奥巴马每周电视讲话：总统呼吁帮助妇女和工薪家庭

Hi, everybody.
大家好！
On Friday, I had a discussion with working women in Rhode Island about the economic challenges they face in their own lives-challenges shared by many of you.
周五，我在罗德岛与当地的女职工讨论了她们生活中所面临的经济困难，这些困难也是大家所面临的。
Thanks to the work we've all put in, our economy has come a long way these past six years.
由于我们采取的措施，全国经济在过去6年里取得了长足的进步。
Over the past 55 months, our businesses have added 10.3 million new jobs.
过去的55个月，私营企业共新增1030万个就业岗位。
For the first time in six years, the unemployment rate is below 6 percent.
6年来，我们的失业率第一次降低到6个百分点以下。
And on Thursday, we learned that over the past six months, our economy has grown at its fastest pace since 2003.
周三，统计数据显示，过去6个月，我们的经济发展速度是自2003年以来最快的。
But the gains of a growing economy aren't yet felt by everyone.
但并不是每个人都能切身体会到经济不断发展所取得的成果。
So we've got to harness this momentum¹, and make the right choices so that everyone who works hard can get ahead.
因此，我们需要增强经济发展动力，做出正确的决策，让每个劳动者都能取得进步。
In recent weeks, I've talked about these choices, from raising the minimum wage to creating new jobs in construction and manufacturing.
最近几个星期，我一直在谈论这些选择，从提高最低工资标准到通过基础设施建设和制造业创造就业。
Today, I want to focus on what I discussed with those women-the choices we need to make to help more women get ahead in today's economy.
今天，我想重点关注前几天我与那些女职工们讨论的话题，为帮助更多女性在当今的经济发展中进步，我们所需要采取的措施。
Right now, women make up almost half of our workers.
现在，妇女约占到我们劳动力总数的一半。
More women are their family's main breadwinner than ever before.
更多的女性正在成为家庭的主要经济支柱。
So the simple truth is, when women succeed, America succeeds.
因此，实际情况就是，如果女性成功了，美国也就成功了。
And we should be choosing policies that benefit women-because that benefits all of us.
我们应该选择有利于女性发展的政策，因为这将有利于所有人。
Women deserve fair pay.
女性应该获得公平的工资待遇。
Even though it's 2014, there are women still earning less than men for doing the same work.
即便是在2014年的今天，依然还有很多女性与男性做着同样的工作却没有男性挣得多。
We don't have second-class citizens in this country-we shouldn't in the workplace, either.
我们的国家没有二等公民，在工作上，我们也不应该有。
So let's make sure women earn equal pay for equal work, and have a fair shot at success.
因此，我们要确保女性与男性同工同酬，有公平的机会获得成功。
Women deserve to be able to take time off to care for a new baby, an ailing² parent, or take a sick day for themselves without running into hardship.
女性应该有时间去照料新生婴儿，生病的父母，自己生病了应该有病假，不能因为这些让她们陷入困境。
So let's make sure all Americans have access to paid family leave.
我们应该确保所有美国人都可以享受探亲假。
Pregnant³ workers deserve to be treated fairly.
怀孕的员工应该得到公平的对待。
Even today, women can be fired for taking too many bathroom breaks, or forced on unpaid⁴ leave just for being pregnant.
即便在今天，女性仍有可能因为需要很长的哺乳期而被解雇，或者因为怀孕而被强制停薪休假。
That's wrong-and we have to choose policies that ensure pregnant workers are treated with dignity and respect.
这不正常，我们应该实施恰当的政策，保证怀孕的员工的尊严，尊重她们的权利。
New parents deserve quality, affordable⁵ childcare.
初为父母，抚养孩子，这些都应该得到保障，成本应该得到控制。
There's nothing like the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your kids are safe while you're at work.
这不仅仅是你在上班的时候知道你的孩子很安全这样简单的心理上的平静。
And the benefits that children get out of early enrichment⁶ can pay off for a lifetime.
而是孩子应该得到高质量的早期教育让他们能受益终身。
But in many states, sending your kid to daycare costs more than sending them to a public university. So let's start demanding Pre-K for our kids.
但在很多州，把孩子送到托儿所比上大学花的钱还要多。为了孩子，我们应该对早期教育提出要求。
And when most low-wage workers are women, but Congress hasn't passed a minimum wage increase in seven years, it's long past time that women deserve a raise.
由于大部分的低工资劳动者都是女性，但国会在过去的七年里却从来不通过提高最低工资标准的法案，女性需要提高工资，她们等的时间太久了。
About 28 million workers would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage to ten dollars and ten cents an hour.
将最低工资标准提高到10.10美元每小时将使2800万劳动者受益。
And more than half of those workers are women.
其中有一大半是女性。
The local businesses where these workers spend their money would benefit, too.
地方的企业也将因这些劳动者有更多可支配收入而受益。
So let's do this-let's give America a raise.
让我们开始行动，提高美国的工资标准。
All of these policies are common sense.
所有这些都是基本的常规政策。
All of them are within our reach.
所有这些都是我们可以做到的。
We've just got to speak up and choose them.
我们要站出来，说出来，坚定支持实施这些政策。
Because they'll build a stronger America for all of us.
这些政策的实施将为我们建设一个更强大的美国。
Thanks, and have a great weekend.
谢谢大家，周末愉快！

1 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

2 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

3 pregnant   

adj.怀孕的，怀胎的

参考例句：

• She is a pregnant woman.她是一名孕妇。
• She is pregnant with her first child.她怀了第一胎。

4 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

5 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

6 enrichment   

n.丰富；改进

参考例句：

• Books are an enrichment of life. 书籍乃充实人生之物。
• The sound of the artillery is always an enrichment to his work. 炮声不停地在给他的工作助兴。