This week, the Senate passed a plan that I proposed a few weeks ago to protect middle class Americans and virtually every small business owner from getting hit with a big tax hike next year—a tax hike of $2,200 for the typical family.
本周，参议院通过了我几周前提出的一项提案，而这项提案将在明年赋税大幅上涨带来的冲击中保护美国的中产阶级和几乎每一位中小企业主，而上涨额度对普通家庭而言将达到2200美元。
Now it comes down to this: If 218 Members of the House vote the right way,
而现在的问题则是这样：如果众议院有218位议员通过，
98% of American families and 97% of small business owners will have the certainty of knowing that that their income taxes will not go up next year.
那么98%的美国家庭和97%的中小企业主就可以确切的清楚明年他们的收入所得税将不会上涨。
That certainty means something to a middle class family who's already stretched the budget as far as it can go.
这一确定性对准备“勒紧裤腰带过日子”的中产阶级家庭而言意义重大。
It means something to a small business owner who's trying to plan ahead.
同样这也对于准备“未雨绸缪”提前做打算的中小企业主而言也是意义非凡。
That's security at a time when folks could use some.
人们有更多收入可供支配会给他们带来安全感。
And here's the thing: everyone in Washington says they agree on this.
而现在的情况是：华盛顿的每个人都表示同意这一提案。
Everyone says they agree that we should extend the tax cuts for the middle class.
每个人都同意我们为中产阶级减税延期。
When Democrats and Republicans agree on something, it should be pretty easy to get it done.
而按理说民主党和共和党如果在某件事情上达成一致，那么这件事应该非常容易做好。
But right now, that's not the case.
但现在却并不是如此。
Instead of doing what's right for middle class families and small business owners, Republicans in Congress are holding these tax cuts hostage until we extend tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
国会的共和党人不但不为中产阶级家庭和中小企业主减税，相反，他们竟以此为要挟，要我们先为富翁们的减税延期之后再进行这件事。
You see, Republicans in Congress and their nominee for President believe that the best way to create prosperity in America is to let it trickle down from the top.
想必你们也有所了解，国会的共和党人及他们的总统提名候选人都相信，使美国经济繁荣的最好方式就是采用自上而下的滴入式经济。
They believe that if our country spends trillions more on tax cuts for the wealthy, we'll somehow create jobs
他们坚信，如果我们的国家花费几万亿为富翁们减税，我们应该可以创造就业机会，
even if we have to pay for it by gutting things like education and training and by raising middle-class taxes.
即便我们逼不得已减少教育和培训投资、提高中产阶级税款来为此买单也在所不惜。
They're wrong.
他们错了。
And I know they're wrong because we already tried it that way for most of the last decade.
我知道他们是错的因为我们曾经在过去十年的大部分时间内尝试这条道路。
It didn't work.
但这条路根本就是死胡同。
We're still paying for trillions of dollars in tax cuts that benefited the wealthiest Americans more than anyone else;
我们依然为减税花费数万亿美元，而美国的富翁们因此受的益处却要优于其他任何人；
tax cuts that didn't lead to the middle class jobs or higher wages we were promised and that helped take us from record surpluses to record deficits.
减税并没有带来我们对中产阶级承诺的就业机会或更高的工资，却将我们从历史最高的财政盈余送进最高的财政赤字中。
We can't afford more top-down economics.
我们不能再继续负担这种自上而下的经济模式。
What we need are policies that will grow and strengthen the middle class;
我们需要让中产阶级成长并逐渐强大的经济政策；
that will help create jobs, make education and training more affordable,
那将帮助创造就业，让教育培训成本更加担负得起，
and encourage businesses to start up and stay right here in the United States.
而且会鼓励企业在国内创业并继续留在国内的经济政策。
That's why I've cut middle-class taxes every year that I've been President—by $3,600 for the typical family.
这是我自担任总统以来每年都为中产阶级减税的原因，对普通家庭而言这一金额达到3600美元。
That's why I've cut taxes for small businesses eighteen times.
这也是为什么我18次为中小企业减税的个中因由。
And that's why I'm calling on 218 Members of the House to do their job and not raise taxes on the middle class.
而且，这也是我为什么呼吁218位众议院议员尽职尽责不提高中产阶级的税金的原因。
As soon as they pass that bill, I'll sign it right away.
只要他们通过这项法案，我将马上签署。
And in the meantime, I'm going to keep fighting for an economy where we're not just putting folks back to work, but making sure that work pays off—an economy where every American,
同时，我也将继续为创造这样一种经济体制而奋斗，人们不仅能重返工作岗位，他们也会得到应有的报酬；在这里，每一个美国人，
no matter who you are, what you look like, or where you come from, can have the confidence that if you work hard, you can get ahead.
无论你是谁，外貌长相如何，抑或来自哪里，都会有只要努力付出，都能获得成功的信心。
Thanks, and have a great weekend.
谢谢大家，祝你们周末愉快。 |