Weekly Address: Fighting for Trade Deals that Put American Workers First (April 25, 2015)

奧巴馬每周電視演講：為把員工放在首位的貿易協議而努力

Hi, everybody. I’ve talked a lot lately about why new trade deals are important to our economy.

大家好。我過去已經談了很多了關于為什么新貿易協定對我們的經濟至關重要。

Today, I want to talk about why new trade deals are important to our values.

今天，我想談談為什么新貿易協定對我們的價值觀至關重要。

They’re vital to middle-class economics -- the idea that this country does best when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.

它與中產階級經濟學息息相關--一個每個人獲得公平的機會、并且每個人公平地盡他們的義務以及每個人都在同一套規則下競爭，這個國家就興旺發達的理念。

These are simple values. They’re American values. And we strive to make sure our own economy lives up to them, especially after a financial crisis brought about by recklessness and greed. But we also live in a world where our workers have to compete on a global scale. Right now, on an uneven playing field. Where the rules are different. And that’s why America has to write the rules of the global economy -- so that our workers can compete on a level playing field.

這些都是簡單的價值觀。它們是美國價值觀。我們為確保我們的經濟踐行這些價值觀而奮斗，特別是在因草率和貪婪引發的金融危機之后。但是我們還生活在我們的工人們不得不在全球范圍內競爭的地球上。迄今為止，在不公平的競技場上競爭。各種規則各不相同。這就是為什么美國必須制定全球經濟的規則--以便我們的工人們能在公平的競技場上競爭。

I understand why a lot of people are skeptical of trade deals. Past deals didn’t always live up to the hype. They didn’t include the kind of protections we’re fighting for today.

我理解為什么一大批人懷疑這個貿易協定。過去的協定不總是實至名歸。它們沒有包括我們今天為之奮斗的各種保護。

We have lessons to learn from the past -- and we have learned them. But trying to stop a global economy at our shores isn’t one of those lessons. We can’t surrender to the future -- because we are meant to win the future. If America doesn’t shape the rules of the global economy today, to benefit our workers, while our economy is in a position of new global strength, then China will write those rules. I’ve seen towns where manufacturing collapsed, plants closed down, and jobs dried up. And I refuse to accept that for our workers. Because I know when the playing field is level, nobody can beat us.

我們可以有很多要從過去學--并且我們已經得到了很多借鑒。但是試圖把全球經濟拒之門外不是從中獲得的借鑒。我們不能向未來投降--因為我們就是為了贏得未來。如果美國不制定今天的全球經濟的規則，為我們的工人們謀利，而我們的經濟還處于新的全球競爭實力的位置，那么中國就要制定這些規則。我看到很多城市，那里的制造業倒閉了，工廠關門了，工作崗位蒸發了。我為了我們的工人們不允許這些發生。因為我知道只要競技場公平就沒有誰能擊敗我們。

That’s why, when I took office, we started thinking about how to revamp trade in a way that actually works for working Americans. And that’s what we’ve done with a new trade partnership we’re negotiating in the Asia-Pacific -- home to the world’s fastest-growing markets.

這就是為什么，當我就任時，我們開始考慮如何更新貿易協定朝著有利于美國工薪階層的方向發展。這就是我們已經與正在談判的亞太新貿易伙伴做的--世界快速發展的市場的搖籃。

It’s the highest-standard trade agreement in history. It’s got strong provisions for workers and the environment -- provisions that, unlike in past agreements, are actually enforceable. If you want in, you have to meet these standards. If you don’t, then you’re out. Once you’re a part of this partnership, if you violate your responsibilities, there are actually consequences. And because it would include Canada and Mexico, it fixes a lot of what was wrong with NAFTA, too.

這是歷史上最高標準的貿易協定。它包括有力的保護工人們和環境的條款--不同于過去的條款，是實際上可執行的條款。如果你想加入，你就必須符合這些標準。如果你不符合，你就得出局。一旦你成為這個伙伴關系的一部分，如果你違背了你的責任，就會面對現實的后果。因為它包括了加拿大和墨西哥，它也修補了很多北美自由貿易區的錯誤。

So this isn’t a race to the bottom, for lower wages and working conditions. The trade agreements I’m negotiating will drive a race to the top. And we’re making sure American workers can retool through training programs and community colleges, and use new skills to transition into new jobs.

所以這不是低水平競爭--為了更低的工資和更惡劣的工作條件的競爭。我正在談判的貿易協定將推動高水平的競爭。我們將確保美國的工人們通過培訓項目和社區大學重新裝備起來，使用新技能進入新工作崗位。

If I didn’t think this was the right thing to do for working families, I wouldn’t be fighting for it. We’ve spent the past six years trying to rescue the economy, retool the auto industry, and revitalize American manufacturing. And if there were ever an agreement that undercut that progress, or hurt those workers, I wouldn’t sign it. My entire presidency is about helping working families recover from recession and rebuild for the future. As long as I’m President, that’s what I’ll keep fighting to do.

如果我不認為這是為工薪家庭做的正確的事，我就不會為之奮斗。我們已經用過去的六年復蘇了我們的經濟，重新裝備了美國的汽車工業并且使美國的制造業煥發了青春。如果有一個斬斷這個進程或損害這些工人們的協議，我絕不簽署。我的整個總統任期就是幫助工薪家庭從衰退中復蘇和重建未來。只要我還是美國總統，這就是我要繼續為之奮斗的。

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

謝謝，周末快樂。

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