奥巴马总统每周电台演讲:总统呼吁通过运输法案与学生贷款

Over the past three years, we've been clawing our way back from the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes.

过去三年来,我们一直在我们的一生中经历过的最严重的经济危机中缓慢恢复。

And we know it will take longer than any of us would like to fully¹ recover all the jobs and savings² that have been lost.

我们知道它将花费比任何我们想的完全恢复所有失去的工作和消失的存款的时间还要长。

But there are things we can do—right now—to help put people back to work and make life a little easier for middle-class families.

但有些事情我们可以现在就做，让人们重返工作岗位,使得中产阶级家庭的生活更轻松些。

For months, I've been pushing Congress to help us along by passing common-sense policies that would make a difference.

几个月来,我一直在推动国会通过在情理之中的会做出变革的政策来帮助我们。

Democrats³ and Republicans have already done some important work together—like passing a tax cut that's allowing working Americans to keep more of their paycheck every week.

民主党和共和党已经一起做了一些重要的工作，比如通过减税措施,允许美国工人每周拥有更多的薪水。


But Congress has refused to act on most of the other ideas in my jobs plan that economists⁴ say could put a million more Americans back to work.

但是国会一直拒绝我的工作计划中其它大多数想法的法案,而经济学家称这将使一百万多美国人重返工作岗位。

There's no excuse for inaction.

无为不能作为借口。

Right now, we are seven days away from thousands of American workers having to walk off the job because Congress hasn't passed a transportation bill.

现在, 因为国会没有通过交通运输法案，近7天之久，美国成千上万的工人们不得不罢工。

We are eight days away from nearly seven and a half million students seeing their loan rates double because Congress hasn't acted to stop it.

因为国会还没有采取行动阻止，近8天之久，750多万名学生眼睁睁看着他们的贷款利率成倍增长。

This makes no sense.

这没有任何意义。

We know that one of the most important things we can do for our economy is to make sure that all Americans get the best education possible.

我们知道我们可以为我们经济做的最重要的事情之一是确保使所有美国人得到最好的教育成为可能。

Right now, the unemployment rate for Americans with a college degree or more is about half the national average.

现在, 拥有大学学位或更多的美国人的失业率是全国平均水平的一半。

Their incomes are twice as high as those who don't have a high school diploma.

他们的收入两倍于那些没有高中文凭的人们。

So, if we know that a higher education is the clearest path to the middle class, why would we make it harder to achieve?

所以,如果我们已经知晓高等教育是最明显的通往中产阶级的道路,那为什么我们要使它更难以达到?

So much of America needs to be repaired right now.

所以现在美国的大部分需要修理。

Bridges are deteriorating⁵ after years of neglect.

经过多年的忽视桥梁正在恶化。

Highways are choked with congestion⁶.

高速公路上到处都是交通拥堵。

Transportation delays cost Americans and businesses billions of dollars every year.

交通延误造成每年美国人民和企业数十亿美元的损失。

And there are hundreds of thousands of construction workers who have never been more eager to get back on the job.

还有成千上万的建筑工人,他们从未如此急于回去工作。

So why would we let our transportation funding run out?

所以为什么我们让我们的交通运输资金耗尽?

This is a time when we should be doing everything in our power—Democrats and Republicans—to keep this recovery moving forward.

是我们民主党人和共和党人用我们的力量做一切以保持这种复苏稳固向前的时候了。

My Administration is doing its part.

我的政府正在尽自己的一份力。

On Friday, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced $500 million in competitive grants for states and communities that will create construction jobs on projects like road repair and port renovation⁷.

周五,交通部长雷?拉胡德宣布了5亿美元为州和社区建设工作的竞争性赠款,这将创建如修路和港口改造的工程项目。

And that's an important step, but we can't do it all on our own.

这是一个重要的步骤,但是我们自己不能完成所有的。

The Senate did their part.

参议院做出了贡献。

They passed a bipartisan transportation bill back in March.

他们在今年三月份的时候通过了一项两党运输法案。

It had the support of 52 Democrats and 22 Republicans.

这得到了52位民主党人，22位共和党人的支持。

Now, it's up to the House to follow suit;

现在是议会效仿这一举措的时候了；

to put aside partisan⁸ posturing⁹, end the gridlock, and do what's right for the American people.

抛弃党派姿态,打破僵局,做对美国人民正确的事情。

It's not lost on any of us that this is an election year.

虽然今年是选举年，但这和我们当中的任何人都无关。

But we've got responsibilities that are bigger than an election.

但我们的责任比大选更艰巨。

We answer to the American people, and they are demanding action.

我们要对美国人民负责,他们正要求采取行动。

Let's make it easier for students to stay in college.

让我们使在大学的学生们更容易。

Let's keep construction workers rebuilding our roads and bridges.

让我们使建筑工人们重建我们的公路和桥梁。

And let's tell Congress to do their job.

让我们告诉国会去做他们的工作。

Tell them it's time to take steps that we know will create jobs now and help sustain our economy for years to come.

告诉他们是时候采取措施,我们知道现在将创造就业机会并且帮助支撑未来数年我们的经济。

1 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

2 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。

3 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》

4 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》

5 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

6 congestion   

n.阻塞，消化不良

参考例句：

• The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
• Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。

7 renovation   

n.革新，整修

参考例句：

• The cinema will reopen next week after the renovation.电影院修缮后，将于下星期开业。
• The building has undergone major renovation.这座大楼已进行大整修。

8 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

9 posturing   

做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was posturing a model. 她正在摆模特儿的姿势。
• She says the President may just be posturing. 她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。