奥巴马每周电视讲话：总体呼吁国会延长失业最低保障政策

奥巴马每周电视讲话：总体呼吁国会延长失业最低保障政策

Hi, everybody.
大家好。
The holiday season is a time for remembering the bonds we share, and our obligations to one another as human beings.
圣诞长假到来，我们要再次牢记共享发展成果、作为人类应该对彼此尽到责任的理念，
But right now, more than one million of our fellow Americans are poised¹ to lose a vital economic lifeline just a few days after Christmas if Congress doesn't do something about it.
但现在如果国会不做出努力，将有100多万同胞在圣诞节后面临失去生活最低保障的困境。
Our top priority as a country should be restoring opportunity and broad-based economic growth for all Americans.
我们国家当前的头等任务就是为全国人民重新寻求就业机会，在广泛的基础上促进经济发展。
And yesterday, we learned that our businesses created about 200,000 jobs in the month of November.
昨天，统计数据表明11月份我们新增20万就业岗位。
That's more than 8 million new jobs in the last 45 months.
45个月以来，这一数字已经超过800万。
And the unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in five years.
失业率也降低到5年来的最低值。
But we need to do everything we can to help businesses create more good jobs that pay good wages even faster.
但我们还需要尽一切努力来帮助企业更快创造更多待遇良好的就业岗位。
Because the hole that we're still digging out of means that there are still millions of Americans looking for work-often because they've been laid off through no fault of their own.
因为我们仍在努力摆脱的困境意味着还有数百万人需要工作，而他们的失业并不是由于他们自身原因造成的。
We also have to look out for the Americans working hard to get those jobs.
我们应该让努力付出的美国人民得到工作岗位。
That's why, as a country, we offer temporary unemployment insurance-so that job-seekers don't fall into poverty, and so that when they get that job, they bounce back more quickly.
因此，就国家而言，我们提供了临时失业保险，这样可以让求职者不会陷入贫困，而一旦他们找到工作就可以迅速恢复生活水准。
For many families, it can be the difference between hardship and catastrophe².
对大多家庭而言，失业福利意味着是面临小困难还是大灾难。
It makes a difference for a mother who suddenly doesn't know if she'll be able to put food on the table for her kids.
一个母亲突然不知道自己能否将食物为孩子们摆上餐桌，失业福利将带来改变。
It makes a difference for a father who lost his job and is looking for a new one.
一个失业的父亲能否继续找到新的工作，失业福利也将带来改变。
Last year alone, it lifted 2.5 million people out of poverty, and cushioned the blow for many more.
仅仅去年一年，这一政策让250万人摆脱了贫困，为更多人提供了经济上的缓冲。
But here's the thing: if Members of Congress don't act before they leave on their vacations, 1.3 million Americans will lose this lifeline.
问题在于：如果国会议员们在休假之前不能有所行动，130万美国人民就将失去生活保障。
These are people we know.
我们都了解这一情况。
They're our friends and neighbors; they sit next to us in church and volunteer in our communities; their kids play with our kids.
他们当中有我们的朋友和邻居、有我们在教堂祷告时的教友和社区志愿者的同伴，他们的孩子和我们的孩子一起玩耍。
And they include 20,000 veterans who've served this country with honor.
他们当中有2万多退伍军人曾经为这个国家服役，应该得到人们的尊重。
If Congress refuses to act, it won't just hurt families already struggling-it will actually harm our economy.
如果国会拒绝行动，伤害的将不仅仅是苦苦挣扎之中的人民，还将从根本上伤害到经济发展。
Unemployment insurance is one of the most effective ways there is to boost our economy.
失业保险是提振经济发展最有效的途径之一。
When people have money to spend on basic necessities, that means more customers for our businesses and, ultimately, more jobs.
当人们有钱在生活必需品上花销时，就意味着有更多顾客购买商家的产品，最终也就意味着有更多的就业。
And the evidence shows that unemployment insurance doesn't stop people from trying hard to find work.
有证据表明，失业保险并不会阻止人们停止努力付出和寻找工作的步伐。
Just this week, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicted that allowing benefits to expire will be a drag on our economic growth next year.
就在本周，无党派的国会预算办公室就预测，任由福利政策到期终止将拖累明年的经济发展。
A report by the Department of Labor⁴ and my Council of Economic Advisors⁵ estimated that it could cost businesses 240,000 jobs.
劳工部和我的经济顾问委员会的一份评估报告表明这将让我们失去24万个就业岗位。
And without the ability to feed their families or pay the bills, many people currently looking for work could stop looking for good.
如果没有能力养家糊口，支付日常开支，很多现在正在找工作的人就可能找不到好的工作。
So extending unemployment insurance isn't just the right thing to do for our families-it's the smart thing to do for our economy.
因此，延长失业保险不仅仅对众多家庭而言是正当的事情，对我们的经济发展而言也是明智的事情。
And it shouldn't be a partisan³ issue.
这不应该是一个党派问题。
For decades, Congress has voted to offer relief to job-seekers-including when the unemployment rate was lower than it is today.
十多年来，国会多次通过为求职者提供生活保障的政策，包括失业率比今天还低的年份。
But now that economic lifeline is in jeopardy⁶.
但现在我们的经济命脉已陷入困境。
All because Republicans in this Congress-which is on track to be the most unproductive in history-have so far refused to extend it.
所有的原因都在于国会的共和党人长时间以来拒绝延长这一政策，他们正在无作为的道路上越走越远。
So this holiday season, let's give our fellow Americans who are desperately⁷ looking for work the help they need to keep on looking.
因此，长假到来之际，让我们给予那些还在拼命寻找工作的美国同胞们一些他们需要的帮助。
Let's make it easier for businesses to attract more customers, and our economy to grow.
让商家更好的吸引更多顾客，让我们的经济更好的增长。
And together, let's keep doing everything we can to make this country a place where anyone who works hard has a chance to get ahead.
总之，让我们一起努力，竭尽所能，让这个国家成为任何努力付出的人都能获得成功的国度。
Thanks, and have a great weekend.
谢谢大家，祝你们周末愉快。

1 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

2 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

3 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。

4 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

5 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

6 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

7 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。