Obama's Weekly Address WEEKLY ADDRESS: Raise The Minimum Wage – It’s The Right Thing To Do For Hardworking Americans

奧巴馬每周電視講話:副總統喬拜登呼吁提高最低工資標準 回報辛勤付出的美國人民

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Joe Biden.

女士們先生們，我是喬拜登。

I'm filling in for President Obama, who is abroad.

我代替身在國外的奧巴馬總統在此演講。

I want to talk to you today about the minimum wage and the overwhelming need to raise the minimum wage.

我今天想跟大家談談最低工資標準以及提高這一標準不可阻擋的趨勢。

There's no reason in the world why an American working 40 hours a week has to live in poverty.

我今天想跟大家談談最低工資標準以及提高這一標準不可阻擋的趨勢。

But right now a worker earning the federal minimum wage makes about $14,500 a year.

但現在一個拿著聯邦最低工資的工人每年只能得到1.45萬美元。

And you all know that's incredibly hard for an individual to live on, let alone raise a family on.

眾所周知，這些錢一個人生活都勉為其難，更不用說養活一家人了。

But if we raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, that same worker will be making $20,200 a year.

但如果我們將最低工資標準提高到每小時10.10美元，同一個工人一年就能掙到2.02萬美元。

And with existing tax credits would earn enough to bring that family or a family of four out of poverty.

再加上現有的稅收優惠政策，就足以讓一個四口之家脫離貧困。

But there's a lot of good reasons why raising the minimum wage makes sense.

但除此之外提高最低工資標準還有大量正當的理由。

Not only would it put more hard-earned money into the pockets of 28 million Americans, moving millions of them out of poverty, it's also good for business.

不僅是讓這些辛苦錢能進入2800萬美國人民的口袋，讓數百萬人脫離貧困，這對企業也有好處。

And let me tell you why.

下面我將為你們講述個中緣由。

There's clear data that shows fair wages generate loyalty of workers to their employers, which has the benefit of increasing productivity and leading to less turn over.

統計數據明確顯示，公平的工資待遇將使員工對雇主效忠，從而使得企業提高生產效率，減少成本支出。

It's really good for the economy as a whole because raising the minimum wage would generate an additional $19 billion in additional income for people who need it the most.

進而將對整個經濟帶來好處，因為提高最低工資標準將讓最需要提高收入的人分享190億美元的額外收入。

The big difference between giving a raise in the minimum wage instead of a tax break to the very wealthy is the minimum wage worker will go out and spend every penny of it because they're living on the edge.

提高最低工資標準而不是為富人減稅，其差別就在于，受益于最低工資的工人會用好這每一分錢，因為這是他們生活的保障。

They'll spend it in the local economy.

他們的消費有利于本地經濟發展。

They need it to pay their electric bill, put gas in their automobile, to buy fundamental necessities.

他們需要用這些錢支付電費，為汽車加油，購買生活必需品。

And this generates economic growth in their communities.

這將為當地經濟帶來發展動力。

And I'm not the only one who recognizes these benefits.

我不是唯一一個意識到這些好處的人。

Companies big and small recognize it as well.

大大小小的公司也意識到這一點了。

I was recently in Atlanta, Georgia, and met the owner of a small advertising company, a guy named Darien.

最近我在佐治亞州的亞特蘭大的時候，與當地一家小廣告公司的老板達利恩見面。

He independently raised the wages of his workers to $10.10 an hour.

他自己將公司員工的最低工資標準提高到了10.10美元每小時。

But large companies, as well, Costco and the Gap—they're choosing to pay their employees higher starting wages.

而像是Costco和GAP這樣的大公司都已經為員工開出了更高的底薪。

A growing list of governors are also raising wages in their states-the minimum wage.

提高最低工資標準的州也呈現增長趨勢。

They join the President who raised the minimum wage for employees of federal contractors like the folks serving our troops meals on our bases.

他們與總統一起提高聯邦合同承包商為員工支付的最低工資標準，例如軍事基地為部隊提供食品的工人就享受到了。

They're all doing this for a simple reason.

大家這么做的原因很簡單。

Raising the minimum wage will help hardworking people rise out of poverty.

提高最低工資標準將幫助辛勤勞動的人們脫離貧困。

It's good for business. It's helpful to the overall economy.

這對企業有好處，對整個經濟也有好處。

And there's one more important benefit.

還有更重要的好處。

Right now women make up more than half of the workers who would benefit from increasing the minimum wage.

當下女性占到勞動力的一半以上，她們將從提高最低工資標準中受益。

Folks, a low minimum wage is one of the reasons why women in America make only 77 cents on a dollar that every man makes.

各位，最低工資標準是一份工作男人能掙到1美元而女性只能拿到77美分。

But by raising the minimum wage, we can close that gap by 5 percent.

而我們可以將這一差距縮小5%。

And it matters.

這至關重要。

It matters to a lot of hardworking families, particularly moms raising families on the minimum wage.

對大量工薪家庭，尤其是對依靠最低工資收入供養家庭的母親更為重要。

And one more thing, folks—it's what the American people want to do.

還有一件事是美國人民想做的。

Three out of four Americans support raising the minimum wage.

那就是全美3/4的人都同意提高最低工資標準。

They know this is the right and fair thing to do, and the good thing to do for the economy.

大家都知道這是正確的、正當的事情，是對經濟發展有好處的事情。

So it's time for Congress to get behind the minimum wage bill offered by Tom Harkin of Iowa and Congressman George Miller of California—the proposal that would raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10 an hour.

因此，國會現在應該正式對待愛荷華州的Tom Harkin和加利福利亞州的George Miller議員共同提出的最低工資議案，該議案將聯邦最低工資標準從7.25美元每小時提高到10.10美元每小時。

So ask your representatives who oppose raising the federal minimum wage—why do they oppose it?

因此，請問問反對提供啊聯邦最低工資標準的國會議員，他們為什么反對。

How can we look at the men and women providing basic services to us all, like cleaning our offices, caring for our children, serving in our restaurants and so many other areas—how can we say they don't deserve enough pay to take them out of poverty?

我們怎么能眼看為我們提供基本服務的人，比如為我們清掃辦公室、照顧我們的的孩子、在餐館服務以及其它領域為我們服務的男男女女，他們怎么就不能得到足夠的工資擺脫貧困呢？

The President and I think they deserve it. And we think a lot of you do too.

總統和我都認為他們應該得到這些。

So, folks, it's time to act.

我們認為你們很多人都應該得到。

It's time to give America a raise.

因此提高全美的工資標準，是行動的時候了。

Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.

謝謝聆聽，祝大家周末愉快。

God bless you all and may God protect our troops.

愿上帝保佑大家，愿上帝保佑我們的軍隊。

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