President Barack Obama's address Wednesday night to a joint session of the U.S. Congress on the issue of health care reform is drawing reaction from U.S. lawmakers. The president used strong language to clarify what reform proposals would do, pledged to continue seeking bipartisan support, but said the time for playing politics with health care has ended.
美国总统奥巴马星期三晚上在美国国会联席会议上发表了有关健保改革的演讲，国会议员们对此有不同的反应。奥巴马总统措辞强硬，澄清了改革方案会有什么内容。他保证会继续争取两党共同支持，但是表示，在健保问题上玩弄政治的时间已经结束了。
President Obama said the current system has led the country to a breaking point, imposing hardships on middle-class Americans who struggle to pay for health care, who are unable to obtain it.
奥巴马总统说，现行制度已导致美国处于崩溃的边缘，使美国中产阶级痛苦不堪，中产阶级艰难的支付健保费用，但是又无法获得健保服务。
Saying the United States is the only advanced democracy and only wealthy nation that allows such hardships for millions of its people, the president said the time has come to put politics aside and solve the problem.
他说，美国是唯一一个让数千万人如此艰难的先进的民主和富有国家。奥巴马说，现在应该是搁置政治，解决问题的时候了。
"The time for bickering is over," President Obama said. "The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action. Now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together and show the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do. Now is the time to deliver on health care."
奥巴马说：“争吵的时间结束了。游戏的时间过去了。现在是采取行动的时候了。现在是我们必须把两党最好的想法结合在一起，并且向美国人民显示我们仍然可以尽职尽责的时候了。现在是提供健保服务的时候了。”
The president said reform proposals which he estimates would cost $900 billion over 10 years, would provide security and stability to the insured, and make it possible for tens of millions of Americans who are not to get affordable insurance through a proposed exchange system in which private companies would compete.
奥巴马总统说，他的改革计划估计将在未来10年耗资9000亿美元，将为得到保险的人提供安全和稳定，并使成百上千万负担不起保险的美国人通过一个拟议中的交换系统获得保险，私营保险公司将在这个交换系统中竞争。
He also repeated pledges that health care reform can be achieved without adding to the federal deficit, saying savings will be achieved by eliminating hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and abuse.
Democrats trying to steer reform through Congress against a nearly solid wall of Republican opposition said the president delivered a clear vision and specifics, and a strong message of leadership.
民主党人试图在国会共和党人几乎一致反对的情况下在国会批准健保改革方案。民主党人说，总统表述了一个明确的目标和具体方针，而且表现了强有力的领导能力。
While praising the president's eloquence, Republicans asserted that he failed to deliver specifics, and re-stated criticisms that Democratic proposals would impose new tax burdens on Americans and small businesses and add to deficit spending.
共和党人则在赞扬总统口才的同时，声称总统没有提供具体细节，并且再次批评民主党的方案会给美国人以及小型企业增加新的税收负担，并且增加财政赤字。
Republican Charles Boustany, who is also a physician, delivered the formal Republican response.
共和党人布斯塔尼也是一名医生。他代表共和党做出正式回应。
"It is clear. The American people want health care reform, but they want their elected leaders to get it right," Boustany said. "Most Americans wanted to hear [the] president tell Speaker Pelosi, [Senate] Majority Leader Reid, and the rest of the Congress that it is time to start over on a common sense, bipartisan plan focused on lowering the cost of health care while improving quality."
布斯塔尼说：“很清楚。美国人希望健保改革，但他们希望他们选出的领导人进行正确的改革。大多数美国人希望听到总统告诉众议院议长佩洛西、参议院多数党领导人里德和其他国会议员，现在应该是重新开始，制定一项符合常识、两党共同提出的计划的时候了，重点是降低医疗保健费用，改善服务质量。”
Virginia Republican Eric Cantor asserted that the president failed to offer sufficient specifics or offer reform proposals that Americans are comfortable with.
弗吉尼亚州共和党人埃里克·康托尔说，总统没有提供可以足以令美国人感到舒服的具体细节和改革建议。
President Obama said a government-run insurance option as an alternative to private insurers is one part of Democrat's health care proposal, adding he is willing to address legitimate concerns Republicans have.
奥巴马总统说，由政府管理的保险是私营保险以外的一种选择，是民主党健保议案的一部分。他补充说，他愿意讨论共和党提出的合理的问题。
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called a strong public option "essential" for any bill to pass in the House. A 218 vote majority would be required but Democrats have faced concerns from moderates and conservatives within their own party.
众议院议长、民主党人佩洛西说，任何在众议院通过的方案都应该包括一个强有力的公共保险计划，这一点很重要。众议院通过这个法案至少需要218票，但是民主党也面对党内温和派和保守派对这个方案的担忧。
A statement from fiscally-conservative Democrats who forced changes in House legislation said they are committed to meaningful reform, but reiterated concern that legislation not add to the federal deficit and control health costs in the long-term.
So far, three House committees have approved versions of health care reform, which would be melded together into a single bill. One Senate committee has done so.
目前已经有三个众议院的委员会批准了健保改革的几种版本，稍后会融合成一份法案。一个参议院委员会也批准了一种版本。
Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus announced plans Wednesday to begin moving another version toward a vote in that panel, saying he will go forward with or without Republican support.
参议院财政委员会主席鲍卡斯星期三宣布，不论共和党人支持与否，都将在该委员会就健保改革方案进行投票。
"My door is open but irrespective of whether or not any Republicans [join in a bipartisan effort], and I do think there will be [some], I am going to move forward anyway," he said.
他说：“我的大门是敞开的，但不管共和党人是否加入，我想会有共和党人加入，我都要向前推动这个法案。”
Addressing opposition, President Obama referred to what he called scare tactics rather than honest debate, and wild claims by Republicans that reform plans would lead to a government takeover of health care.
美国总统奥巴马在向反对派讲话时说，共和党采用了恐吓战术，而不是真诚辩论，而且夸张地声称，健保改革计划会导致政府掌控健保事务。
President Obama said he will continue to seek common ground and listen to serious proposals, but made clear he will have little patience for continuing distortions.
奥巴马表示，他将继续寻求共识，听取认真的建议，但也表明，他不会再容忍继续扭曲事实的行为。
"Know this: I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it's better politics to kill this plan than to approve it," the president said. "I won't stand by while the special interests use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are. If you misrepresent what's in the plan, we will call you out. And I will not accept the status quo as a solution. Not this time. Not now."
他说：“请注意：有些人在政治上进行算计，认为扼杀这项计划比通过更好，我不会再和这些人浪费时间。一些特殊利益集团使用老套手段，企图维持现状，我不会坐视不理。如果有人再恶意解读健保改革计划，我们会直接批评你。而且保持现状并不是解决问题的办法，我不会接受。这次不行。现在不行。”
At the same time, the president said that rather than a radical shift that would disrupt health care Americans now have, he favors building on what works and fixing what doesn't.
与此同时，奥巴马说，与其进行巨大变革影响美国人现有的医疗保健，他更支持在现有可行的制度基础上充实和改进。
Among those invited by the president to hear the speech in person were a number of Americans who the White House said would benefit from Democratic-sponsored reform legislation, including persons struggling to pay medical bills or denied coverage under the current insurance system.
Also present was Vicki Kennedy, the wife of the late Senator Edward Kennedy who fought for health care reform for decades before he passed away from brain cancer in August.
President Obama said Senator Kennedy considered health care reform a moral issue, and suggested that his concern and regard for the plight of others should spur bipartisan cooperation in finally achieving reform. |