奥巴马每周电视讲话:总统呼吁国会要加快步伐 帮助中产阶级

Hi, everybody.

大家好!
My top priority as President is doing everything I can to create more jobs and more opportunities for hardworking families to get ahead.
作为总统，我最重要的任务就是尽我一切努力为所有辛勤付出的工薪家庭提供更多就业机会，让大家获得成功。
On Friday, we learned that our economy created over 200,000 new jobs in July.
周五发布的统计数据显示今年7月，我们创造了20多万个就业岗位。
That's on top of about 300,000 new jobs in June.
这是继6月我们创造30万个就业岗位之后再创佳绩。
We're now in a six-month streak¹ with at least 200,000 new jobs each month.
而最近连续6个月里，我们平均每个月至少创造20万个就业岗位。
That hasn't happened since 1997.
这种情况是自1997年以来所没有出现过的。
All told, our businesses have created 9.9 million jobs over the past 53 months.
在过去的4年5个月里，我们总共创造了990万个就业岗位。
That's the longest streak of private-sector job creation in our history.
这是私营企业创造就业的新纪录。
Because of you-because of your hard work and determination-America has recovered faster and come farther than almost any other advanced country on Earth.
这些成果的取得正是因为大家，因为你们的辛勤付出和坚强信念，让美国比其它发达国家更快复苏，更快发展。
The economy is clearly getting stronger.
我们的经济正在显著增强。
Things are clearly getting better.
所有的事情都在明显好转。
And the decisions we make now can keep things moving in that direction.
我们做出的决定现在正在让事情向着正确的方向前进。
That's what's at stake right now.
而当下十分重要的一点。
Making sure our economy works for every working American.
要确保经济发展惠及每一个美国人。
Making sure that people who work hard can get ahead.
要确保所有辛勤付出的人能够成功。
That's why I've been pushing for common-sense ideas like rebuilding our infrastructure² in a way that supports millions of good jobs and helps our businesses compete.
因此，我一直在推动一些正常的政策立法，比如重建基础设施，创造数百万就业岗位并帮助企业更好竞争；
Raising the minimum wage.
提高最低工资标准；
Making it easier for working folks to pay off their student loans.
减轻工薪阶层偿还助学贷款的压力；
That's why I've been pushing for fair pay and paid leave.
同工同酬和带薪产假等等，这都是我一直在推动的事情。
These policies have two things in common.
这些政策都有两个共同点：
All of them would help working families feel more stable and secure.
所有这些都将帮助工薪家庭获得更多稳定性和安全感；
And all of them have been blocked or ignored by Republicans in Congress.
所有这些都被国会的共和党人阻挠或无视掉。
That's why my administration keeps taking what actions we can on our own to help working families-because Congress is doing so little for working families.
正因如此，当局也一直在采取能够采取的措施，帮助工薪家庭，因为国会能帮到工薪家庭的真是微乎其微。
House Republicans actually got together this week and voted to sue me for taking actions on my own.
众议院的共和党人这周倒是汇聚一起投票了，不过他们是要投票起诉我所采取的这些措施。
And then they left town for the month without settling a bunch of unfinished business that matters to working families across America.
接着他们就离开了国会山，开始一个多月的休假，留下一大堆没完成的事情，这些事情却事关全美工薪家庭的利益。
The bottom line is this-we've come a long way these past five and a half years.
我的底线是，我们过去5年半的时间里取得了长足的进步。
Our challenges are nowhere near as daunting³ as they were back then.
我们面临的挑战就如同他们的掣肘一样无处不在。
But imagine how much farther along our economy would be-how much stronger our country would be-if Congress would do its job.
但大家想像一下，如果国会做好了这些事情，我们的经济发展得是多块，我们的国家将是多么强大。
I'll never stop trying to work with both parties to get things moving faster for the middle class.
我从来没有也不会放弃与两党的人士合作，推动这些事情更快得到落实，帮助中产阶级。
And I could use your help.
而我也需要大家的帮助。
If you see your Member of Congress around home this month, tell him or her what's on your mind.
如果你看见哪个议员回到你的家乡，请告诉你内心的想法。
Ask them why they haven't passed bills to raise the minimum wage or help with student loans or enact⁴ fair pay for women.
问问他们为什么不通过提高最低工资标准的法案，帮组学生偿还助学贷款的法案和同工同酬法案。
And when they return from vacation next month, instead of trying to pass partisan⁵ bills on party lines, hopefully we can come together with the sense of common purpose that you expect.
等到他们下个月他们回到这里，我们希望他们不是要通过站在党派立场上的法案，而是我们能够同心协力，达成共识，做好大家所期待的事情。
And in the meantime, I will never stop doing whatever I can, whenever I can, not only to make sure that our economy succeeds, but that people like you succeed.
同时，我也将永不停止，尽我一切能力，在任何可能的时机，不仅要推动经济更好的发展，还要保证大家能够取得成功。
Thanks, and have a great weekend.
谢谢大家，祝你们周末愉快。

1 streak   

n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动

参考例句：

• The Indians used to streak their faces with paint.印第安人过去常用颜料在脸上涂条纹。
• Why did you streak the tree?你为什么在树上刻条纹？

2 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

3 daunting   

adj.使人畏缩的

参考例句：

• They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
• Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。

4 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

5 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。