Obama's Weekly Address WEEKLY ADDRESS: Calling on Congress to Extend Unemployment Benefits this Holiday Season

奧巴馬每周電視講話:總體呼吁國會延長失業福利政策

Hi, everybody.

大家好。

The holiday season is a time for remembering the bonds we share, and our obligations to one another as human beings.

圣誕長假到來，我們要再次牢記共享發展成果、作為人類應該對彼此盡到責任的理念，

But right now, more than one million of our fellow Americans are poised to lose a vital economic lifeline just a few days after Christmas if Congress doesn't do something about it.

但現在如果國會不做出努力，將有100多萬同胞在圣誕節后面臨失去生活最低保障的困境。

Our top priority as a country should be restoring opportunity and broad-based economic growth for all Americans.

我們國家當前的頭等任務就是為全國人民重新尋求就業機會，在廣泛的基礎上促進經濟發展。

And yesterday, we learned that our businesses created about 200,000 jobs in the month of November.

昨天，統計數據表明11月份我們新增20萬就業崗位。

That's more than 8 million new jobs in the last 45 months.

45個月以來，這一數字已經超過800萬。

And the unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in five years.

失業率也降低到5年來的最低值。

But we need to do everything we can to help businesses create more good jobs that pay good wages even faster.

但我們還需要盡一切努力來幫助企業更快創造更多待遇良好的就業崗位。

Because the hole that we're still digging out of means that there are still millions of Americans looking for work-often because they've been laid off through no fault of their own.

因為我們仍在努力擺脫的困境意味著還有數百萬人需要工作，而他們的失業并不是由于他們自身原因造成的。

We also have to look out for the Americans working hard to get those jobs.

我們應該讓努力付出的美國人民得到工作崗位。

That's why, as a country, we offer temporary unemployment insurance-so that job-seekers don't fall into poverty, and so that when they get that job, they bounce back more quickly.

因此，就國家而言，我們提供了臨時失業保險，這樣可以讓求職者不會陷入貧困，而一旦他們找到工作就可以迅速恢復生活水準。

For many families, it can be the difference between hardship and catastrophe.

對大多家庭而言，失業福利意味著是面臨小困難還是大災難。

It makes a difference for a mother who suddenly doesn't know if she'll be able to put food on the table for her kids.

一個母親突然不知道自己能否將食物為孩子們擺上餐桌，失業福利將帶來改變。

It makes a difference for a father who lost his job and is looking for a new one.

一個失業的父親能否繼續找到新的工作，失業福利也將帶來改變。

Last year alone, it lifted 2.5 million people out of poverty, and cushioned the blow for many more.

僅僅去年一年，這一政策讓250萬人擺脫了貧困，為更多人提供了經濟上的緩沖。

But here's the thing: if Members of Congress don't act before they leave on their vacations, 1.3 million Americans will lose this lifeline.

問題在于：如果國會議員們在休假之前不能有所行動，130萬美國人民就將失去生活保障。

These are people we know.

我們都了解這一情況。

They're our friends and neighbors; they sit next to us in church and volunteer in our communities; their kids play with our kids.

他們當中有我們的朋友和鄰居、有我們在教堂禱告時的教友和社區志愿者的同伴，他們的孩子和我們的孩子一起玩耍。

And they include 20,000 veterans who've served this country with honor.

他們當中有2萬多退伍軍人曾經為這個國家服役，應該得到人們的尊重。

If Congress refuses to act, it won't just hurt families already struggling-it will actually harm our economy.

如果國會拒絕行動，傷害的將不僅僅是苦苦掙扎之中的人民，還將從根本上傷害到經濟發展。

Unemployment insurance is one of the most effective ways there is to boost our economy.

失業保險是提振經濟發展最有效的途徑之一。

When people have money to spend on basic necessities, that means more customers for our businesses and, ultimately, more jobs.

當人們有錢在生活必需品上花銷時，就意味著有更多顧客購買商家的產品，最終也就意味著有更多的就業。

And the evidence shows that unemployment insurance doesn't stop people from trying hard to find work.

有證據表明，失業保險并不會阻止人們停止努力付出和尋找工作的步伐。

Just this week, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicted that allowing benefits to expire will be a drag on our economic growth next year.

就在本周，無黨派的國會預算辦公室就預測，任由福利政策到期終止將拖累明年的經濟發展。

A report by the Department of Labor and my Council of Economic Advisors estimated that it could cost businesses 240,000 jobs.

勞工部和我的經濟顧問委員會的一份評估報告表明這將讓我們失去24萬個就業崗位。

And without the ability to feed their families or pay the bills, many people currently looking for work could stop looking for good.

如果沒有能力養家糊口，支付日常開支，很多現在正在找工作的人就可能找不到好的工作。

So extending unemployment insurance isn't just the right thing to do for our families-it's the smart thing to do for our economy.

因此，延長失業保險不僅僅對眾多家庭而言是正當的事情，對我們的經濟發展而言也是明智的事情。

And it shouldn't be a partisan issue.

這不應該是一個黨派問題。

For decades, Congress has voted to offer relief to job-seekers-including when the unemployment rate was lower than it is today.

十多年來，國會多次通過為求職者提供生活保障的政策，包括失業率比今天還低的年份。

But now that economic lifeline is in jeopardy.

但現在我們的經濟命脈已陷入困境。

All because Republicans in this Congress-which is on track to be the most unproductive in history-have so far refused to extend it.

所有的原因都在于國會的共和黨人長時間以來拒絕延長這一政策，他們正在無作為的道路上越走越遠。

So this holiday season, let's give our fellow Americans who are desperately looking for work the help they need to keep on looking.

因此，長假到來之際，讓我們給予那些還在拼命尋找工作的美國同胞們一些他們需要的幫助。

Let's make it easier for businesses to attract more customers, and our economy to grow.

讓商家更好的吸引更多顧客，讓我們的經濟更好的增長。

And together, let's keep doing everything we can to make this country a place where anyone who works hard has a chance to get ahead.

總之，讓我們一起努力，竭盡所能，讓這個國家成為任何努力付出的人都能獲得成功的國度。

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

謝謝大家，祝你們周末愉快。

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