Obama's Weekly Address WEEKLY ADDRESS: Expanding Opportunity – It’s Time for Congressional Republicans to Do Their Part

奧巴馬每周演講：擴大發展機遇,國會的共和黨人應該做他們的努力了

Hi, everybody. This week, I spent some time in Colorado and Texas, talking with people about what’s going on in their lives.

大家好。本周，我去了科羅拉多和德克薩斯，和那里的人們討論了他們未來的生活情況.

One of them was Elizabeth Cooper, who’ll be a college junior this fall. She wrote to tell me something I hear often: how hard it is for middle-class families like hers to afford college. And she shared something I know many of you feel when you wonder what’s going on in Washington. She said she feels “not significant enough to be addressed, not poor enough for people to worry [about], and not rich enough to be cared about.” I ran for President to fight for Americans just like Elizabeth – people who work hard, do everything right, and just want a chance to build a decent life for themselves and their families.

其中一個是伊麗莎白庫珀，今年秋天她就將是大三的學生了，她寫信告訴我一些我經常聽到的事情，對像他一樣的中產家庭負擔大學教育是多么的困難。她和我分享了一些你們很多人都感受到的心情，當你們不知道華盛頓將會怎樣做的時候。她說她覺得，不是足夠地重要而不需要被提及，不是足夠地貧窮而不足以讓人們去擔憂，也不是足夠地富有不值得被關心。

And after the worst economic crisis in generations, our businesses have now created nearly 10 million new jobs over the past 52 months. The unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest point since 2008. By almost every measure, our economy is better off than it was five years ago.

經過了幾十年來最嚴重的經濟危機之后，我們的企業現在過去的52個月里已經創造了近一千萬個新就業機會。失業率創2008年來的最低。無論如何衡量，我們的經濟都比五年前大大好轉了。

But while we’ve created more jobs at this point of the year than any year since 1999, too many families barely earn what they did in 1999. It’s harder to pay for college, save, or retire, because people’s wages and incomes have not gone up. Nearly all the gains of the recovery are going to the very top – and aren’t making a difference in your lives.

但是盡管我們在今年的這個時候創造的就業機會比1999年以來的任何一年都多，很多家庭的收入也僅僅是1999年的收入。支付大學學費、儲蓄一部分錢和積攢養老金就顯得捉襟見肘了，因為人們的工資和收入一直沒有增長。幾乎所有復蘇的收益都流到了最富的人群--沒有給你們的生活帶來多大的改變。

And I believe America does better when the middle class does better. And I’ve laid out an opportunity agenda to create jobs, train workers, educate our kids, and make sure hard work actually pays off.

我認為中產階級興則美國興。我已經制定了一個機會計劃來創造就業機會，培訓工人，教育我們的孩子們，確保勤奮工作得到回報。

These are the things we should be doing to grow the middle class and help folks work their way into the middle class. And it’s pretty uncontroversial stuff. I hope we can work together on it. And I’m always willing to compromise if folks have other ideas or if it advances generally the interests of working Americans.

我們有很多事可做來發展中產階級和幫助努力工作躋身中產階級的人們。這是毫無疑問的事。我希望我們能合作實施。我始終愿意與有其它好主意或增加廣大工薪美國人利益的人們協商。

But so far this year, Republicans in Congress have blocked every serious idea to strengthen the middle class. Lifting the minimum wage, fair pay, student loan reform – they’ve said no to all of it. And that’s when I’ve acted this year to help working Americans on my own– when Congress won’t act.

但是今年到此，國會的共和黨人否決了每一個加強中產階級的議案。提高最低工資、公平報酬、學生貸款改革--都被他們否決了。這發生在今年我單獨采取行動幫助工薪美國人的時候--國會不作為的時候。

I’ve taken actions to attract new jobs, lift workers’ wages, help students pay off their loans, and more. And the Republican plan right now is not to do some of this work with me – instead, it’s to sue me. That’s actually what they’re spending their time on. It’s a political stunt that’s going to waste months of America’s time. And by the way, they’re going to pay for it using your hard-earned tax dollars.

我已經采取行動吸引新就業機會，提高工人的最低工資，幫助學生償還貸款等等。共和黨人現在不打算與我就其中的一些工作合作--相反，他們做的是抗訴我。他們的時間就是花到了這上。這是浪費了美國人幾個月時間的政治手腕。順便提一下，他們打算用你們的血汗稅款為此買單。

I have a better idea: do something, Congress. Do anything to help working Americans. Join the rest of the country. Join me, I'm looking forward to working with you.

我有一個更好的設想：國會，做點什么。做任何幫助工薪美國人的事都行。與我國的其他人合作。與我合作，我期待與你們合作。

You know, on Tuesday, I met with Carolyn Reed and her husband David, who own six Silver Mine Sub shops in Colorado. Two days later, they announced they’re giving their hourly employees a raise to ten dollars and ten cents an hour.

眾所周知，周二，我會見了Carolyn Reed 和她的丈夫 David，他們在科羅拉多州開了六個Silver Mine Sub店。兩天后，他們宣布把他們雇用的小時工的工資提高到每小時十美元十美分。

They’re not waiting for Congress. Carolyn said, “We are happy to be a part of what I hope will be a growing voluntary trend in increased wages.”

他們沒有等待國會。Carolyn說，“我們很高興成為我希望成為的志愿提高工資的趨勢的一部分。”

Carolyn and Americans like her all across the country are happy to do their part. Congress now needs to step up and do its part. And next week, I’ll travel to a couple of job sites to talk about how Democrats and Republicans can work together to grow the economy and protect nearly 700,000 jobs by passing a highway bill by the end of the summer.

Carolyn和全國各地與她一樣的美國人都愿意盡他們的一份力。國會現在應該挺身而出盡他們的一份力了。下周，我將訪問一系列工作現場闡述民主黨人和共和黨人如何合作在今年夏末通過一個快速通道議案就能發展經濟和保護近700，000個就業機會。

I’m here because hardworking Americans like Elizabeth and Carolyn. That’s something I’ll never forget – it's something I’ll never stop fighting for. Thanks, and have a great weekend.

我為了Elizabeth 和Carolyn一樣的美國人來到這里。這是我永遠不能忘記的--這是我永遠不能停止為之奮斗的。謝謝，周末快樂。

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