奥巴马每周电视讲话：总统谈论预算问题

The eight-hour workday, 40-hour workweek, weekends.Overtime¹ and the minimum wage.Safer workplaces. Health insurance, Social Security, Medicare, and retirement² plans.All of those gains were fought for and won by the labor³ movement-folks who were working not just for a bigger paycheck for themselves, but for more security and prosperity for the folks working next to them as well.That's how we built the great American middle class.

每天8小时工作制，每周工作40小时，有周末假期。加班工资和最低工资标准。更安全的工作环境。健康保险、社会保险、医疗保险、退休金计划。所有这些都是通过劳工运动争取来的，他们的付出不仅仅是为了自己能有更高的工资收入，而是为了跟他们一起工作的人们有更安定、更殷实的生活。正是通过这种方式，我们美国才有了强大的中产阶级。

That's the spirit we've been working to restore these past six and a half years.On Friday, we found out that the economy created another 173,000 jobs in August.Over the past five and a half years, our businesses have created 13.1 million new jobs in total-the longest streak⁴ of job creation on record.The unemployment rate dropped to 5.1%, the lowest it's been in seven years.The American auto⁵ industry is on track to sell more cars and trucks this year than it has in more than a decade.Sixteen million Americans have gained the security of health insurance.Seventeen states and about 30 cities and counties have raised the minimum wage.And we've proposed extending overtime protections to as many as five million Americans.All of that is progress.

这正是过去6年半的时间里我们一直在重建的精神。本周五，统计数据显示，我们8月新增17.3万个就业岗位。在过去5年半里，企业共创造1310万个就业岗位，这是有史以来最长的就业连续增长记录。失业率降低到5.1%，是7年来的最低值。美国的汽车产业重回发展正轨，今年的汽、卡车销售量比过去十年的总量还要多。1600万美国人民获得了健康保险的保障。17个州和30多个市、县提高了最低工资标准。我们还提出要为500多万美国人民提供额外的加班保障措施。所有这些都是实实在在的成就。

This month, Congress has an opportunity to continue that progress.As always, the deadline for Congress to pass a budget is the end of September.Every year.This is not new.And if they don't, they'll shut down the government for the second time in two years.At a time when the global economy faces headwinds and America's economy is a relative bright spot in the world, a shutdown of our government would be wildly irresponsible.It would be an unforced error that saps the momentum⁶ we've worked so hard to build.Plain and simple, a shutdown would hurt working Americans.

这个月，国会还有机会继续推进这一成就。一般而言，国会通过预算方案的最后期限是九月底。每年都如此。这并不新鲜。如果他们不这么做，就会迫使政府在两年内第二次关门歇业。在全球经济发展面临压力、美国作为全球经济发展风向标的情况下，政府关门实在是不可理喻的、毫无责任心的行为。这种非受迫性错误将削弱我们付出巨大努力构建的经济发展动力。直截了当的说，政府关门将损害所有美国工薪人士的利益。

It doesn't have to happen.If Congress wants to support working Americans and strengthen our middle class, they can pass a budget that invests in, not makes cuts to, the middle class.If they pass a budget with shortsighted sequester⁷ cuts that harm our military and our economy, I'll veto it.If they make smart investments in our military readiness, our infrastructure⁸, our schools, public health, and research, I'll sign that budget-and they know that.

这种事不应发生。如果国会希望为工薪阶层提供帮助，壮大我们的中产阶层，那就应该通过预算方案，增加而不是减少对中产阶级的投入。如果他们通过的是短视的自动减支的预算方案，将会危害我们的军队和经济发展，我肯定会否决。如果他们对军备、基础设施、学校、公共卫生、科研等领域进行明智的投资，我一定会签署这样的预算方案，这一点他们也知道。

So let's get it done.Our economy doesn't need another round of threats and brinksmanship.Nobody gets to play games with our economy-or the middle class I grew up in, and that you grew up in.So tell Congress to pass a budget that reflects the values we honor on Labor Day.Rewarding hard work.Giving everybody a fair shot.And working together to give all of our kids a better life.Thanks everybody.And enjoy your weekend.

所以，我们还是把事情做好。我们的经济不能再次面临威胁和崩溃。任何人胆敢玩弄我们的经济，或者是我参与其成长的中产阶级，我就陪他们玩到底。因此，请告诉国会，通过能够体现在劳动节这一天我们所尊崇的价值观的预算方案。鼓励大家勤劳工作。让每个人都有公平的机会。共同努力，为我们的子孙创造更美好的生活。谢谢大家！祝大家周末愉快！

1 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

2 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

3 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。

4 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？

5 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

6 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。

7 sequester   

vt.使退隐，使隔绝

参考例句：

• Everything he owned was sequestered.他的所有财产都被扣押了。
• This jury is expected to be sequestered for at least two months.预计这个陪审团将至少被隔离两个月。

8 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。