用来贴补像玛斯特锁等决定把工作迁回美国的公司的搬迁费用。（掌声）

Second, no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas. (Applause.) From now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax. And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here in America. (Applause.)
其次，任何美国公司都不能通过把工作和利润移到海外而逃避公平纳税。（掌声）从现在起，每个跨国公司都应当支付基本的最低税金。每一分钱都应当用来为选择留在美国并雇用美国人力的公司减税。（掌声）

Third, if you’re an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut. If you’re a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for making your products here. And if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for new workers. (Applause.)
第三，如果你是美国制造商，你就应当获得幅度更大的减税。如果你是高科技制造商，我们应当为你在美国本地制造产品而加倍减税。如果你想迁入一个因为工厂迁出而受到重创的社区，你在为新工厂、设备或者新员工培训融资时应当得到帮助。（掌声）

So my message is simple. It is time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America.
我要说的很简单。现在应当停止奖励将工作迁到海外的企业，而应当开始奖励在美国国内创造就业岗位的企业。
Send me these tax reforms, and I will sign them right away. (Applause.)
把这些税法改革方案交给我，我会立刻签署。（掌声）

We’re also making it easier for American businesses to sell products all over the world. Two years ago, I set a goal of doubling U.S. exports over five years. With the bipartisan trade agreements we signed into law, we’re on track to meet that goal ahead of schedule. (Applause.) And soon, there will be millions of new customers for American goods in Panama, Colombia, and South Korea. Soon, there will be new cars on the streets of Seoul imported from Detroit, and Toledo, and Chicago. (Applause.)
我们还使美国工商企业更容易在全世界各地销售产品。两年前，我提出美国出口在5年内翻一番的目标。随着两党一致的各项贸易协定经我们签署成为法律，我们正朝着这个目标稳步迈进——并可超前实现。（掌声）不久以后，美国产品将在巴拿马（Panama）、哥伦比亚（Colombia）和韩国（South Korea）获得数以百万计的新顾客。不久以后，来自底特律、托利多（Toledo）和芝加哥（Chicago）的新进口汽车将在首尔（Seoul）街头出现。（掌声）

I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products. And I will not stand by when our competitors don’t play by the rules. We’ve brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration –- and it’s made a difference. (Applause.) Over a thousand Americans are working today because we stopped a surge in Chinese tires. But we need to do more. It’s not right when another country lets our movies, music, and software be pirated. It’s not fair when foreign manufacturers have a leg up on ours only because they’re heavily subsidized.
我将前往全世界任何地方为美国产品打开新市场。当我们的竞争对手不按规则行事的时候，我不会坐视不顾。我们对中国提起贸易诉讼的案例数量是上一届政府的近两倍，而且已经看到成效。（掌声）由于我们制止了中国轮胎的倾销，一千多名美国人在今天得以有工作。可是我们需要再接再厉。当另一个国家听任我们的影片、音乐和软件被盗版，这是不对的。当外国制造商只因受到大量补贴而取得高于我们的优势，这是不公平的。

Tonight, I’m announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trading practices in countries like China. (Applause.) There will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing our borders. And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has an advantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing financing or new markets like Russia. Our workers are the most productive on Earth, and if the playing field is level, I promise you -– America will always win. (Applause.)
今晚，我宣布创建一个“贸易执法单位”（Trade Enforcement Unit），负责调查中国等国的不公平贸易作法。（掌声）我们将加强检验，防止假冒或者不安全的商品跨越边境进入我国。本届国会应做到勿使外国公司在取得融资或者进入俄罗斯等新市场方面取得高于美国制造商的优势。我们的工人是全世界生产效率最高的，如果有一个公平的竞争环境，我敢保证，美国将永远立于不败之地。（掌声）

I also hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can’t find workers with the right skills. Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job. Think about that –- openings at a time when millions of Americans are looking for work. It’s inexcusable. And we know how to fix it.
我也听到许多企业领导人说，他们想要在美国雇用人手，但却找不到拥有他们所需技能的人员。不断发展的科学和技术产业需要招聘的人员数量是能够胜任这类工作的人员的两倍。思考一下这个现象——这些在数百万美国人找工作的时候依然空缺的岗位。没有任何借口可言。而我们也知道如何补救。

Jackie Bray is a single mom from North Carolina who was laid off from her job as a mechanic. Then Siemens opened a gas turbine factory in Charlotte, and formed a partnership with Central Piedmont Community College. The company helped the college design courses in laser and robotics training. It paid Jackie’s tuition, then hired her to help operate their plant.
杰基·布雷（Jackie Bray）是北卡罗莱纳（North Carolina）的一位单身母亲，当过机械师，但被裁员。当时西门子公司（Siemens）在夏洛特（Charlotte）开办了一家天然气汽轮机厂，并与中部皮埃蒙特社区学院（Central Piedmont Community College）结成了伙伴关系。西门子公司帮助该学院设计激光和机器人技术培训方面的课程。公司为杰基付了培训费用，然后雇用她来工厂工作。

I want every American looking for work to have the same opportunity as Jackie did. Join me in a national commitment to train 2 million Americans with skills that will lead directly to a job. (Applause.) My administration has already lined up more companies that want to help. Model partnerships between businesses like Siemens and community colleges in places like Charlotte, and Orlando, and Louisville are up and running. Now you need to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers -– places that teach people skills that businesses are looking for right now, from data management to high-tech manufacturing.
我要让每一位正在找工作的美国人都得到杰基那样的机会。请与我一道努力在全国各地培训200万美国人，让他们掌握能够直接解决就业的技能。（掌声）我的政府已经汇集起更多的乐意帮忙的企业。像西门子这样的企业与夏洛特、奥兰多（Orlando）和路易斯维尔（Louisville）等地的社区学院之间的样板伙伴关系正在建立并发挥效力。现在必须把资源给予更多的社区学院，让它们成为社区职业培训中心——教会人们目前企业所急需的从数据管理到高科技生产等各项技能。

And I want to cut through the maze of confusing training programs, so that from now on, people like Jackie have one program, one website, and one place to go for all the information and help that they need. It is time to turn our unemployment system into a reemployment system that puts people to work. (Applause.)
我要精简令人眼花缭乱的种种培训项目，从现在起，让杰基这样的民众可以只上一个培训项目、一个网站、一个地方，就能获得他们所需的一切信息和帮助。现在是把我们的失业救助系统变成让人们重新走上工作岗位的再就业系统的时候了。（掌声）

These reforms will help people get jobs that are open today. But to prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, our commitment to skills and education has to start earlier.
这些改革将帮助人们获得目前依然空缺的就业岗位。但是，要为未来谋职做好准备，我们加强技能培训和提高教育质量的努力就必须开始得更早。

For less than 1 percent of what our nation spends on education each year, we’ve convinced nearly every state in the country to raise their standards for teaching and learning -- the first time that’s happened in a generation.
我们仅用了我国年度教育经费的不到百分之一，就说服了国内几乎每一个州提高其教学和学习标准——这是几十年来的第一次。

But challenges remain. And we know how to solve them.
我们仍然面临诸多难题，但我们知道应当如何解决这些难题。

At a time when other countries are doubling down on education, tight budgets have forced states to lay off thousands of teachers. We know a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000. A great teacher can offer an escape from poverty to the child who dreams beyond his circumstance. Every person in this chamber can point to a teacher who changed the trajectory of their lives. Most teachers work tirelessly, with modest pay, sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies -- just to make a difference.
在一个其他国家正在加倍投资于教育的时候，拮据的预算已迫使各州解雇数以千计的教师。我们知道，一名好教师能够使一个班的学生一生增加25万美元的收入；一名好教师能够让一个梦想冲出困境的孩子获得摆脱贫困的机会。在这个大厅中的每一个人都能说出一位改变了他们的生活轨迹的教师。大多数教师诲人不倦，他们收入不高，有时还得自己掏钱购买教学用品——只是为了尽自己的一份力。

Teachers matter. So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let’s offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones. (Applause.) And in return, grant schools flexibility: to teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren’t helping kids learn. That’s a bargain worth making. (Applause.)
教师的作用重大。因此，不要责怪他们或者为现状辩护，而是让我们给学校提一个协议，为学校提供保留好教师所需要的资源，奖励优秀教师。（掌声）作为交换，让学校享有灵活性：创造性地、富于激情地进行教学，不再实行应试教育，并且取代对孩子的学习没有帮助的教师。这是一个值得做的交换。（掌声）

We also know that when students don’t walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma. When students are not allowed to drop out, they do better. So tonight, I am proposing that every state -- every state -- requires that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn 18. (Applause.)
我们还知道，如果学生不中途退学，更多人会走上领取毕业证书的讲台。如果不允许学生辍学，他们会取得更好的成绩。因此，今晚我提议，每一个州——每一个州——要求学生留在高中就读，直到毕业或18岁。（掌声）

When kids do graduate, the most daunting challenge can be the cost of college. At a time when Americans owe more in tuition debt than credit card debt, this Congress needs to stop the interest rates on student loans from doubling in July. (Applause.)
在孩子们毕业时，最严峻的挑战可能是大学费用。此时此刻，美国人的学费债务超过了信用卡债务，国会必须阻止学生贷款利息在7月份成倍上涨。（掌声）

Extend the tuition tax credit we started that saves millions of middle-class families thousands of dollars, and give more young people the chance to earn their way through college by doubling the number of work-study jobs in the next five years. (Applause.)
把我们开始的、为数百万中产家庭节省成千上万美元学费的减税优惠延长下去，并通过在未来5年加倍提供半工半读机会，让更多的年轻人有机会自己挣钱念完大学。（掌声）

Of course, it’s not enough for us to increase student aid. We can’t just keep subsidizing skyrocketing tuition; we’ll run out of money. States also need to do their part, by making higher education a higher priority in their budgets. And colleges and universities have to do their part by working to keep costs down.
当然，仅仅增加学生援助是不够的。我们无法一再补贴不断猛涨的学费；我们会耗光资金。各州也需要尽一份力，把高等教育作为其预算的一项重要内容。各高等院校必须尽量努力降低费用。

Recently, I spoke with a group of college presidents who’ve done just that. Some schools redesign courses to help students finish more quickly. Some use better technology. The point is, it’s possible. So let me put colleges and universities on notice: If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down. (Applause.) Higher education can’t be a luxury -– it is an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.
最近，我与一批已经这样做的大学校长进行了交谈。一些学校重新设计课程，帮助学生更快完成学业。有些采用了更好的技术手段。这就是说，这是可以办到的。所以，让我告知高等院校：如果你们不能停止学费上涨，那么你们从纳税人那里得到的资金就将减少。（掌声）高等教育不能是奢侈品——它是经济之必需，美国每一个家庭都应能支付得起。

Let’s also remember that hundreds of thousands of talented, hardworking students in this country face another challenge: the fact that they aren’t yet American citizens. Many were brought here as small children, are American through and through, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new jobs somewhere else.
我们还要记住，在这个国家，几十万才华横溢、勤奋好学的学生面临着另一个挑战：他们尚不是美国公民。他们许多人是小时候被带到这里，是地地道道的美国人，然而却每天面临被遣返的威胁。还有一些人最近才来这里攻读商学、科学和工程学，但他们一拿到学位，我们便送他们回国，到其他地方去发明新产品，创造新就业机会。

That doesn’t make sense.
这毫无道理可言。

I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That’s why my administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. That’s why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office. The opponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now. (Applause.)
我极其坚定地相信，我们应着手解决非法移民问题。正因为如此，我的政府已经向边界派遣了人数比以往任何时候都多的边防人员。也正因为如此，现在非法越境事件比我上任时减少。反对这项行动的人再也找不到借口。我们现在应当立即努力制定全面的移民改革方案。（掌声）

But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let’s at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away. (Applause.)
但是，如果选举年的政局使国会不情愿就一项全面方案采取行动，那么让我们至少同意停止遣返那些有责任感的年轻人，他们希望去我们的实验室、创业和捍卫这个国家。向我提交一项法案，让他们有机会通过奋斗取得公民身份。我将立刻签署。（掌声）

You see, an economy built to last is one where we encourage the talent and ingenuity of every person in this country. That means women should earn equal pay for equal work. (Applause.) It means we should support everyone who’s willing to work, and every risk-taker and entrepreneur who aspires to become the next Steve Jobs.
要知道，长盛不衰的经济要求我们激发这个国家每个人的聪明才智和创造力。这意味着对妇女应当实行同工同酬。（掌声）这意味着应当支持每一个愿意工作的人，每一个敢于承担风险的人，每一个有志成为下一个史蒂夫·乔布斯（Steve Jobs）的实业家。

After all, innovation is what America has always been about. Most new jobs are created in start-ups and small businesses. So let’s pass an agenda that helps them succeed. Tear down regulations that prevent aspiring entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow. (Applause.) Expand tax relief to small businesses that are raising wages and creating good jobs. Both parties agree on these ideas. So put them in a bill, and get it on my desk this year. (Applause.)
毕竟，创新是美国的根本。大多数新的就业岗位是由初创企业和小型企业创造的。因此让我们实现一项有助于他们成功的议程。打破妨碍有抱负的企业家进行发展融资的条条框框。（掌声）将减税优惠扩大到那些增加工资和创造良好就业岗位的小型企业。两党都同意这些设想。因此，请把它们变成法案，今年放在我的办公桌上。（掌声）

Innovation also demands basic research. Today, the discoveries taking place in our federally financed labs and universities could lead to new treatments that kill cancer cells but leave healthy ones untouched. New lightweight vests for cops and soldiers that can stop any bullet. Don’t gut these investments in our budget. Don’t let other countries win the race for the future. Support the same kind of research and innovation that led to the computer chip and the Internet; to new American jobs and new American industries.
创新还要求从事基础研究。今天，在我们联邦政府资助的实验室和大学获得的各种发现有可能带来新的治疗方法，杀死癌细胞而不损坏健康细胞。新型的警察和士兵使用的轻便防弹背心可以挡住任何子弹。请不要在预算中除掉这些投资。请不要让其他国家在未来的竞赛中占上风。请支持研究与创新，正是它们带来了电脑芯片和因特网、带来了美国的新就业岗位和新兴行业。

And nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made energy. Over the last three years, we’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration, and tonight, I’m directing my administration to open more than 75 percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources. (Applause.) Right now -- right now -- American oil production is the highest that it’s been in eight years. That’s right -- eight years. Not only that -- last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past 16 years. (Applause.)
谈到创新的前途，没有任何一个领域能比美国能源产业更有希望。近三年来，我们进行了数百万英亩的石油和天然气勘探。今晚，我指示我的政府开发我国75%以上的潜在近海石油和天然气资源。（掌声）目前——目前——美国的石油产量达到8年来最高水平。是的，8年。不仅如此，去年，我们对外国石油的依赖比以往 16 年中的任何一年都少。（掌声）

But with only 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves, oil isn’t enough. This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy. (Applause.) A strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs.
但是，鉴于我们仅有世界2%的石油储备量，石油是不够的。这个国家需要有一个全方位的综合战略，开发美国能源的各项潜能。（掌声）这项战略意味着更清洁、更便宜、并充满新的就业岗位。

We have a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly 100 years. (Applause.) And my administration will take every possible action to safely develop this energy. Experts believe this will support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade. And I’m requiring all companies that drill for gas on public lands to disclose the chemicals they use. (Applause.) Because America will develop this resource without putting the health and safety of our citizens at risk.
我们拥有满足美国将近 100 年需要的天然气资源。（掌声）本届政府将采取一切可能措施安全地开发这种能源。专家认为，这将在10年内带来 60 多万个就业岗位。我要求在公有土地上钻探天然气的所有公司将他们使用的化学物质成分公诸于众。（掌声）这是因为，美国在开发这种资源时不会把我国公民的健康与安全置于危险境地。

The development of natural gas will create jobs and power trucks and factories that are cleaner and cheaper, proving that we don’t have to choose between our environment and our economy. (Applause.) And by the way, it was public research dollars, over the course of 30 years, that helped develop the technologies to extract all this natural gas out of shale rock –- reminding us that government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground. (Applause.)
开发天然气将创造就业岗位，为货车和工厂提供更清洁和更便宜的能源，从而证明我们不必在环境与经济两者之间只取其一。（掌声）顺便提一下，是过去 30年间政府拨出的研究资金帮助开发了从页岩中提炼天然气的技术，这一点提醒我们：政府的支持对帮助企业把新能源设想转化为现实至关重要。（掌声）

Now, what’s true for natural gas is just as true for clean energy. In three years, our partnership with the private sector has already positioned America to be the world’s leading manufacturer of high-tech batteries. Because of federal investments, renewable energy use has nearly doubled, and thousands of Americans have jobs because of it.
天然气的道理同样适用于清洁能源。三年来，我们与民间行业建立的伙伴关系已经使美国在世界高科技电池生产中处于领先位置。由于联邦政府的投资，可再生能源的使用几乎翻了一番，并给成千上万美国人带来就业机会。

When Bryan Ritterby was laid off from his job making furniture, he said he worried that at 55, no one would give him a second chance. But he found work at Energetx, a wind turbine manufacturer in Michigan. Before the recession, the factory only made luxury yachts. Today, it’s hiring workers like Bryan, who said, “I’m proud to be working in the industry of the future.”
布赖恩•里特比（Bryan Ritterby）从家具制造业下岗时，曾担心已经55岁的他不再会有另一次机会。但他在密歇根州一家叫做“活力”（ Energetx）的风力涡轮机制造厂找到了工作。在经济衰退前，这家工厂只建造豪华游艇。今天，它在招聘像布赖恩这样的工人。布赖恩说：“我为在这个未来行业工作感到自豪。”

Our experience with shale gas, our experience with natural gas, shows us that the payoffs on these public investments don’t always come right away. Some technologies don’t pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy. I will not walk away from workers like Bryan. (Applause.) I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here.
我们在页岩气，我们在天然气方面的经验告诉我们，这些公共投资不一定带来立竿见影的回报。某些技术未取得成果，有些企业倒闭。但我不会背弃对清洁能源作出的承诺。我不会背弃像布赖恩这样的工人。（掌声）我不会因为我们拒绝在这里作出同样的承诺而把风力或太阳能或电池工业让给中国或德国。

We’ve subsidized oil companies for a century. That’s long enough. (Applause.) It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that rarely has been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that never has been more promising. Pass clean energy tax credits. Create these jobs. (Applause.)
我们对石油公司的补贴已经达一个世纪，时间足矣。（掌声）现在应该是停止向这个利润鲜逊于任何人的产业提供纳税人馈赠、转向为前途从未如此光明的清洁能源加倍投资的时候了。请批准清洁能源减税优惠。请创造这些就业机会。（掌声）

We can also spur energy innovation with new incentives. The differences in this chamber may be too deep right now to pass a comprehensive plan to fight climate change. But there’s no reason why Congress shouldn’t at least set a clean energy standard that creates a market for innovation. So far, you haven’t acted. Well, tonight, I will. I’m directing my administration to allow the development of clean energy on enough public land to power 3 million homes. And I’m proud to announce that the Department of Defense, working with us, the world’s largest consumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history -– with the Navy purchasing enough capacity to power a quarter of a million homes a year. (Applause.)
我们也能够通过新的鼓励项目来刺激能源创新。目前国会的分歧或许太深，难以为解决气候变化问题通过一项全面的方案。然而，国会没有理由为什么不应至少制定一项清洁能源标准，为发明革新开辟市场。迄今，你们尚未采取行动。今晚，我将采取行动。我将指示本届政府批准在公共土地上开发足以供300万家庭用电需要的清洁能源。我很自豪地宣布，国防部（Department of Defense）与我们一道，为这个世界最大的能源消费国作出有史以来对清洁能源最大的承诺之一——海军将购买足以每年为25万家庭提供电力的供电能力。（掌声）

Of course, the easiest way to save money is to waste less energy. So here’s a proposal: Help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in their factories and give businesses incentives to upgrade their buildings. Their energy bills will be $100 billion lower over the next decade, and America will have less pollution, more manufacturing, more jobs for construction workers who need them. Send me a bill that creates these jobs. (Applause.)
当然，节省资金的最简便方式是节约能源。因此，我在此提议：帮助厂家杜绝工厂的能源浪费，为公司提供改造建筑的奖励计划。这样一来，未来10年的能源费用将会减少1,000亿美元，使美国的污染降低，制造业扩大，给建筑业带来工人所需的更多就业岗位。请提交我一项创造这类就业岗位的法案。（掌声）

Building this new energy future should be just one part of a broader agenda to repair America’s infrastructure. So much of America needs to be rebuilt. We’ve got crumbling roads and bridges; a power grid that wastes too much energy; an incomplete high-speed broadband network that prevents a small business owner in rural America from selling her products all over the world.
开创新能源的前景，应该只是修整美国基础设施的更宏大计划中的一项内容。美国有许多领域需要重建。我们的道路和桥梁失修，供电网浪费能源过多，高速宽带网络不健全，致使美国乡村地区的小企业难以将产品行销全球。

During the Great Depression, America built the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge. After World War II, we connected our states with a system of highways. Democratic and Republican administrations invested in great projects that benefited everybody, from the workers who built them to the businesses that still use them today.
在大萧条时期（Great Depression），美国修建了胡佛水坝（Hoover Dam）和金门大桥（Golden Gate Bridge）。二次大战后，我们修建了连接各州的高速公路。民主党和共和党政府均为大型项目作出投资，造福了所有人——从当年的建设者到今天仍在使用它们的公司企业。

In the next few weeks, I will sign an executive order clearing away the red tape that slows down too many construction projects. But you need to fund these projects. Take the money we’re no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building right here at home. (Applause.)
在今后几周内，我将签署一项行政令，以排除使许多建筑项目停滞不前的官僚障碍。但是，你们需要为这些项目出资。利用我们不再为战争开支的经费，以其中二分之一支付我们的债务，用另一半来进行我们的国内建设。（掌声）

There’s never been a better time to build, especially since the construction industry was one of the hardest hit when the housing bubble burst. Of course, construction workers weren’t the only ones who were hurt. So were millions of innocent Americans who’ve seen their home values decline. And while government can’t fix the problem on its own, responsible homeowners shouldn’t have to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom to get some relief.
现在是从事基建的最佳时机，特别是由于建筑业是在房地产泡沫破裂时遭受最大重创的行业之一。当然，受到冲击的不仅是建筑工人。数百万无辜的美国人也受到冲击，他们的房屋价值下跌。虽然政府无法单独解决这一问题，但不应让负责任的房主等到房地产市场跌入谷底才可获得救助。

And that’s why I’m sending this Congress a plan that gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage, by refinancing at historically low rates. (Applause.) No more red tape. No more runaround from the banks. A small fee on the largest financial institutions will ensure that it won’t add to the deficit and will give those banks that were rescued by taxpayers a chance to repay a deficit of trust. (Applause.)
因此，我将向本届国会提交一项方案，为每位负责任的房主提供机会，通过有史以来最低的利息进行重新贷款，使他们可在房贷上每年节省3,000美元。（掌声）不再有官僚挡道。不再有银行拖延。对规模最大的金融机构收取一小笔费用，可确保不导致赤字递增，并使那些被纳税人救助的银行有机会偿还它们的信用赤字。（掌声）

Let’s never forget: Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a government and a financial system that do the same. It’s time to apply the same rules from top to bottom. No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts. An America built to last insists on responsibility from everybody.
让我们永远不要忘记：每天都勤奋工作、遵纪守法的千百万美国人理当拥有一个以同样方式行事的政府和金融体系。现在应该从上到下实行同一个规则：不再允许纾困、施舍和逃避责任。美国的长盛不衰要求每一个人都承担责任。

We’ve all paid the price for lenders who sold mortgages to people who couldn’t afford them, and buyers who knew they couldn’t afford them. That’s why we need smart regulations to prevent irresponsible behavior. (Applause.) Rules to prevent financial fraud or toxic dumping or faulty medical devices -- these don’t destroy the free market. They make the free market work better.
由于贷款人向无力偿还抵押贷款的申情人贷款，由于购买方明知负担不起仍勉为其难，我们所有的人已经为此付出了代价。正是因为这个原因，我们需要采取有效的监管制止不负责任的行为。（掌声）防止金融欺诈的规定，禁止倾倒有毒物品或生产劣质医疗设备的条例——这些都不会损害自由市场，反而会促使自由市场更好地运作。

There’s no question that some regulations are outdated, unnecessary, or too costly. In fact, I’ve approved fewer regulations in the first three years of my presidency than my Republican predecessor did in his. (Applause.) I’ve ordered every federal agency to eliminate rules that don’t make sense. We’ve already announced over 500 reforms, and just a fraction of them will save business and citizens more than $10 billion over the next five years. We got rid of one rule from 40 years ago that could have forced some dairy farmers to spend $10,000 a year proving that they could contain a spill -- because milk was somehow classified as an oil. With a rule like that, I guess it was worth crying over spilled milk. (Laughter and applause.)
毫无疑问，有些规章已经过时、并非必需而且代价过高。事实上，我在总统任期内的头3年批准的规章比我的共和党籍前任在同期内所颁行的规章要少。（掌声）我已指令每个联邦机构取消不合理的规章。我们已经宣布实行500多项改革，仅其中的一小部分便能在今后5年为企业和公民节省100多亿美元。我们取消了40多年前制定的一项规定，这项规定导致一些奶牛场可能每年要花10,000美元来证明他们能够控制泄漏——因为牛奶不知何故被归为油类。有了这样的规定，我想即使洒了牛奶，也值得大哭一场（crying over spilled milk）。（笑声和掌声）

Now, I’m confident a farmer can contain a milk spill without a federal agency looking over his shoulder. (Applause.) Absolutely. But I will not back down from making sure an oil company can contain the kind of oil spill we saw in the Gulf two years ago. (Applause.) I will not back down from protecting our kids from mercury poisoning, or making sure that our food is safe and our water is clean. I will not go back to the days when health insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy, deny your coverage, or charge women differently than men. (Applause.)
而我确信一名牧民有能力处理牛奶泄漏，不需要一个联邦机构插手。（掌声）这是毫无疑问的。但我不会放松对石油公司防止漏油的要求，确保不再发生我们两年前在墨西哥湾看到的漏油事故。（掌声）我不会放松为保护我们的孩子们免受汞中毒危害提出的要求，不会放松我们为保证食品安全和清洁用水提出的要求。我不会回到过去允许医疗保险公司任意取消保单，拒绝承保，对女性收取与男性不同保费的日子。（掌声）

And I will not go back to the days when Wall Street was allowed to play by its own set of rules. The new rules we passed restore what should be any financial system’s core purpose: Getting funding to entrepreneurs with the best ideas, and getting loans to responsible families who want to buy a home, or start a business, or send their kids to college.
我也不会回到允许华尔街（Wall Street）自行其事的日子。我们已经批准的新规则重新确立了任何一个金融体制都应遵循的核心宗旨：向提出最佳创意的创业者提供资金，向希望买房子、开公司或送子女上大学的负责任的家庭提供贷款。

So if you are a big bank or financial institution, you’re no longer allowed to make risky bets with your customers’ deposits. You’re required to write out a “living will” that details exactly how you’ll pay the bills if you fail –- because the rest of us are not bailing you out ever again. (Applause.) And if you’re a mortgage lender or a payday lender or a credit card company, the days of signing people up for products they can’t afford with confusing forms and deceptive practices -- those days are over. Today, American consumers finally have a watchdog in Richard Cordray with one job: To look out for them. (Applause.)
因此，如果你是一家大银行或金融机构，你就不能再用客户的存款从事冒险的交易。你必须开出一份详细说明你一旦倒闭将如何偿清款项的“预嘱”（living will）——因为我们其他的人不愿再为你们纾困。（掌声）如果你是一家抵押贷款机构或薪金预支行或信用卡公司，利用难懂的表格和欺诈手段导致人们签购他们负担不起的金融产品——这样的日子已经一去不复返。今天，美国消费者终于有了由理查德·科德雷（Richard Cordray）负责的监管机构，承担保护他们的专门职能。（掌声）

We’ll also establish a Financial Crimes Unit of highly trained investigators to crack down on large-scale fraud and protect people’s investments. Some financial firms violate major anti-fraud laws because there’s no real penalty for being a repeat offender. That’s bad for consumers, and it’s bad for the vast majority of bankers and financial service professionals who do the right thing. So pass legislation that makes the penalties for fraud count.
我们还将建立一个金融犯罪调查组（Financial Crimes Unit），由训练有素的调查人员组成，打击大规模欺诈活动并保护民众的投资。某些金融公司违反重要的反欺诈法规，因为屡屡违犯者并没有受到实质性惩治。这损害了消费者，也损害了绝大多数遵纪守法的银行及金融服务业专业人员。因此，通过惩治欺诈的立法意义重大。

And tonight, I’m asking my Attorney General to create a special unit of federal prosecutors and leading state attorney general to expand our investigations into the abusive lending and packaging of risky mortgages that led to the housing crisis. (Applause.) This new unit will hold accountable those who broke the law, speed assistance to homeowners, and help turn the page on an era of recklessness that hurt so many Americans.
今晚，我要求司法部长成立由联邦检察官和具有主导地位的各州司法部长组成的特别工作组，对导致房产危机的违章借贷与包装风险房贷展开更大规模调查。（掌声）这个工作组将追究违法责任，加快为房主提供帮助，加速结束这个伤害到如此之多美国人的无节制时期。

Now, a return to the American values of fair play and shared responsibility will help protect our people and our economy. But it should also guide us as we look to pay down our debt and invest in our future.
再次倡导公平合理和共同责任的美国价值观将有利于保护我们的人民和我们的经济，而它也应对我们努力摆脱债务负担和对未来投资具有指导作用。

Right now, our most immediate priority is stopping a tax hike on 160 million working Americans while the recovery is still fragile. (Applause.) People cannot afford losing $40 out of each paycheck this year. There are plenty of ways to get this done. So let’s agree right here, right now: No side issues. No drama. Pass the payroll tax cut without delay. Let’s get it done. (Applause.)
眼下，我们最直接的当务之急是，在经济复苏仍然脆弱的情况下，避免给1亿6千万美国工薪阶层加税。（掌声）人们今年无法承受从每次工资中减少40美元。可以有许多途径达到上述目标。为此，让我们在此地此时一致同意：不要附加议题。不要造势。毫无耽搁地批准削减工资税。让我们完成这项工作。（掌声）

When it comes to the deficit, we’ve already agreed to more than $2 trillion in cuts and savings. But we need to do more, and that means making choices. Right now, we’re poised to spend nearly $1 trillion more on what was supposed to be a temporary tax break for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans. Right now, because of loopholes and shelters in the tax code, a quarter of all millionaires pay lower tax rates than millions of middle-class households. Right now, Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary.
在赤字问题上，我们已就削减和节省2万亿以上美元开支达成协议。但我们还需进一步努力，而这意味着作出选择。目前，我们要额外花费将近1万亿美元来支持一项本应是临时性的为美国2%最富有的人减税的项目。如今，由于税法的缺陷和保护规定，四分之一的百万富翁享有比数百万中产阶层家庭要低的税率。今天，沃伦·巴菲特（Warren Buffett）的税率比他的秘书的税率还低。

Do we want to keep these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? Or do we want to keep our investments in everything else –- like education and medical research; a strong military and care for our veterans? Because if we’re serious about paying down our debt, we can’t do both.
我们希望保留这些给美国富人的减税措施吗？还是说我们希望把投资用于其他方面——如教育和医学研究，加强军力和照料退伍军人？因为如果我们真想摆脱债务，就不可能两者兼得。

The American people know what the right choice is. So do I. As I told the Speaker this summer, I’m prepared to make more reforms that rein in the long-term costs of Medicare and Medicaid, and strengthen Social Security, so long as those programs remain a guarantee of security for seniors.
美国人民知道什么是正确的选择。我也知道。正如去年夏天我对众议院议长所说，我有准备作出进一步改革，控制医疗照顾（Medicare）和医疗补助（ Medicaid）开销，巩固社会安全福利（Social Security），只要这些项目继续能为老年人提供保障。

But in return, we need to change our tax code so that people like me, and an awful lot of members of Congress, pay our fair share of taxes. (Applause.)
但与此相应，我们需要修改税法，让像我这样以及像国会中许多人一样的人，缴纳我们应该承担的税收。

Tax reform should follow the Buffett Rule. If you make more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes. And my Republican friend Tom Coburn is right: Washington should stop subsidizing millionaires. In fact, if you’re earning a million dollars a year, you shouldn’t get special tax subsidies or deductions. On the other hand, if you make under $250,000 a year, like 98 percent of American families, your taxes shouldn’t go up. (Applause.) You’re the ones struggling with rising costs and stagnant wages. You’re the ones who need relief.
税务改革应该遵循巴菲特规则（Buffett Rule），即如果你年收入超过1亿美元，你的税率就不应低于30%。我的共和党朋友汤姆·科伯恩（Tom Coburn）说得对：华盛顿应该停止补贴百万富翁。实际上，如果你的年收入超过1亿美元，你就不应享有纳税补贴和减免。而另一方面，如果你的收入不到25万美元一年，98%的家庭都是这样，那么你们的税率就不应增加。（掌声）你们面对着价格上涨而工资不动的艰难，你们是需要得到减税的人。

Now, you can call this class warfare all you want. But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call that common sense.
谁要称这是阶级对抗，请自便。但要求百万富翁至少同他的秘书一样纳税应该被称作什么？大多数美国人会称这是常理。

We don’t begrudge financial success in this country. We admire it. When Americans talk about folks like me paying my fair share of taxes, it’s not because they envy the rich. It’s because they understand that when I get a tax break I don’t need and the country can’t afford, it either adds to the deficit, or somebody else has to make up the difference -- like a senior on a fixed income, or a student trying to get through school, or a family trying to make ends meet. That’s not right. Americans know that’s not right. They know that this generation’s success is only possible because past generations felt a responsibility to each other, and to the future of their country, and they know our way of life will only endure if we feel that same sense of shared responsibility. That’s how we’ll reduce our deficit. That’s an America built to last. (Applause.)
在这个国家，我们并不妒忌财务上的成功，我们对此表示赞赏。当人们谈论像我这样的人付出我应付的那一部分税金时，那不是因为他们妒忌我的富有，那是因为他们理解，我如果获得一个我并不需要、同时国家又无力负担的税务减免时，只会增加赤字或让旁人去承担这个差额，例如一个靠固定收入维生的老年人，或一个正奋力完成学业的学生，或一个勉力维持日常开销的家庭。那是不对的，美国人也都知道，那是不对的。他们知道，正因为以前的几代人认识到他们彼此肩负的责任，对国家未来肩负的责任，这一代人才有可能获得成功；他们知道，只有当我们也具有共同的责任感，我们的生活方式才有可能持续下去。这就是我们今后降低赤字的途径。这样美国才能常盛不衰。（掌声）

Now, I recognize that people watching tonight have differing views about taxes and debt, energy and health care. But no matter what party they belong to, I bet most Americans are thinking the same thing right about now: Nothing will get done in Washington this year, or next year, or maybe even the year after that, because Washington is broken.
我承认，今晚正在收看我的讲话的人们对税务和债务、能源和医疗保健等事项有不同的看法，但是不论他们属于哪一个党派，我可以断定此时此刻大多数美国人都在思考同一件事：今年，明年，甚至后年，华盛顿将一事无成，因为华盛顿四分五裂。

Can you blame them for feeling a little cynical?
他们感觉有点悲观你能责怪他们吗？

The greatest blow to our confidence in our economy last year didn’t come from events beyond our control. It came from a debate in Washington over whether the United States would pay its bills or not. Who benefited from that fiasco?
去年对我们经济的信心最大的打击不是来自我们不能控制的事件，而是来自华盛顿关于美国能否弥补开支的讨论。谁能从这样的不利局面中得利？

I’ve talked tonight about the deficit of trust between Main Street and Wall Street. But the divide between this city and the rest of the country is at least as bad -- and it seems to get worse every year.
我今晚谈到民众和华尔街之间的信任危机。但这个城市和这个国家其余地方之间的分歧至少同样严重——而且似乎年复一年逐渐恶化。

Some of this has to do with the corrosive influence of money in politics. So together, let’s take some steps to fix that. Send me a bill that bans insider trading by members of Congress; I will sign it tomorrow. (Applause.) Let’s limit any elected official from owning stocks in industries they impact. Let’s make sure people who bundle campaign contributions for Congress can’t lobby Congress, and vice versa -- an idea that has bipartisan support, at least outside of Washington.
有些问题与金钱政治的腐蚀性有关。为此让我们一起采取一些步骤解决这个问题。请给我提交一项禁止国会议员进行内幕交易的法案，我明天就签署。（掌声）让我们限制任何民选官员在他们可以产生影响的行业拥有股票。让我们确保为国会竞选集中筹款的人不得游说国会，反之亦然 ——这个想法至少在华盛顿之外得到两党的支持。

Some of what’s broken has to do with the way Congress does its business these days. A simple majority is no longer enough to get anything -– even routine business –- passed through the Senate. (Applause.) Neither party has been blameless in these tactics. Now both parties should put an end to it. (Applause.) For starters, I ask the Senate to pass a simple rule that all judicial and public service nominations receive a simple up or down vote within 90 days. (Applause.)
某些方面出现的失常现象与国会近来工作的方式有关。简单多数不再足以在参议院通过任何法案——甚至包括日常事务。（掌声）对于这种种策略，任何一党都不能回避自己的责任。现在，两党都应该加以制止。（掌声）首先，我要求参议院通过一个简单的规则，对所有司法和公共服务部门的提名必须在90天内给予赞成或否定的简单表决。（掌声）

The executive branch also needs to change. Too often, it’s inefficient, outdated and remote. (Applause.) That’s why I’ve asked this Congress to grant me the authority to consolidate the federal bureaucracy, so that our government is leaner, quicker, and more responsive to the needs of the American people. (Applause.)
行政部门也需要改变。这个部门往往效率不高、陈旧过时、脱离实际。（掌声）这就是为什么我要求本届国会给予我整合联邦官僚体制的权力，使我们的政府更精简、反应更快、更能适应美国人民的需要。（掌声）

Finally, none of this can happen unless we also lower the temperature in this town. We need to end the notion that the two parties must be locked in a perpetual campaign of mutual destruction; that politics is about clinging to rigid ideologies instead of building consensus around common-sense ideas.
最后，我们也需要降低这个城市积聚的高温，否则将一事无成。我们应该抛弃一些观念，例如两党必然会党同伐异，相互摧毁；政治意味着坚持僵化的意识形态，无法按照事理常情建立共识等。

I’m a Democrat. But I believe what Republican Abraham Lincoln believed: That government should do for people only what they cannot do better by themselves, and no more. (Applause.) That’s why my education reform offers more competition, and more control for schools and states. That’s why we’re getting rid of regulations that don’t work. That’s why our health care law relies on a reformed private market, not a government program.
我是民主党人。但是我相信共和党亚伯拉罕•林肯（Abraham Lincoln）的信念：政府只应该为人民做他们自己无法做得更好的事情，仅此而已。（掌声）正是因为这个原因，我的教育改革要求各学校和各州有更多的竞争、更多的自主。正是因为这个原因，我们正在取消不起作用的监管条例。正是因为这个原因，我们的医疗保健法律依靠改革后的民营市场，不再依靠政府项目。

On the other hand, even my Republican friends who complain the most about government spending have supported federally financed roads, and clean energy projects, and federal offices for the folks back home.
另外一方面，我的某些共和党朋友，即使对政府支出最强烈地表示不满，也支持联邦拨款用于建造道路，实施清洁能源项目和为国内服务的联邦机构。

The point is, we should all want a smarter, more effective government. And while we may not be able to bridge our biggest philosophical differences this year, we can make real progress. With or without this Congress, I will keep taking actions that help the economy grow. But I can do a whole lot more with your help. Because when we act together, there’s nothing the United States of America can’t achieve. (Applause.) That’s the lesson we’ve learned from our actions abroad over the last few years.
问题在于，我们都希望有一个更明智、更有效的政府。尽管我们可能无法在今年弥合我们之间观念上最大的分歧，我们仍然可以取得实际进展。无论本届国会是否参与，我都会采取行动促进经济增长。但如果得到你们的帮助，我可以做更多的事情。因为如果我们共同努力，美利坚合众国就没有达不到的目标。（掌声）这是我们在过去几年的海外行动中取得的经验。

Ending the Iraq war has allowed us to strike decisive blows against our enemies. From Pakistan to Yemen, the al Qaeda operatives who remain are scrambling, knowing that they can’t escape the reach of the United States of America. (Applause.)
结束伊拉克战争让我们能够给我们的敌人以致命的打击。从巴基斯坦（Pakistan）到也门（Yemen），残余的“基地”组织成员仓皇失措，知道自己无法逃脱美利坚合众国的恢恢天网。

From this position of strength, we’ve begun to wind down the war in Afghanistan. Ten thousand of our troops have come home. Twenty-three thousand more will leave by the end of this summer. This transition to Afghan lead will continue, and we will build an enduring partnership with Afghanistan, so that it is never again a source of attacks against America. (Applause.)
从这个实力地位出发，我们已经开始逐步紧缩在阿富汗的战事。我军有一万人已经回国。还有２万３千多人到今年夏天将会撤离。这个让阿富汗发挥主导作用的过渡将继续，我们将与阿富汗建立持久的伙伴关系，让它永远不可能再成为攻击美国的一个发源地。

As the tide of war recedes, a wave of change has washed across the Middle East and North Africa, from Tunis to Cairo; from Sana’a to Tripoli. A year ago, Qaddafi was one of the world’s longest-serving dictators -– a murderer with American blood on his hands. Today, he is gone. And in Syria, I have no doubt that the Assad regime will soon discover that the forces of change cannot be reversed, and that human dignity cannot be denied. (Applause.)
随着战争浪潮的消退，一股变革的潮流席卷整个中东和北非，从突尼斯（Tunis）到开罗（Cairo），从萨那（Sana’a）到的黎波里（Tripoli）。一年前，卡扎菲（Qadhafi）还是世界上当权时间最长的独裁者之一——是双手沾满了美国人鲜血的凶手。今天，他已不复存在。在叙利亚，我毫不怀疑，阿萨德（Assad）政权很快就会发现，变革的力量无法逆转，人类尊严不容抹杀。

How this incredible transformation will end remains uncertain. But we have a huge stake in the outcome. And while it’s ultimately up to the people of the region to decide their fate, we will advocate for those values that have served our own country so well. We will stand against violence and intimidation. We will stand for the rights and dignity of all human beings –- men and women; Christians, Muslims and Jews. We will support policies that lead to strong and stable democracies and open markets, because tyranny is no match for liberty.
这场令人令人震撼的变革结果如何仍无法确定。但我们与其最终结果利害攸关。本地区人民的命运归根结底由他们自己决定，但我们将倡导那些使我们自己的国家受益匪浅的价值观。我们将反对暴力和恐吓。我们将捍卫全人类的权利和尊严——男性和女性；基督徒、穆斯林和犹太人。我们将支持有助于建设强大稳定的民主和开放市场的政策，因为自由必将战胜暴政。

And we will safeguard America’s own security against those who threaten our citizens, our friends, and our interests. Look at Iran. Through the power of our diplomacy, a world that was once divided about how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program now stands as one. The regime is more isolated than ever before; its leaders are faced with crippling sanctions, and as long as they shirk their responsibilities, this pressure will not relent.
我们将维护美国自身的安全，防范那些威胁我国公民、我国盟友和我国利益的人。看看伊朗。我国外交的有力作用让一个曾对如何应对伊朗的核计划存在分歧的世界现在团结一致。该政权比以往任何时候都更加孤立；该国领导人面临着严厉制裁，只要他们还在逃避自己的责任，这样的施压就不会放松。

Let there be no doubt: America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal. (Applause.)
毫无疑问：美国决心阻止伊朗获得核武器，为实现这一目标，我将不排除任何方案。

But a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible, and far better, and if Iran changes course and meets its obligations, it can rejoin the community of nations.
但和平解决这个问题仍然是可能的，而且益处大得多。伊朗如果改弦易辙并履行其义务，就可以重新加入国际社会。

The renewal of American leadership can be felt across the globe. Our oldest alliances in Europe and Asia are stronger than ever. Our ties to the Americas are deeper. Our ironclad commitment -- and I mean ironclad -- to Israel’s security has meant the closest military cooperation between our two countries in history. (Applause.)
美国领导地位的重振在全球各地都有所体现。我们在欧洲和亚洲历史最悠久的同盟比以往任何时候都更强大。我们与美洲的关系更加深厚。我们对以色列的安全作出的牢不可破的承诺——我是说牢不可破——意味着我们两国在历史上最密切的军事合作。

We’ve made it clear that America is a Pacific power, and a new beginning in Burma has lit a new hope. From the coalitions we’ve built to secure nuclear materials, to the missions we’ve led against hunger and disease; from the blows we’ve dealt to our enemies, to the enduring power of our moral example, America is back.
我们已经很清楚地表明，美国是一个太平洋大国，缅甸的新开端点燃了新的希望。从我们建立的保障核材料安全的联盟，到我们领导的消除饥饿和疾病的使命；从我们对敌人的打击，到我们作为道义典范的持久力量——美国回来了。

Anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned, doesn’t know what they’re talking about. (Applause.)
如果有人另有别论，如果有人说美国正在衰落或我们的影响力已经减弱，都是不知所云。

That’s not the message we get from leaders around the world who are eager to work with us. That’s not how people feel from Tokyo to Berlin, from Cape Town to Rio, where opinions of America are higher than they’ve been in years. Yes, the world is changing. No, we can’t control every event. But America remains the one indispensable nation in world affairs –- and as long as I’m President, I intend to keep it that way. (Applause.)
这不是我们从渴望与我们合作的世界各国领导人那里得到的信息。这也不是从东京（Tokoyo）到柏林（Berlin），从开普敦（Cape Town）到里约（Rio）等地人民的感觉，这些地方对美国的看法比数年来的任何时候都好。是的，世界正在改变；不错，我们不能控制每一事件，但美国仍然是世界事务中不可或缺的国家——只要我仍担任总统之职，就将保持已成的盛业。

That’s why, working with our military leaders, I’ve proposed a new defense strategy that ensures we maintain the finest military in the world, while saving nearly half a trillion dollars in our budget. To stay one step ahead of our adversaries, I’ve already sent this Congress legislation that will secure our country from the growing dangers of cyber-threats. (Applause.)
那就是为什么我与我们的军事将领一起提出新的国防战略，确保我们维持全世界最优异的军力，同时为我们的预算节省将近5,000亿美元。为了抢占制敌的先机，我已经将此提案送交国会，以保障我国避免日益严重的网络威胁。（掌声。）

Above all, our freedom endures because of the men and women in uniform who defend it. (Applause.) As they come home, we must serve them as well as they’ve served us. That includes giving them the care and the benefits they have earned –- which is why we’ve increased annual VA spending every year I’ve been President. (Applause.) And it means enlisting our veterans in the work of rebuilding our nation.
说到底，由于我国男女军人捍卫自由，我们才得以维系自由。（掌声。）随着他们班师回国，我们必须为他们服务，就像他们为我们服务一样。这包括给予他们应得的照顾和福利－－那就是为什么自我担任总统以来，我们为退伍军人的年度开支年年增长。（掌声。）它意味着召唤我们的退役军人重建我们的国家。

With the bipartisan support of this Congress, we’re providing new tax credits to companies that hire vets. Michelle and Jill Biden have worked with American businesses to secure a pledge of 135,000 jobs for veterans and their families. And tonight, I’m proposing a Veterans Jobs Corps that will help our communities hire veterans as cops and firefighters, so that America is as strong as those who defend her. (Applause.)
由于获得本届国会两党一致的支持，我们正在为聘用退役军人的公司提供新的税务抵免。米歇尔（Michelle）和吉尔·拜登（Jill Biden）已与美国企业合作，承诺为退役军人及其家人提供135,000份工作。今晚，我提议组成一个退伍军人就业团（Veterans Jobs Corps），帮助我们的社区聘用退役军人担任警察和消防员，使美国及其保卫者同样强盛。（掌声。）

Which brings me back to where I began. Those of us who’ve been sent here to serve can learn a thing or two from the service of our troops. When you put on that uniform, it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white; Asian, Latino, Native American; conservative, liberal; rich, poor; gay, straight. When you’re marching into battle, you look out for the person next to you, or the mission fails. When you’re in the thick of the fight, you rise or fall as one unit, serving one nation, leaving no one behind.
这就带回我一开始的主题。我们被派到此地服务的人可以从我们军队的服务学到几件事。当你穿上军服时，无论你是黑人或白人；亚裔、拉美裔、美国原住民；保守派、自由派；富人、穷人；还是同性恋，异性恋，都不重要。当你走上战场，你会照顾身边的袍泽，否则任务将会失败。当你处在熗林弹雨之中，你们会全体共进退，效忠同一个国家，不会抛下任何一个人。

One of my proudest possessions is the flag that the SEAL Team took with them on the mission to get bin Laden. On it are each of their names. Some may be Democrats. Some may be Republicans. But that doesn’t matter. Just like it didn’t matter that day in the Situation Room, when I sat next to Bob Gates -- a man who was George Bush’s defense secretary -- and Hillary Clinton -- a woman who ran against me for president.
我保存的最令人自豪的物品之一，是海豹突击队（SEAL Team）在执行捉拿本·拉登使命时携带的一面旗帜，上面有每一位勇士的姓名。他们中有些可能是民主党人，有些可能是共和党人，但这并没有任何关系，就像那天在情况室（Situation Room）一样，我坐在鲍勃•盖茨（Bob Gates）旁边，他是乔治•布什（George Bush）政府的国防部长；当时还有希拉里•克林顿（Hillary Clinton），她曾是我竞选总统时的对手。

All that mattered that day was the mission. No one thought about politics. No one thought about themselves. One of the young men involved in the raid later told me that he didn’t deserve credit for the mission. It only succeeded, he said, because every single member of that unit did their job -- the pilot who landed the helicopter that spun out of control; the translator who kept others from entering the compound; the troops who separated the women and children from the fight; the SEALs who charged up the stairs. More than that, the mission only succeeded because every member of that unit trusted each other -- because you can’t charge up those stairs, into darkness and danger, unless you know that there’s somebody behind you, watching your back.
那一天最重要的是完成使命。谁也没有想到政治。谁也没有想到自己。参加突袭行动的一位年轻人后来对我说，他没有资格为这项使命获得嘉奖。他说，这次使命获得成功是因为参加行动的每一位成员都尽了自己的一份力量——将盘旋失控的直升机降落在地面上的驾驶员；阻止其他人进入大院的翻译；将妇女和儿童与作战区隔离的军人；冲上楼道的海豹突击队。不仅如此，这次使命获得成功也是因为参加行动的成员相互信任——因为除非你知道有人在你身后做掩护，否则你不可能冲上楼道，在黑夜中履险如夷。

So it is with America. Each time I look at that flag, I’m reminded that our destiny is stitched together like those 50 stars and those 13 stripes. No one built this country on their own. This nation is great because we built it together. This nation is great because we worked as a team. This nation is great because we get each other’s backs. And if we hold fast to that truth, in this moment of trial, there is no challenge too great; no mission too hard. As long as we are joined in common purpose, as long as we maintain our common resolve, our journey moves forward, and our future is hopeful, and the state of our Union will always be strong.
这就是美国精神。每当看到这面旗帜，我都体会到，我们的命运如同旗帜上紧密相连的50颗星和13道红白相间的条纹。建成这个国家并非个人之功。这个国家之所以伟大，是因为我们共襄盛举；这个国家之所以伟大，是因为我们同心协力；这个国家之所以伟大，是因为我们相互扶持。如果我们坚持这个真理，那么在这艰难的时刻，就没有我们不能战胜的挑战，就没有我们不能完成的使命。只要我们为了共同一个目标休戚与共，只要我们坚持我们的共同意志，我们在征途上将一往无前，我们的未来会充满希望，我们的国情将永远强盛。

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
谢谢大家。愿上帝保佑你们，愿上帝保佑美利坚合众国。（掌声）

[ 此帖被歆晴在2012-01-30 23:15重新编辑 ]

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