Hi, everybody.

大家好。

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

本周，我來到了科羅拉多和德克薩斯州，與當地的人們談論了他們當前的生活狀況。

One of them was Elizabeth Cooper, who'll be a college junior this fall.

其中有個人叫伊麗莎白庫珀，今年秋天她將上大三。

She wrote to tell me something I hear often: how hard it is for middle-class families like hers to afford college.

她在給我的信中寫到的事情我經常聽到：像她家這樣的中產家庭對承擔大學學費是如何的艱難。

And she shared something I know many of you feel when you wonder what's going on in Washington.

而且我還跟她交流了大家都想知道的事情，那就是華盛頓到底在干什么。

She said she feels “not significant enough to be addressed, not poor enough for people to worry, and not rich enough to be cared about.”

她說她感覺像是“重要性沒有達到引起關注的程度，窮又沒窮到令人擔憂的程度，富又沒富到令人關心的程度”。

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.

我作為總統就是為了幫助像伊麗莎白這樣的人—幫助那些辛勤工作、恪盡職守，只是希望有機會為他們自己和家庭掙得一份體面生活的人們。

And after the worst economic crisis in generations, our businesses have now created nearly 10 million new jobs over the past 52 months.

在經歷了幾十年不遇的最嚴重的經濟危機之后，我們的經濟在過去的52個月里一共增加了1000萬個就業崗位。

The unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest point since 2008.

失業率也下降到自2008年以來的最低值。

By almost every measure, our economy is better off than it was five years ago.

幾乎從任何角度來看，我們的經濟都要比5年前發展的好。

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.

但就在我們創造就業比1999年以來的任何一年都要多的時間節點上，還有太多的家庭幾乎無法掙到1999年那么多的錢。

It's harder to pay for college, save, or retire, because people's wages and incomes have not gone up.

大學學費更貴了，儲蓄更難了，養老更費勁了，因為人們的工資收入一直沒有上漲。

Nearly all the gains of the recovery are going to the very top-and aren't making a difference in your lives.

經濟復蘇帶來的幾乎所有收益都流向了社會最頂層—卻幾乎沒有給大家的生活帶來什么改變。

And I believe America does better when the middle class does better.

我始終相信當中產階級生活更好的時候美國才能更好。

And I've laid out an opportunity agenda to create jobs, train workers, educate our kids, and make sure hard work actually pays off.

我也列出了增加機會的時間表，涉及創造就業，開展員工培訓，子女教育以及確保辛勤付出得到回報。

These are the things we should be doing to grow the middle class and help folks work their way into the middle class.

這些事情都是我們應該做的，這樣才能幫助中產階級成長，幫助人們努力躋身中產階級。

And it's pretty uncontroversial stuff.

這完全是無需爭辯的事情。

I hope we can work together on it.

我希望我們在這個問題上可以攜起手來。

And I'm always willing to compromise if folks have other ideas or if it advances generally the interests of working Americans.

我也一直愿意妥協，只要人們有其它的好主意或者能顯著增加工薪階層的利益。

But so far this year, Republicans in Congress have blocked every serious idea to strengthen the middle class.

但今年以來，國會的共和黨人阻止了每一個旨在鞏固中產階級地位的緊要立法提案。

Lifting the minimum wage, fair pay, student loan reform-they've said no to all of it.

這包括提高最低工資標準，同工同酬，助學貸款改革等，對這些法案他們統統說不。

And that's when I've acted this year to help working Americans on my own– when Congress won't act.

當國會不行動的時候，我只好自己動手，用我自己的方式來幫助工薪階層。

I've taken actions to attract new jobs, lift workers' wages, help students pay off their loans, and more.

我采取了很多措施吸引就業，提高工人工資，幫助學生償還貸款，還有很多。

And the Republican plan right now is not to do some of this work with me-instead, it's to sue me.

而國會現在正在計劃要做的不是與我一起做好這些事情，而是要起訴我。

That's actually what they're spending their time on.

這就是他們花時間在做的事情。

It's a political stunt that's going to waste months of America's time.

這種持續進行的政治表演浪費了美國大量的時間。

And by the way, they're going to pay for it using your hard-earned tax dollars.

此外，他們還將用你們辛苦繳納的稅金去支付這一成本。

I have a better idea: do something, Congress.

當然我還有一個更好的主意：國會，做點事情吧。

Do anything to help working Americans. Join the rest of the country.

做點能幫助工薪階層的事情。

Join me, I'm looking forward to working with you.

與全國人民一起，加入我，我期待著與你們一起合作。

You know, on Tuesday, I met with Carolyn Reed and her husband David, who own six Silver Mine Sub shops in Colorado.

大家都知道，周二我會見了卡羅琳里德和她的丈夫戴維，他們在科羅拉多州擁有6家銀礦快餐店。

Two days later, they announced they're giving their hourly employees a raise to ten dollars and ten cents an hour.

兩天后，他們宣布將員工的時新提高到10.10美元。

They're not waiting for Congress.

他們沒有等國會。

Carolyn said, “We are happy to be a part of what I hope will be a growing voluntary trend in increased wages.”

卡羅琳說：“我很高興能成為自主提高員工工資水平大潮中的一員。”

Carolyn and Americans like her all across the country are happy to do their part.

卡羅琳與全國各地與她一樣的美國人都很高興能做好這樣的事。

Congress now needs to step up and do its part.

國會現在需要做的就是跟上腳步做好自己該做的事情。

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.

下周，我將去部分工地，談談民主黨和共和黨應該如何合作促進經濟增長并在夏末之前通過高速公路法案保護將近70萬個就業崗位不丟失。

I'm here because hardworking Americans like Elizabeth and Carolyn.

我講這些是因為勤勞的美國人民喜歡伊麗莎白和卡羅琳這樣的人。

That's something I'll never forget-it's something I'll never stop fighting for.

這是我永遠都不會忘記的事情，也是我永遠會為之奮斗不止的事情。

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

謝謝大家，祝你們周末愉快！

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