奥巴马每周电视讲话:通过《美国就业法案》，促进经济增长

 　　华盛顿：在本周的讲话中，奥巴马总统告诉美国民众，参议院将于下周就《美国就业法案》进行投票表决，独立经济学家们称这将推动美国人民重返就业岗位，促进经济增长，为工薪阶层和中小企业进行税收减免。我们都知道就业法案将改善美国经济，让教师重返教室，让警察重回街头，让建筑工人回到建筑工地改建道路和桥梁，现在，我们要那些反对就业法案的人解释一下他们为什么这么做。奥巴马总统鼓励所有支持《美国就业法案》的人们告诉他们的参议员们，让他们停止在华盛顿的阻挠行径，并在下周通过这一法案。

　　下周，参议院将就《美国就业法案》进行投票表决。该法案将让更多人回到工作岗位，让工薪阶层的口袋鼓起来。它将为我们的经济带来惊喜，而这正是我们现在急需的。

　　现在不是华盛顿进行惯常较量或政治僵持的时候。我们所面临的全球金融市场的挑战将对我们产生重大的实质性影响，尤其是当我们自身的经济还处在脆弱阶段之时。但这一就业法案将帮助我们保护自己避免陷入又一次经济低迷期。

　　这不仅仅是我的信念。也是众多独立经济学家的观点。不仅仅有政治家，不仅仅是身在庙堂的人们，专门研究这些领域的独立专家们说这一就业法案将对我们的经济和全美的中产家庭产生显著影响。但如果我们不作为，反面将变成现实——工作岗位将更少而经济增长也更加脆弱。

　　因此任何想要对这一就业法案投反对票的参议员都需要解释他为什么要反对，我们都知道该法案将改善我们的经济现状。如果国会的共和党人认为他们现在有更好的方案来创造就业，他们也需要拿出证据。因为有一位独立经济学家在看到这份计划后说出了很有代表性的话，我引用一下，“在近期没有什么方案能比这个更有效了”。

　　如果他们的计划不合格，美国民众应该知道国会的共和党人为什么不喜欢这个就业法案。你们都能听到很多共和党的朋友们说我们能做的最重要的事情之一就是减税。那么他们应该喜欢这个计划啊。《美国就业法案》几乎为每位工薪人员和每个中小企业进行减税了。而且如果你是中小企业主，雇佣了新员工，给员工涨了工资或是雇佣了退伍军人，你还能得到额外的减税。

　　现在，由于国家预算的削减，大量教师、消防员和警察被解雇。而这一就业法案将让他们当中很大一部分重返工作岗位。现在，还有数百万失业的建筑工人应该正在修缮我们的桥梁和道路，对学校进行现代化改造。我们为什么不让这些人回到工作岗位重建美国呢？

　　如果我们想要建设一个持续发展的经济体，想要能够与世界上其他国家竞争，创造就业为中产阶级重塑安全感，这一法案中的实施方案包括多项措施。但我还要严格控制赤字，量入为出，这也是为什么我们需要百万富翁和亿万富翁们支付他们应该承担的份额来为这一就业法案埋单的原因。

　　有些人认为这是阶级斗争。我认为这是一个简单的抉择。我们要么保持对百万富翁和亿万富翁们的税率，要么要求他们至少缴纳和水暖工或公交司机们一样的税率。通过这一过程，我们可以让教师和建筑工人以及退伍军人重回工作岗位。我们要么保护他们的税收优惠，要么就为美国几乎每个工薪人员和中小企业减税。但我们不能同时做这两项。道理就是这么简单。

　　由于我们无所作为，这个国家有太多的人在受着伤害。我们的经济由于我们将政治斗争带进来而太过脆弱。那些代表你们来到华盛顿的人有责任做出对你们最为有利的事情——而不是对他们的党派最有利或是帮助他们赢得一年后的下一次的选举。因此我需要你们表达自己的诉求，让华盛顿的人听到。我需要你们提醒这些人在为谁而工作。我需要你们告诉你们的参议员，让他们做正确的事情，立即通过这一就业法案。谢谢大家.

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　　WEEKLY ADDRESS: Growing the Economy with the  American Jobs Act

　　WASHINGTON—In this week’s address, President Obama  told the American people that the Senate will vote on the American Jobs Act  next week, which independent economists¹ have said will put Americans back to  work, grow the economy, and give working people and small businesses a tax  break.  It is time for those who oppose  the jobs act to explain why they are fighting against something that we know  will improve the American economy, put teachers in classrooms, cops on the  streets, and construction workers back to work rebuilding our roads and  bridges.  President Obama urged all  Americans who support the American Jobs Act to call their Senators and tell  them to put a stop to the gridlock in Washington and pass the jobs act next week.

　　Next week, the  Senate will vote on the American Jobs Act.   It’s a bill that will put more people to work and put more money in  the pockets of working Americans.  And  it will provide our economy with the jolt² that it really needs right now.

　　This is not the  time for the usual games or political gridlock in Washington.  The challenges facing financial markets  around the world could have very real effects on our own economy at a time  when it’s already fragile.  But this  jobs bill can help guard against another downturn here in America.

　　This isn’t just  my belief.  This is what independent  economists have said.  Not just  politicians.  Not just people in my  administration.  Independent experts  who do this for a living have said that this jobs bill will have a  significant effect for our economy and middle-class families all across  America.  But if we don’t act, the  opposite will be true – there will be fewer jobs and weaker growth.

　　So any Senator  out there who’s thinking about voting against this jobs bill needs to explain  why they would oppose something that we know would improve our economic  situation.  If the Republicans in  Congress think they have a better plan for creating jobs right now, they  should prove it.  Because one of the  same independent economists who looked at our plan just said that their  ideas, quote, wouldn’t “mean much for the economy in the near term.”

　　If their plan  doesn’t measure up, the American people deserve to know what it is that  Republicans in Congress don’t like about this jobs plan.  You hear a lot of our Republican friends  say that one of the most important things we can do is cut taxes.  Well, they should love this plan.  The American Jobs Act would cut taxes for  virtually every worker and small business in America.  And if you’re a small business owner that  hires new workers, raises wages, or hires a veteran, you get an additional  tax cut.

　　Right now,  hundreds of thousands of teachers and firefighters and police officers have  been laid off because of state budget cuts.   This jobs bill will put a lot of these men and women back to  work.  Right now, there are millions of  laid-off construction workers who could be repairing our bridges and roads  and modernizing³ our schools.  Why  wouldn’t we want to put these men and women to work rebuilding America?

　　The proposals in  this bill are steps we have to take if we want to build an economy that  lasts; if we want to be able to compete with other countries for jobs that  restore a sense of security for the middle-class.  But we also have to rein⁴ in our deficit⁵ and  start living within our means, which is why this jobs bill is paid for by  asking millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share.

　　Some see this as  class warfare⁶.  I see it as a simple  choice.  We can either keep taxes  exactly as they are for millionaires and billionaires, or we can ask them to  pay at least the same rate as a plumber⁷ or a bus driver.  And in the process, we can put teachers and  construction workers and veterans back on the job.  We can either fight to protect their tax  cuts, or we can cut taxes for virtually every worker and small business in  America.  But we can’t afford to do  both.  It’s that simple.

　　There are too  many people hurting in this country for us to simply do nothing.  The economy is too fragile for us to let  politics get in the way of action.  The  people who represent you in Washington have a responsibility to do what’s  best for you – not what’s best for their party or what’s going to help them  win an election that’s more than a year away.   So I need you to keep making your voices heard in Washington.  I need you to remind these folks who they  work for.  And I need you to tell your  Senators to do the right thing by passing this jobs bill right away. Thank  you.

1 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 jolt   

v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸

参考例句：

• We were worried that one tiny jolt could worsen her injuries.我们担心稍微颠簸一下就可能会使她的伤势恶化。
• They were working frantically in the fear that an aftershock would jolt the house again.他们拼命地干着，担心余震可能会使房子再次受到震动。

3 modernizing   

使现代化，使适应现代需要( modernize的现在分词 )； 现代化，使用现代方法

参考例句：

• Modernizing a business to increase its profitability and competitiveness is a complicated affair. 使企业现代化，从而达到增加利润，增强竞争力的目的，是一件复杂的事情。
• The young engineer had a large share in modernizing the factory. 这位年轻工程师在工厂现代化的过程中尽了很大的“力”。

4 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

5 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。

6 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

7 plumber   

n.(装修水管的)管子工

参考例句：

• Have you asked the plumber to come and look at the leaking pipe?你叫管道工来检查漏水的管子了吗？
• The plumber screwed up the tap by means of a spanner.管子工用板手把龙头旋紧。