Weekly Address: START is About the Safety and Security of America; Not Scoring Political Points
每周电视讲话: 战略武器削减条约关系美国的安全与保障,而不是政治筹码
WASHINGTON – In this week’s address, President Obama called on members of Congress to come together to ratify the new START treaty just as they were able to come together to pass the essential economic package he signed into law on Friday. Ratifying a treaty like START is not about winning a victory for an administration or a political party, it is about the safety and security of the country. This is why it has been endorsed by both Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, every living Republican Secretary of State, our NATO allies, and the leadership of the military.
华盛顿:在本周的讲话中,奥巴马总统号召国会议员们团结起来批准新战略武器削减条约的通过，就像本周五他们一起通过并由总统签署实施的一揽子重大经济计划一样。批准战略武器削减条约并不代表任何一个政府或政党的胜利，而是关系到国家的安全与保障。这也是该项条约得到包括老布什总统和克林顿总统，每一位在世的共和党国务卿，我们的北约盟友们，以及军方领导赞同的原因。
This week, Congress passed – and I signed into law – an essential economic package that will help grow our economy, spur businesses, and jumpstart job creation.
本周，国会通过并由我签署生效了一项法律——这一揽子重大经济计划，将帮助我们实现经济增长，刺激企业发展，并促进创造就业。
Instead of a New Years Day tax hike on the vast majority of Americans, two million Americans who’ve lost their jobs through no fault of their own will now know with certainty that they won’t lose their emergency unemployment insurance at the end of the month. Eight million college students who’d otherwise face a tuition hike next semester will continue having access to the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Twelve million families with twenty-four million children will benefit from extensions of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit. And millions of entrepreneurs who’ve been waiting to invest in their businesses will receive new tax incentives to help them expand, buy new equipment, or make upgrades, freeing up money to hire new workers.
元旦那天，广大美国人民将不会面临赋税上涨，非自我原因失业的200万美国人将确切得知他们不会在月末失去他们的紧急失业保险。800万本来将在下学期面临学费上涨的在校大学生将有机会继续获得美国机会税收抵免。包括2400万儿童的1200万家庭将从延期的劳动所得税收抵免和儿童税收抵免中获益。还有数百万一直期待着在他们的业务上投资的企业家将获得新的税收激励政策来帮助他们扩展业务，购买新的设备，或者进行产业升级，释放资金去雇用新的员工。
This package, which is so important for our economy at this pivotal time, was the product of hard negotiations. Like any negotiations, there was give and take on both sides. But I’m heartened by our ability to come together to do what’s best for middle class families across this country, and our economy as a whole.
这一揽子计划，在这个重要时刻对我们的经济显得尤为重要，它是艰苦谈判的结果。如同其他任何谈判一样，需要双方相互让步。但我依然为我们有能力走到一起，做一些对我们国家的中产阶级家庭和我们整个经济最为有利的事情而感到欢欣鼓舞。
Before going away for the holiday break, I’m hopeful we can also come together on another urgent national priority – and that is, the new START treaty that will reduce the world’s nuclear arsenals and make America more secure. Twenty-five years ago, the Soviet Union and United States each had about 25,000 nuclear weapons. In the decades since, that number has been reduced by over 70 percent, and we have had on-site inspections of Russian nuclear facilities. That progress would not have been possible without strategic arms control treaties.
在假期来临之前，我希望我们能够在另一项紧迫的国家重要事项上达成一致——那就是新的战略武器削减条约，该条约将削减世界上的核武器数量并让美国更加安全。25年前，苏联和美国各自拥有大约25000枚核武器。在接下来的十多年里，核武器数量下降了超过70%，我们也对俄罗斯的核设施进行了现场检查。如果没有战略武器控制条约，这一切成就就无从谈起。
During the past year, however, our old treaty with Russia expired, and without a new one, we won’t be able to verify Russia’s nuclear arsenal, which would undercut President Reagan’s call to trust, but verify, when it comes to nuclear weapons. Without a new treaty, we’ll risk turning back the progress we’ve made in our relationship with Russia, which is essential to enforce strong sanctions against Iran, secure vulnerable nuclear materials from terrorists, and resupply our troops in Afghanistan. And we’ll risk undermining American leadership not only on nuclear proliferation, but a host of other challenges around the world.
然而过去的一年以来，我们与俄罗斯的旧条约已经过期，没有新的条约，我们就无法核实俄罗斯的核武库情况，在谈到核武器的时候，这将动摇里根总统倡导的信任并核查的思想。没有新的条约，我们将冒险使得我们在与俄罗斯的关系上取得的成就付诸东流，俄罗斯在对伊朗实施强硬制裁方面，保障核材料不至流入恐怖分子方面，以及保障我们在阿富汗境内部队的补给线方面都是十分重要力量。而且还将使我们冒险丧失不仅仅在核扩散领域的领导地位，还有在全球其他挑战上的主导地位。
Ratifying a treaty like START isn’t about winning a victory for an administration or a political party. It’s about the safety and security of the United States of America. That’s why this treaty is supported by both Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush. That’s why it’s supported by every living Republican Secretary of State, our NATO allies, and the leadership of the United States military. Indeed, the Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Hoss Cartwright, said this week that the military needs this treaty, and they need it badly. And that’s why every President since Ronald Reagan has pursued a treaty like START, and every one that has been reviewed by the Senate has passed with strong bipartisan support.
批准战略武器削减条约并不代表某个政府或某一政党的胜利，而是关乎美利坚合众国的安全与保障。这也是为什么这项条约得到了克林顿总统以及老布什总统的赞同的原因。也是该条约得到每一位在世的共和党国务卿，我们的北约盟友们以及美国军方领导支持的原因。实际上，参谋长联席会议副主席豪斯·卡特怀特在本周表示军方很需要这项条约，并且是迫切的需要。这也是为什么从罗纳德·里根以来的每位总统都竭力促成一项像战略武器削减条约一样的条约的原因，而这些条约都由参议院审议并得到了两党的大力支持。
We have taken the time to get this right. The START treaty has now been under review by the Senate for over seven months. It’s gone through 18 hearings. Nearly 1,000 questions have been asked – and answered. Several Republican Senators have come out in support of ratification. Meanwhile, further delay comes at a cost. Every minute we drag our feet is a minute that we have no inspectors on the ground at those Russian nuclear sites.
我们花了很长时间才得到这项权力。战略武器削减条约已经由参议院审议了7个多月。期间进行了18场听证会。有将近1000个问题，我们都一一作答。有数位共和党参议员已经明确表示支持该条约的通过。同时，进一步的拖延将要付出代价。我们每拖延一分钟，俄罗斯的核设施现场就将有一分钟没有我们的观察员。
It’s time to get this done. It’s time to show the same spirit of common purpose on our security that we showed this week on our economy. It’s time to remember the old saying that politics stops at the water’s edge. That saying was coined by a Republican Senator, Arthur Vandenberg, who partnered with a Democratic President, Harry Truman, to pass landmark national security measures at the dawn of the Cold War. Today, over sixty years later, when we’re threatened not only by nuclear weapons, but an array of other dangers, that’s a principle we must continue to uphold.
是时候采取行动了。是展现我们对国家安全这一共同目标的统一意志的时候了，而本周我们已经在经济方面展现了一回。是时候记起那句老话“政治止于水边【出了大西洋或太平洋就不要内斗了，即对外政策两党不要争斗，要保持一致】”了。这句话是共和党参议员阿瑟·范登博格说的，他与一位民主党总统，哈利·杜鲁门一起，在冷战之初通过了标志性的国家安全措施。今天，60多年过去了，当我们面临的不仅仅是核武器，还有一系列其他的危机的时候，这将是我们必须继续坚持的原则。
Thank you, and have a nice weekend.
谢谢，祝大家周末愉快! |