奥巴马每周电视讲话：总统呼吁为更多人创造就业机会和提高最低工资水平

Hi, everybody.
大家好。
Restoring the idea of opportunity for all requires a year of action from all of us.
为所有需要机会的人创造机会是我们今年工作的重心。
Wherever I can act on my own, I will-and whenever I can ask more Americans to help, I'll do that too.
只要我能做，我都会去努力，只要我需要更多美国人们的帮助，我都会及时说明。
In my State of the Union Address, for example, I asked more business leaders to take action to raise their employees' wages.
比如说，在我的国情咨文中，我要求更多企业领导者采取措施提高雇员的工资。
Because even though our economy is growing, and our businesses have created about eight and a half million new jobs over the past four years, average wages have barely budged¹.
因为即便我们的经济一直在增长，企业在过去4年里也创造了850多万个就业岗位，但我们的平均工资水平基本没有什么变化。
So it's good news that, earlier this week, one of America's largest retailers², The Gap, decided³ to raise wages for its employees beginning this year.
因此，好消息是，本周早些时候，全美最大的零售商之一，Gap公司决定从今年开始提高其员工的工资。
Their decision will benefit about 65,000 workers in the U.S.
这一决定将惠及全美6.5万名员工。
That means more families will be able to raise their kids, finish their studies, or keep up on their bills with a little less financial stress and strain.
这也意味着将有更多家庭有能力抚养孩子，帮助他们完成学业，或者让他们在平衡家庭收支方面减少一些压力，得到一定的缓解。
Gap's CEO explained their decision simply-he said, right for our brands, good for our people, and beneficial to our customers.
Gap的CEO解释这一决定时很简单，他说：这对我们的品牌有利，对人民有利，对顾客也有利。
And he's right-raising Americans' wages isn't just a good deed; it's good business and good for our economy.
他说的很对，提高美国人民的工资水平不仅仅是一个善举，这对企业和我们整个经济都有好处。
It helps reduce turnover⁴, it boosts productivity, and it gives folks some more money to spend at local businesses.
这种做法减少了资金留存，提高了生产效率，让人们有更多的钱可以到本地商家消费。
And as a chief executive myself, that's why I took action last week to lift more workers' wages by requiring federal contractors⁵ to pay their employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour.
作为全国的最高行政长官，上周我采取措施要求联邦合同承包商提高其员工工资至10.10美元/小时这一合理区间，以此提高员工工资水平，原因就在于此。
In the year since I first asked Congress to raise the minimum wage, six states have passed laws to raise theirs, and more states are working on it as we speak.
自从我第一次请求国会提高全国最低工资标准的那年至今，已经有6个州通过立法提高了当地的最低工资标准，而且当下还有更多州正在操作之中。
But only Congress can finish the job and lift Americans' wages across the country.
但提高全国工资标准这一任务必须由国会完成。
Right now, there's a bill before Congress that would boost America's minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.
现在，国会有一份提高全国最低工资至10.10美元/小时的法案。
That's easy to remember-ten-ten.
数字很好记，10-10。
That bill would lift wages for more than 16 million Americans without requiring a single dollar in new taxes or spending.
这一法案将为全国1600多万人带来工资的提高而不会增加一分钱的税收和财政支出。
But even though a majority of Democrats⁶, Independents, and Republicans across the country support raising the minimum wage, Republicans in Congress don't want to give it a vote.
但即便大多数民主党人、无党派人士以及共和党人都支持提高最低工资标准，国会还是有一批共和党人不想将其纳入投票议程。
Hardworking Americans deserve better than no. Let's tell Congress to say yes.
辛勤劳动的美国人民不应该只能听到他们说不。让我们告诉国会说同意。
Pass that bill. Give America a raise.
通过这份法案。提高美国人民的生活水平。
Because here in America, no one who works hard should have to live in poverty-and everyone who works hard should have a chance to get ahead.
因为在美国，不应该有辛勤付出的人还生活在贫困之中，每个努力付出的人都应该获得成功的机会。
Thanks, and have a great weekend.
谢谢大家，祝你们周末愉快。

1 budged   

v.（使）稍微移动( budge的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）改变主意，（使）让步

参考例句：

• Old Bosc had never budged an inch--he was totally indifferent. 老包斯克一直连动也没有动，他全然无所谓。 来自辞典例句
• Nobody budged you an inch. 别人一丁点儿都算计不了你。 来自辞典例句

2 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 turnover   

n.人员流动率，人事变动率；营业额，成交量

参考例句：

• The store greatly reduced the prices to make a quick turnover.这家商店实行大减价以迅速周转资金。
• Our turnover actually increased last year.去年我们的营业额竟然增加了。

5 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》

6 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》