奥巴马每周电视讲话 太阳能发电与清洁能源经济

Weekly Address: President Obama Lauds¹ Clean Energy Projects as Key to Creating
 每周电视讲话:奥巴马总统称赞清洁能源计划为创新的关键
 
WASHINGTON – In this week’s address, President Obama announced that – due to clean energy incentives² launched by his administration – a company called BrightSource plans to break ground this month on a new, revolutionary type of solar power plant.  This will put about 1,000 people to work building the facility. And once completed, it will power up to 140,000 homes, making it the largest such plant in the world.  But for all the potential of clean energy projects like this one, the GOP recently pledged to scrap³ all incentives for these projects, even ones currently in progress.
 华盛顿：在本周的讲话中,奥巴马总统宣布,由于政府推动的清洁能源激励计划,BrightSource公司将在本月开始破土建设一家全新的,具有革命性意义的太阳能发电厂。该工厂相关设施建设将为1000人提供就业岗位。建成后，将能为14万家庭提供电力，并成为世界上最大的太阳能发电厂。但对于类似的所有具有潜力的清洁能源项目来说，共和党最近却强硬宣布将取消对这些项目的激励政策，即便是正在进行中的也不例外。
 
Over the past twenty months, we’ve been fighting not just to create more jobs today, but to rebuild our economy on a stronger foundation.  Our future as a nation depends on making sure that the jobs and industries of the 21st century take root here in America.  And there is perhaps no industry with more potential to create jobs now – and growth in the coming years – than clean energy.
 过去的二十个月里,我们一直在奋斗,不仅仅是为当前创造更多的就业机会,更是为我们的经济重建一个更加坚实的基础。我们国家的未来依赖于确保21世纪的工作和工业植根于美国本土。那么恐怕没有一项产业能比清洁能源更有潜力来为现在创造就业并在未来创造增长点。
 
For decades, we’ve talked about the importance of ending our dependence⁴ on foreign oil and pursuing new kinds of energy, like wind and solar power.  But for just as long, progress had been prevented at every turn by the special interests and their allies in Washington.
 几十年来，我们一直谈论着结束我们对国外石油依赖性的重要性，并一直寻求新的能源，比方说风能和太阳能。但长期以来，所有的进展常常被特殊利益集团以及他们在华盛顿的盟友们所阻断。
 
So, year after year, our dependence on foreign oil grew.  Families have been held hostage to spikes⁵ in gas prices.  Good manufacturing jobs have gone overseas.  And we’ve seen companies produce new energy technologies and high-skilled jobs not in America, but in countries like China, India and Germany.
 因此，年复一年，我们对国外石油的依赖持续增加。家庭也被油气价格牢牢绑架。优良的制造业工作也流失海外。我们可以看见拥有新能源技术和高技术含量岗位的公司不是在美国，而是在中国，印度以及德国这样的国家。
 
It was essential – for our economy, our security, and our planet – that we finally tackle this challenge.  That is why, since we took office, my administration has made an historic commitment to promote clean energy technology.  This will mean hundreds of thousands of new American jobs by 2012.  Jobs for contractors⁶ to install energy-saving windows and insulation⁷.  Jobs for factory workers to build high-tech⁸ vehicle batteries, electric cars, and hybrid⁹ trucks.  Jobs for engineers and construction crews to create wind farms and solar plants that are going to double the renewable energy we can generate in this country.  These are jobs building the future.
 无论是对我们的经济，还是我们的安全以及我们的星球而言，我们最终解决这一挑战都至关重要。这是为什么自我们执政以来，政府就做出了历史性的承诺来推动清洁能源技术的原因。这意味着到2012年美国将有数十万新的工作岗位。承包商安装节能窗和隔热板的岗位。工厂工人生产高科技汽车电池，电动汽车以及混合动力汽车的岗位。工程师和施工人员创建风力发电厂和太阳能电厂的岗位，这将使得我们国家生产的可再生能源翻番。这些都是建设未来的工作岗位。
 
For example, I want share with you one new development, made possible by the clean energy incentives we have launched.  This month, in the Mojave Desert, a company called BrightSource plans to break ground on a revolutionary new type of solar power plant.  It’s going to put about a thousand people to work building a state-of-the-art facility.  And when it’s complete, it will turn sunlight into the energy that will power up to 140,000 homes – the largest such plant in the world.  Not in China.  Not in India.  But in California.
 例如，我想告诉大家一个新的进展情况，有了我们推动的清洁能源激励计划，这才成为可能。这个月，在莫哈韦沙漠，BrightSource公司计划破土建设具有革命性意义的全新太阳能发电厂。这会让1000多人参与建设一流的设施。当工厂建成，它将阳光转化为电能，可以供14万家庭使用——这将是全世界最大的类似发电厂。不是在中国。也不是在印度。而是在加里福利亚。
 
With projects like this one, and others across this country, we are staking our claim to continued leadership in the new global economy.  And we’re putting Americans to work producing clean, home-grown American energy that will help lower our reliance on foreign oil and protect our planet for future generations.
 通过该项目以及其他遍布全国的其它类似项目，我们才能有权宣称继续领跑新的全球经济。而我们将使美国人民为生产清洁的，本土能源而工作，这将帮助我们降低对国外石油的依赖并为我们的子孙来保护我们的星球。
 
Now there are some in Washington who want to shut them down.  In fact, in the Pledge they recently released, the Republican leadership is promising¹⁰ to scrap all the incentives for clean energy projects, including those currently underway – even with all the jobs and potential that they hold.
 现在，华盛顿的某些人想关闭这些项目。实际上，在他们最近发布的一项决议中，共和党领导层宣称将取消所有对清洁能源项目的激励政策，包括正在实施的项目——甚至不顾这些项目创造的就业和所具有的潜力。
 
This doesn’t make sense for our economy.  It doesn’t make sense for Americans who are looking for jobs. And it doesn’t make sense for our future.  To go backwards¹¹ and scrap these plans means handing the competitive edge to China and other nations.  It means that we’ll grow even more dependent on foreign oil.  And, at a time of economic hardship, it means forgoing¹² jobs we desperately¹³ need. In fact, shutting down just this one project would cost about a thousand jobs.
 这对于我们的经济没有任何意义。对寻求就业机会的美国人没有任何意义。对我们的未来也没有任何意义。倒退和取消这些计划意味着将竞争优势拱手让给中国和其他国家。这意味着我们将更加依赖国外石油。而且，在目前的经济困难时期，这意味着放弃我们迫切需要的就业机会。实际上，仅仅是关闭这个项目就会损失掉大约1000个就业岗位。
 
That’s what’s at stake in this debate.  We can go back to the failed energy policies that profited the oil companies but weakened our country.  We can go back to the days when promising industries got set up overseas.  Or we can go after new jobs in growing industries. And we can spur innovation and help make our economy more competitive.  We know the choice that’s right for America.  We need to do what we’ve always done – put our ingenuity¹⁴ and can do spirit to work to fight for a brighter future.
 这是这场辩论的利害所在。我们可以回到失败的能源政策中去，为石油公司创造利润，但这却动摇了我们的国家。我们可以回到有前途的产业到海外建厂的日子。或者我们可以到新兴产业中去寻求新的就业机会。我们也可以刺激创新来使我们的经济更具竞争性。我们知道什么选择对美国是正确的。我们要一如既往的努力——将我们的聪明才智和敢做敢当的精神投入到工作中，为了美好的未来而奋斗！
 
Thanks.
 谢谢！
 
 

1 lauds   

v.称赞，赞美( laud的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The work lauds the victor, Liu Bang. 该曲歌颂了胜利者刘邦。 来自互联网
• The modern world lauds them for their vigor and intensity of purpose, and for their accomplishment. 诸君之祖先曾以大无畏之精神，冒不可思议之困难，筚路褴褛以开发新大陆。 来自互联网

2 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

3 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

4 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

5 spikes   

n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划

参考例句：

• a row of iron spikes on a wall 墙头的一排尖铁
• There is a row of spikes on top of the prison wall to prevent the prisoners escaping. 监狱墙头装有一排尖钉，以防犯人逃跑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 insulation   

n.隔离；绝缘；隔热

参考例句：

• Please examine the insulation of the electric wires in my house.请检查一下我屋子里电线的绝缘情况。
• It is always difficult to assure good insulation between the electric leads.要保证两个电触头之间有良好的绝缘总是很困难的。

8 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

9 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

10 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

11 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

12 forgoing   

v.没有也行，放弃( forgo的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Everything, in short, is produced at the expense of forgoing something else. 总之，每一种东西的生产，都得以牺牲放弃某些其他东西为代价。 来自互联网
• These aren't the only ones forgoing the morning repast, of course. 当然，他们并不是放弃早餐的唯一几个。 来自互联网

13 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

14 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。