奥巴马每周电视讲话：总统谈论美国的创新精神

Hi, everybody. One of the things that makes America so strong is our spirit of innovation. Our drive to invent and harness new technologies to tackle our greatest challenges. It's how we won the race to invent the lightbulb and the Internet; it's why we were first to the Moon and Mars. It's why I keep models of American inventions like the telegraph in the Oval Office. It's a daily reminder¹ of the genius that's embedded² in our DNA³; the way we've always shaped the future through our ideas and discoveries.
大家好！美国之所以强大，其中一个重要原因就是我们的创新精神。我们对新技术创新和技术进步的不断追求让我们很好解决了众多艰难的挑战。正是这种精神让我们取得领先，我们发明了电灯、互联网；正因如此，我们最先登上了月球和火星。因此，我将美国人民创新精神的代表作，电报机等放在总统办公室。这些作品每天都在提醒我，这种创造精神根植于我们的DNA中，我们正是通过我们的创意和开拓精神塑造了我们的未来。
That's truer than ever today, with the constant stream of new apps and tools and data that are still changing the way we live–from getting a ride to paying our bills to developing smarter ways to combat climate change.
时至今日，这种精神显得更加真切，新的应用、技术、数据不断发展，一直在不断改变我们的生活方式，从搭车出行到支付日常账单，再到采取更智能的方式应对气候变化问题，无所不包。
That's why, next week, I'll travel to Austin, Texas, to visit South by Southwest. It's an annual gathering⁴ of some of our most creative thinkers, coders, makers⁵, and entrepreneurs from across the country. And while I'm there, I'm going to ask everyone for ideas and technologies that can help update our government and our democracy to be as modern and dynamic as America itself.
因此，下周，我将访问德州的奥斯汀市，参加西南以南大会。这是一年一度全国各地的创意大家、编程高手、创造大师以及企业家欢聚的盛会。我过去之后，会向所有人询问新的创意，了解新技术来帮助我们改进政府工作，改善我们的民主体制，让政治与美国一样现代化、充满动力。
This has been a goal of mine since before I was President. On my campaign in 2008, we saw how technology could bring people together and help them engage as citizens in their own communities. So when I came to the White House, I wanted apply that experience to the federal government. It hasn't always been easy. And we've had some bumps along the way.
在我还没有担任总统之前，这就是我的奋斗目标。2008年我参加总统大选之时，我们看到了技术发挥的作用，人们利用新技术汇聚，参与到选举中，行使各自的公民权力。因此，当我入主白宫之后，我也希望将这些经验应用到联邦政府的工作之中。但事情并不总是那么容易。前进的道路上，我们遇到了很多坎坷。
But we've also made good progress. Over the past few years, for example, we've done something that government never has. We asked some of the sharpest minds from companies in Silicon⁶ Valley and across the country to come help us modernize⁷ the federal government for the way we live today. And they came ready to serve, tackling some of our biggest challenges–like high-tech⁸ special ops units.
但是，我们还是取得了很多成就。例如，过去的几年里，我们完成了以前的政府从来没做过的事情。我们邀请来自硅谷以及全国各地的高新企业的优秀人才帮助我们，改进了联邦政府的工作方式，改善了我们今天的生活方式。他们有备而来，全心服务，解决了我们面临的众多艰难挑战，比如解决了高科技特别运维单位的难题。
These teams are partnering with the government's existing policy and technical experts to re-imagine the way we do business and deliver services that work better and cost less. Already, we've made it easier for students to find the college that's right for them. For immigrants to track the green card and naturalization process online. For veterans to access their medical records. And yes, after an initial false start, we've made it much easier for tens of millions of Americans to compare and buy health insurance and the peace of mind that goes with it.
这些团队参与改进现有政策，并与技术专家一起重新规划我们开展业务的方式，改善服务，让我们的工作更有效，成本更低。例如，我们让学生更方便找到适合自己的大学。让移民通过在线方式跟踪绿卡和入籍进度。让退伍军人可以掌握自己的医疗记录。还有，经历不完美的开始之后，我们已经让数千万美国人民可以方便的比较各种医疗保险的优劣，择优选购，买到手的还有内心的安宁。
That's what this is all about–making sure our government of the people and by the people works better for the people in the 21st century. It's about Americans working together to make a real difference in people's lives. Because the easiest thing to do is to blame government for our problems. Some people have made a career out of that. But our founders⁹ trusted us with the keys to this system of self-government because it's the best tool we've got to settle our differences and solve our collective challenges. And it's only as good as we make it.
这就是我今天要讲的内容，确保让我们的政府成为21世纪的民有、民治、民享的优秀政府。这也是美国人民共同努力，为人们带来新生活的目标。因为我们的错误责备政府实在是太容易不过了。但很多人还是终身在政府服务。我们的建国先贤们相信我们，有了自我治理的关键制度这一最好工具，我们就可以消弭我们的分歧，共同解决我们面临的挑战。只要我们去努力，我们就一定可以做的更好。
That's why I'm going to Austin and South by Southwest–to keep asking everyone from all walks of life, working inside or outside of government, to help us make this democracy even stronger. And I hope you join us.
因此，我计划前往奥斯汀参加西南以南大会，征求各个层面的人、在政府工作和不在政府部门工作的人的意见，帮助改进我们的民主制度，使之更加强大。我希望大家加入进来。
Thanks everybody, have a great weekend.
谢谢大家，祝周末愉快！
 

1 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

2 embedded   

a.扎牢的

参考例句：

• an operation to remove glass that was embedded in his leg 取出扎入他腿部玻璃的手术
• He has embedded his name in the minds of millions of people. 他的名字铭刻在数百万人民心中。

3 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

7 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

8 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

9 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句