Obama's Weekly Address WEEKLY ADDRESS: Supporting America’s Students

奧巴馬每周電視講話:總統呼吁幫助美國的莘莘學子

Hi, everybody.

大家好!

This is commencement season, a time for graduates and their families to celebrate one of the greatest achievements of a young person's life.

又到一年畢業季,畢業生和他們的家長一起慶祝一個年輕人一生中最重要的時刻。

But for many graduates, it also means feeling trapped by a whole lot of student loan debt.

但對很多畢業生來說，這同時也意味著陷入高額助學貸款還款壓力之中。

And we've got to do more to lift that Burden.

而我們應該做些事情幫助他們減輕這一負擔。

See, in a 21st century economy, the surest pathway into the middle class is some form of higher education.

顯而易見，在21世紀的經濟大潮中，躋身中產階級最穩妥的途徑就是接受某種形式的高等教育。

The unemployment rate for workers with a bachelor's degree is just 3.3 percent-about half what it is for high school graduates.

擁有學士學位的人的失業率只有3.3個百分點，這一數據只相當于擁有高中學歷的人的一半。

The typical graduate of a four-year college earns $15,000 more per year than someone with just a high school degree.

一般來講接受4年大學教育后每年可以比僅僅高中畢業的人多掙1.5萬美金。

But at a time when college has never been more important, it's also never been more expensive.

但在大學教育的重要性變得無以復加的時候，其成本也變得無法承受。

That's why, since I took office, I've worked to make college more affordable.

因此，自我主政以來，我就一直在努力減輕大學教育的負擔。

We reformed a student loan system that gave away billions of taxpayer dollars to big banks and invested that money where it makes a bigger bang-in helping more young people afford a higher education.

我們改革了助學貸款制度，取消補助大型銀行的數十億納稅人的稅金，轉而投資于產生更大效益的領域—幫助更多年輕人接受更高的教育。

But over the past three decades, the average tuition at a public four-year college has more than tripled.

但過去的30年里，公立大學4年的平均學費漲了3倍多。

The average undergraduate student who borrows for college now graduates owing almost 30,000.

貸款上學的本科生畢業時平均每個人都欠下3萬美元的債務。

And I've heard from too many young people who are frustrated that they've done everything they were supposed to do-and now they're paying the price.

我聽說過太多年輕人的故事，他們當初別無選擇，現在卻必須面對沉重的代價，他們感到快要崩潰了。

I've taken action on my own to offer millions of students the opportunity to cap their monthly student loan payments to 10% of their income.

我指導政府出臺措施，為數百萬學子提供保障，確保他們每個月的助學貸款還款額不超過他們收入的10%。

But Congress needs to do its part.

但國會也需要盡到自己的義務。

The good news is that Senate Democrats are working on a bill that would help more young people save money.

好消息是，參議院的民主黨人正在起草法案，幫助更多年輕人省錢。

Just like you can refinance your mortgage at a lower interest rate, this bill would let you refinance your student loans.

就像大家可以以更低的利率重做住房抵押貸款一樣，這一法案可以讓你重做助學貸款。

And we'd pay for it by closing loopholes that allow some millionaires to pay a lower tax rate than the middle class.

我們將通過消除那些讓少數億萬富翁以比中產階級還低的稅率繳稅的漏洞來彌補這一資金缺口。

That's the choice that your representatives in Congress will make in the coming weeks-protect young people from crushing debt, or protect tax breaks for millionaires.

這是你們的國會代表們在未來幾個星期需要做出的選擇，要么保護我的年輕人免受債務沖擊，要么保護對億萬富翁們的稅收優惠政策。

And while Congress decides what it's going to do, I will keep doing whatever I can without Congress to help responsible young people pay off their loans-including new action I will take this week.

無論國會決定走那條路，我都將繼續盡我一切能力，即便沒有國會的幫助，也要幫有責任心的年輕人償還他們的貸款，這也包括本周我即將采取的新措施。

This country has always made a commitment to put a good education within the reach of all who are willing to work for it.

我們國家一直以來就恪守為每一個希望得到教育的人提供良好教育的承諾。

That's what made us an economic superpower.

正是這一點讓我們躋身世界經濟大國之列。

That's what makes us special.

也正是這一點讓我們與眾不同。

And as long as I hold this office, I'll keep fighting to give more young people the chance to earn their own piece of the American Dream.

只要我還在這個位置上，我就將繼續奮斗，為更多年輕人提供機會，讓他們去實現他們的美國夢。

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

謝謝大家，祝你們周末愉快。

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