奥巴马每周电视讲话：副总统乔拜登呼吁提高最低工资标准

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Joe Biden.
女士们先生们，我是乔拜登。
I'm filling in for President Obama, who is abroad.
我代替身在国外的奥巴马总统在此演讲。
I want to talk to you today about the minimum wage and the overwhelming need to raise the minimum wage.
我今天想跟大家谈谈最低工资标准以及提高这一标准不可阻挡的趋势。
There's no reason in the world why an American working 40 hours a week has to live in poverty.
我今天想跟大家谈谈最低工资标准以及提高这一标准不可阻挡的趋势。
But right now a worker earning the federal minimum wage makes about $14,500 a year.
但现在一个拿着联邦最低工资的工人每年只能得到1.45万美元。
And you all know that's incredibly hard for an individual to live on, let alone raise a family on.
众所周知，这些钱一个人生活都勉为其难，更不用说养活一家人了。
But if we raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, that same worker will be making $20,200 a year.
但如果我们将最低工资标准提高到每小时10.10美元，同一个工人一年就能挣到2.02万美元。
And with existing tax credits would earn enough to bring that family or a family of four out of poverty.
再加上现有的税收优惠政策，就足以让一个四口之家脱离贫困。
But there's a lot of good reasons why raising the minimum wage makes sense.
但除此之外提高最低工资标准还有大量正当的理由。
Not only would it put more hard-earned money into the pockets of 28 million Americans, moving millions of them out of poverty, it's also good for business.
不仅是让这些辛苦钱能进入2800万美国人民的口袋，让数百万人脱离贫困，这对企业也有好处。
And let me tell you why.
下面我将为你们讲述个中缘由。
There's clear data that shows fair wages generate loyalty¹ of workers to their employers, which has the benefit of increasing productivity and leading to less turn over.
统计数据明确显示，公平的工资待遇将使员工对雇主效忠，从而使得企业提高生产效率，减少成本支出。
It's really good for the economy as a whole because raising the minimum wage would generate an additional $19 billion in additional income for people who need it the most.
进而将对整个经济带来好处，因为提高最低工资标准将让最需要提高收入的人分享190亿美元的额外收入。
The big difference between giving a raise in the minimum wage instead of a tax break to the very wealthy is the minimum wage worker will go out and spend every penny of it because they're living on the edge.
提高最低工资标准而不是为富人减税，其差别就在于，受益于最低工资的工人会用好这每一分钱，因为这是他们生活的保障。
They'll spend it in the local economy.
他们的消费有利于本地经济发展。
They need it to pay their electric bill, put gas in their automobile², to buy fundamental necessities.
他们需要用这些钱支付电费，为汽车加油，购买生活必需品。
And this generates economic growth in their communities.
这将为当地经济带来发展动力。
And I'm not the only one who recognizes these benefits.
我不是唯一一个意识到这些好处的人。
Companies big and small recognize it as well.
大大小小的公司也意识到这一点了。
I was recently in Atlanta, Georgia, and met the owner of a small advertising³ company, a guy named Darien.
最近我在佐治亚州的亚特兰大的时候，与当地一家小广告公司的老板达利恩见面。
He independently raised the wages of his workers to $10.10 an hour.
他自己将公司员工的最低工资标准提高到了10.10美元每小时。
But large companies, as well, Costco and the Gap—they're choosing to pay their employees higher starting wages.
而像是Costco和GAP这样的大公司都已经为员工开出了更高的底薪。
A growing list of governors are also raising wages in their states-the minimum wage.
提高最低工资标准的州也呈现增长趋势。
They join the President who raised the minimum wage for employees of federal contractors⁴ like the folks serving our troops meals on our bases.
他们与总统一起提高联邦合同承包商为员工支付的最低工资标准，例如军事基地为部队提供食品的工人就享受到了。
They're all doing this for a simple reason.
大家这么做的原因很简单。
Raising the minimum wage will help hardworking people rise out of poverty.
提高最低工资标准将帮助辛勤劳动的人们脱离贫困。
It's good for business. It's helpful to the overall economy.
这对企业有好处，对整个经济也有好处。
And there's one more important benefit.
还有更重要的好处。
Right now women make up more than half of the workers who would benefit from increasing the minimum wage.
当下女性占到劳动力的一半以上，她们将从提高最低工资标准中受益。
Folks, a low minimum wage is one of the reasons why women in America make only 77 cents on a dollar that every man makes.
各位，最低工资标准是一份工作男人能挣到1美元而女性只能拿到77美分。
But by raising the minimum wage, we can close that gap by 5 percent.
而我们可以将这一差距缩小5%。
And it matters.
这至关重要。
It matters to a lot of hardworking families, particularly moms raising families on the minimum wage.
对大量工薪家庭，尤其是对依靠最低工资收入供养家庭的母亲更为重要。
And one more thing, folks—it's what the American people want to do.
还有一件事是美国人民想做的。
Three out of four Americans support raising the minimum wage.
那就是全美3/4的人都同意提高最低工资标准。
They know this is the right and fair thing to do, and the good thing to do for the economy.
大家都知道这是正确的、正当的事情，是对经济发展有好处的事情。
So it's time for Congress to get behind the minimum wage bill offered by Tom Harkin of Iowa and Congressman⁵ George Miller⁶ of California—the proposal that would raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10 an hour.
因此，国会现在应该正式对待爱荷华州的Tom Harkin和加利福利亚州的George Miller议员共同提出的最低工资议案，该议案将联邦最低工资标准从7.25美元每小时提高到10.10美元每小时。
So ask your representatives who oppose raising the federal minimum wage—why do they oppose it?
因此，请问问反对提供啊联邦最低工资标准的国会议员，他们为什么反对。
How can we look at the men and women providing basic services to us all, like cleaning our offices, caring for our children, serving in our restaurants and so many other areas—how can we say they don't deserve enough pay to take them out of poverty?
我们怎么能眼看为我们提供基本服务的人，比如为我们清扫办公室、照顾我们的的孩子、在餐馆服务以及其它领域为我们服务的男男女女，他们怎么就不能得到足够的工资摆脱贫困呢？
The President and I think they deserve it. And we think a lot of you do too.
总统和我都认为他们应该得到这些。
So, folks, it's time to act.
我们认为你们很多人都应该得到。
It's time to give America a raise.
因此提高全美的工资标准，是行动的时候了。
Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.
谢谢聆听，祝大家周末愉快。
God bless you all and may God protect our troops.
愿上帝保佑大家，愿上帝保佑我们的军队。

1 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

2 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

3 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

4 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》

5 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

6 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。