英语演讲稿-21日：总统呼吁国会尽早通过预算法案(中英lrc)

英语演讲稿
21日：总统呼吁国会尽早通过预算法案(中
英lrc)
Obama’s Weekly Address WEEKLY ADDRESS: Congress Must Act Now to Pass a Budget and Raise the Debt Ceiling
奥巴马每周电视讲话:总统呼吁国会尽早通过预算法案
Hi, everybody.
大家好。

It was five years ago this week that a financial crisis on Wall Street spread to Main Street, and very nearly turned a recession into a depression.
5年前的本周华尔街金融危机蔓延至中产阶级的经济危机，而这场危机差点将衰退变成萧条。

In a matter of months, millions of Americans were robbed of their jobs, their homes, their savings-after a decade in which they’d already been working harder and harder to just get by.
在短短几个月的时间里，数百万美国人失去了工作，失去了他
们十多年间辛辛苦苦辛苦打拼下来的住房和存款。

It was a crisis from which we’re still trying to recover.
直到现在，我们还在努力从这场危机中恢复过来。

But thanks to the grit and determination of the American people, we are steadily recovering.
但凭借美国人民的坚忍不拔，我们复苏的步伐很稳健。

Over the past three and a half years, our businesses have created seven and a half million new jobs.
过去的三年半时间里，我们的企业创造了750多万个工作岗位。

Our housing market is healing.
房产市场也开始回暖。

We’ve become less dependent on foreign oil.
我们对海外石油的依赖也在降低。

Health care costs are growing at the slowest rate in 50 years.
医保成本支出的增长率也降到50年来的最低水平。

And in just over a week, millions of Americans without health care will be able to get covered for less than $100 a month.
而且再过一个星期，数百万没有医保的美国民众每月只要缴不到100美元就能获得医疗保险。

So our economy is gaining traction.
因此，我们的经济重获增长动力。

And we’re finally tackling threats to middle-class prosperity that Washington neglected for far too long.
而且我们最终消除了华盛顿长期忽视的对中产阶级繁荣发展的威胁。

But as any middle-class family listening right now knows, we’ve got a long way to go to get to where we need to be.
但如同任何一个正在聆听的中产家庭所知道的，我们还远未达到我们应该达到的目标。

And after five years spent digging out of crisis, the last thing we need is for Washington to manufacture another.
在摆脱危机的5年时间里，我们最不想看到的就是华盛顿再次制造另一场危机。

But that’s what will happen in the next few weeks if Congress doesn’t meet two deadlines.
但如果国会不在未来几周的最后期限完成两件事就会重蹈覆辙。

First: the most basic Constitutional duty Congress has is passing a budget.
首当其冲的是宪法赋予国会最基本的职责就是通过预算法案。

But if it doesn’t pass one before September 30th-a week
from Monday-the government will shut down.
但如果预算未能在9月30日，也就是周一之后的一周时间之前通过，政府就将关闭。

And so will many services the American people expect.
那样很多美国人民生活所需的各种服务也将关闭。

Military personnel, including those deployed overseas, won’t get their paychecks on time.
军职人员，包括海外执行任务的人都不能按时发放工资。

Federal loans for rural communities, small business owners, and new home buyers will be frozen.
对农村地区、中小企业主以及购房者发放的联邦贷款也将冻结。

Critical research into life-saving discoveries and renewable energy will be immediately halted.
生命科学和可再生能源的尖端研究将即刻停止。

All of this will be prevented if Congress just passes a budget.
而如果国会通过了预算，这一切都将被避免。

Second: Congress must authorize the Treasury to pay America’s bills.
其次:国会必须授权财政部偿还美国的债务。

This is done with a simple, usually routine vote to raise what’s called the debt ceiling.
达到这一目的只需要进行简单的、例行的投票提高债务上限即可。

Since the 1950s, Congress has always passed it, and every President has signed it-Democrats and Republicans, including President Reagan.
自20世纪50年代以来，国会总是这样通过方案，而历任总统无论是民主党人还是共和党人都会签署生效，包括里根总统在内。

And if this Congress doesn’t do it within the next few weeks, the United States will default on its obligations and put our entire economy at risk.
如果本届国会未能在未来几周做好这件事情，美国就将拖欠债务并让整个经济置于风险之上。

This is important: raising the debt ceiling is not the same as approving more spending.
很重要的一点是：提高债务上限并不意味着批准花。