奥巴马每周电视讲话 2010年4月17日

President Obama Says We Must Move Forward on Wall Street Reform
 奥巴马总统称我们必须将金融改革推向前进
 
WASHINGTON – In his weekly address, President Barack Obama said that in the wake of the economic crisis Wall Street reform is too important an issue for inaction.  The plan moving through Congress will end bailouts, hold Wall Street accountable, and protect consumers, taxpayers² and the economy from the kind of abuses that helped bring about the economic crisis.  Every day without reform, those abuses, and the system which allowed them, remain in place.  It is time to move forward with real reforms for Wall Street.

 华盛顿消息——在本周的电视讲话中，奥巴马总统称经济危机以来，金融改革已经变得如此重要以至于不能继续忽视了。国会正在讨论的改革计划将终结紧急援助，让华尔街负起责任来，并保护我们的消费者和纳税人免受由于这些（金融界的）弊病引发的经济危机的损害。一天不改革，这些弊病以及允许其存在的制度就不会发生改变。是时候切实推进华尔街的改革了。
 
There were many causes of the turmoil³ that ripped through our economy over the past two years.  But above all, this crisis was caused by failures in the financial industry.  What is clear is that this crisis could have been avoided if Wall Street firms were more accountable, if financial dealings were more transparent⁴, and if consumers and shareholders⁵ were given more information and authority to make decisions.

 有很多原因导致了过去两年我们经济上的混乱。但总的来说，危机来源于金融业的缺陷。很明显，只要华尔街的公司更有责任一点，金融交易更加透明一点，消费者和股东在决策上能够获得更多信息和更大的权利，这场危机本可避免。
 
But that did not happen.  And that’s because special interests have waged a relentless⁷ campaign to thwart⁸ even basic, common-sense rules – rules to prevent abuse and protect consumers.  In fact, the financial industry and its powerful lobby have opposed modest safeguards against the kinds of reckless risks and bad practices that led to this very crisis.

 但这些并没有发生。因为特殊利益集团对那些即使是基本的、常规的监管规定（包括防止（权利）滥用以及保护消费者的规定）进行了无情的阻挠。实际上，金融行业和他们强大的游说集团反对适度的保护条款，正是他们不计后果的冒险和恶劣的行径导致了这次的危机。
 
The consequences of this failure of responsibility – from Wall Street to Washington – are all around us: 8 million jobs lost, trillions in savings⁹ erased¹⁰, countless¹¹ dreams diminished or denied.  I believe we have to do everything we can to ensure that no crisis like this ever happens again.  That’s why I’m fighting so hard to pass a set of Wall Street reforms and consumer protections.  A plan for reform is currently moving through Congress.
 从华尔街到华盛顿，一系列的责任心缺失比比皆是：800多万人失业，数万亿的存款灰飞烟灭，无数的梦想破灭。我认为我们要尽一切努力来确保以后再也不发生这样的危机。这是我一直为一系列金融改革和消费者保护方案奋争的原因。而改革的方案现在正在国会讨论。
 
Here’s what this plan would do.  First, it would enact¹² the strongest consumer financial protections ever.  It would put consumers back in the driver’s seat by forcing big banks and credit card companies to provide clear, understandable information so that Americans can make financial decisions that work best for them.
 以下就是（这项改革）计划的内容。首先，（改革计划）将制定最为严格的消费者保护条例；让消费者回到主导位置，强制大银行和信用卡公司提供清晰易懂的信息，以方便人们在金融决策上趋利避害。
 
Next, these reforms would bring new transparency to financial dealings.  Part of what led to this crisis was firms like AIG and others making huge and risky¹³ bets – using things like derivatives¹⁴ – without accountability.  Warren Buffett himself once described derivatives bought and sold with little oversight¹⁵ as “financial weapons of mass destruction.”  That’s why through reform we’d help ensure that these kinds of complicated financial transactions take place on an open market.  Because, ultimately, it is a marketplace that is open, free, and fair that will allow our economy to flourish.
 其次，改革将为金融交易带来新的透明性。这次危机的部分原因就是像AIG（美国国际集团）这样的公司用金融衍生品之类的东西进行不负责任的冒险豪赌。沃伦·巴菲特（Warren Buffett）曾将金融衍生品的买卖描述为“大破坏的金融武器”。这就是我们通过改革确保这些复杂的金融交易在开放的市场交易的原因。因为最终只有一个开放，自由，公平的市场才能让我们的经济欣欣向荣。
 
We would also close loopholes to stop the kind of recklessness and irresponsibility we’ve seen.  It’s these loopholes that allowed executives to take risks that not only endangered their companies, but also our entire economy.  And we’re going to put in place new rules so that big banks and financial institutions will pay for the bad decisions they make – not taxpayers.  Simply put, this means no more taxpayer¹ bailouts.  Never again will taxpayers be on the hook because a financial company is deemed “too big to fail.”
 我们将堵上这些漏洞，来终结我们已经见识的这些不计后果和不负责任的（冒险）。正是这些漏洞让（公司）管理层进行冒险，这不仅损害了他们的公司，也损害了我们的经济。我们将设立适当的规则让这些大银行和金融机构为自己错误的决策自行埋单，而不是让纳税人来埋单。简而言之，以后再也不会有用纳税人的钱进行的紧急援助了。纳税人再也不会陷入金融公司所谓的“太大而不能倒闭”的圈套了。
 
Finally, these reforms hold Wall Street accountable by giving shareholders new power in the financial system.  They’ll get a say on pay: a vote on the salaries and bonuses awarded to top executives.  And the SEC will ensure that shareholders have more power in corporate¹⁶ elections, so that investors¹⁷ and pension holders⁶ have a stronger voice in determining what happens with their life savings.
 最后，通过赋予股东新权力的改革让华尔街负起责任来。股东在薪酬决策上具有发言权：对高管的薪水和奖金拥有表决权。证券交易委员会将确保股东在公司选举上有更多权力，以便投资者和养老金持有人对如何处置自己的毕生积蓄有更多发言权。
 
Now, unsurprisingly, these reforms have not exactly been welcomed by the people who profit from the status quo – as well their allies in Washington.  This is probably why the special interests have spent a lot of time and money lobbying to kill or weaken the bill.  Just the other day, in fact, the Leader of the Senate Republicans and the Chair of the Republican Senate campaign committee met with two dozen top Wall Street executives to talk about how to block progress on this issue.
 现在，毫无疑问，改革受到了维持现状的受益者以及他们在政府盟友的反对。这可能就是特殊利益集团花费大量时间和金钱游说议员来否决和削弱改革法案的原因。其实前不久，共和党参议院领导人也就是共和党参议院竞选委员会的主席会见了24位华尔街的高管，并讨论如何阻挠这项议题的推进。
 
Lo and behold¹⁸, when he returned to Washington, the Senate Republican Leader came out against the common-sense reforms we’ve proposed.  In doing so, he made the cynical¹⁹ and deceptive²⁰ assertion that reform would somehow enable future bailouts – when he knows that it would do just the opposite.  Every day we don’t act, the same system that led to bailouts remains²¹ in place – with the exact same loopholes and the exact same liabilities.  And if we don’t change what led to the crisis, we’ll doom²² ourselves to repeat it.  That’s the truth.  Opposing reform will leave taxpayers on the hook if a crisis like this ever happens again.
 你瞧，当他返回华盛顿，共和党的参议院领导人就站出来反对我们提出的常规改革方案。他一边这么做，还一边编造些欺世谎言说什么改革将在未来造成紧急援助，尽管他知道恰恰相反。我们一天不行动起来，会引发紧急援助的制度就一天不会改变——一模一样的漏洞，一模一样的负责累累。不改变导致危机的一切，我们将注定重蹈覆辙。事实就是这样。反对改革将使得在未来危机发生时让纳税人再一次陷入圈套。
 
So my hope is that we can put this kind of politics aside.  My hope is that Democrats²³ and Republicans can find common ground and move forward together.  But this is certain: one way or another, we will move forward.  This issue is too important.  The costs of inaction are too great.  We will hold Wall Street accountable.  We will protect and empower consumers in our financial system. That’s what reform is all about. That’s what we’re fighting for.  And that’s exactly what we’re going to achieve.

Thank you.

 所以我希望我们能将政见放到一边，我希望民主党人和共和党人能寻求到共同的立场一起将改革推向前进。无论如何，有一点是明确的，我们将向前推进。这项议题是如此重要，而懈怠的代价是如此的昂贵。我们要让华尔街负起责任来，我们要保护我们的消费者，赋予他们在金融体系中应有的权力。这是我们改革的目标，也是我们奋斗的目标，更是我们将要实现的目标。

 

 

谢谢！
 
 

1 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。

2 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

3 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

4 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

5 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

6 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

7 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

8 thwart   

v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的)

参考例句：

• We must thwart his malevolent schemes.我们决不能让他的恶毒阴谋得逞。
• I don't think that will thwart our purposes.我认为那不会使我们的目的受到挫折。

9 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。

10 erased   

v.擦掉( erase的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；清除

参考例句：

• He erased the wrong answer and wrote in the right one. 他擦去了错误答案，写上了正确答案。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He removed the dogmatism from politics; he erased the party line. 他根除了政治中的教条主义，消除了政党界限。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

12 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

13 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

14 derivatives   

n.衍生性金融商品；派生物，引出物( derivative的名词复数 )；导数

参考例句：

• Many English words are derivatives of Latin words. 许多英语词来自拉丁语。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These compounds are nitrosohydroxylamine derivatives. 这类合成物是亚硝基羟胺衍生物。 来自辞典例句

15 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

16 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

17 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

18 behold   

v.看，注视，看到

参考例句：

• The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
• The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。

19 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

20 deceptive   

adj.骗人的，造成假象的，靠不住的

参考例句：

• His appearance was deceptive.他的外表带有欺骗性。
• The storyline is deceptively simple.故事情节看似简单，其实不然。

21 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

22 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

23 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》