奥巴马总统每周电台演讲:为中产阶级延长工资税减免政策

Hello, everybody. In recent weeks, we’ve seen signs that our economy is growing stronger and creating jobs at a faster clip.  While numbers and figures will go up and down in the coming months, what cannot waver is our resolve to do everything in our power to keep stoking the fires of the recovery. And the last thing we should do is let Washington stand in the way.

You see, at the end of the month, taxes are set to go up on 160 million working Americans. If you’re one of them, then you know better than anyone that the last thing you need right now is a tax hike.  But if Congress refuses to act, middle class taxes will go up.  It’s that simple. Now, if this sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve been here before.  Back in December, Congress faced this exact same predicament.  Ultimately, thanks to your voices, they did the right thing – but only after a great deal of bickering¹ and political posturing² that put the strength of our economy and the security of middle class families at risk.  We can’t go through that again. Congress needs to stop this middle class tax hike from happening.  Period.  No drama.

No delay.  And no ideological³ side issues that have nothing to do with this tax cut.  Now is not the time for self-inflicted wounds to our recovery.  Now is the time for common-sense action.  And this tax cut is common-sense.  If you’re a family making about $50,000 a year, this tax cut amounts to about $1,000 a year.  That’s about $40 in every paycheck.  I know there are some folks in this town who think $40 isn’t a lot of money.  But to a student or a senior who’s trying to stretch the budget a little bit further?  To a parent who’s filling up the tank and looking at rising gas prices?

To them, $40 can make all the difference in the world. And so can your voice.  I hope you’ll pick up the phone, send a tweet, write an email, and tell your representative that they should get this done before it gets too late.  Tell them not to play politics again by linking this debate to unrelated issues. Tell them not to manufacture another needless standoff or crisis.  Tell them not to stand in the way of the recovery.  Tell them to just do their job.  That’s what our middle class needs.  That’s what our country needs. In the wake of the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes, we’re getting things going again.  And we’re going to keep at it until everyone shares in America’s comeback. Thanks, and have a great weekend.

大家好。数周以来，我们看到了经济持续向好的趋势，工作岗位也在快速增加。虽然统计数字在未来几个月内会有所起伏，但我们竭力保持经济复苏之火不灭的决心绝不可动摇。

我们最不希望看到的就是华盛顿成为我们前进中的拦路虎。

各位都知道，本月末，1.6亿美国工薪人员的税金将要增加。如果你是这些人中的一员，你一定比任何人都更明白，现在你最不希望看到的就是税金增加。但如果国会拒绝采取行动，中产阶级就要多纳税。实事就是如此。

现在，我们也许觉得这些似曾相识，那是因为我们曾经遇到过相同的情况。去年12月，国会也面临完全相同的困境。最终，经过大家的努力，国会做出了正确的选择——但却经历了旷日持久的争吵和政治作秀，那也将我们的经济和中产阶级的安全置于了风险之中。我们再也不能重蹈覆辙。

国会应避免向中产阶级加税。现在就动手，不要阻挠，不要拖延。在减税这件事情上根本不存在任何意识形态的问题。现在不是在我们复苏的道路上自废武功的时候，而是采取正常行动的时候。这一减税政策就是正常行动。如果你的家庭年收入有5万美元，这项减税政策每年将为你节约1000美元。平均到每份工资单就是40美元。我想会有人认为40美元不是什么大数目。但对于一个精打细算的学生或老人或那些瞅着油价上涨却需要每天加油的父母而言，这还是小数目吗？对他们而言，40美元意味着世界的改变。

你们的意见至关重要。我希望你们拿起电话，或发送推特，或发送电子邮件，告诉你们的议员们，让他们应尽快把这件事做好。告诉他们不要再玩弄政治，不要把这件事和不相干的问题牵扯到一起。告诉他们不要人为制造不必要的麻烦或危机。告诉他们不要阻碍经济复苏。告诉他们做好自己的本职工作。这是我们的中产阶级所需要的，也是我们的国家所需要的。

在经历我们人生之中最为严重的经济危机之后，我们的状况正在好转。我们将坚持不懈，直到每个人都能享受到美国重新崛起所带来的荣耀。

谢谢大家，周末愉快！

1 bickering   

v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁

参考例句：

• The children are always bickering about something or other. 孩子们有事没事总是在争吵。
• The two children were always bickering with each other over small matters. 这两个孩子总是为些小事斗嘴。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 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。

3 ideological   

a.意识形态的

参考例句：

• He always tries to link his study with his ideological problems. 他总是把学习和自己的思想问题联系起来。
• He helped me enormously with advice on how to do ideological work. 他告诉我怎样做思想工作，对我有很大帮助。