第一篇:奥巴马演讲译文
奥巴马在今天于内华达大学发表演讲时称:“如果一家美国公司希望创造就业岗位和实现增长,那么我们就应该帮助其达成这一目标。”根据白宫公布的内容概要说明书显示,向能源抵税计划补充50亿美元资金将可吸引到大约120亿美元的私人投资,从而为清洁能源制造行业创造数以千计的工作岗位,这将意味着联邦政府所花费的每1美元都将为清洁能源项目换来大约2.40美元的私人资本。奥巴马称,联邦政府提供的50亿美元投资将可创造将近4万个工作岗位,而120亿美元的私人投资活动则将进一步创造9万个工作岗位。
奥巴马目前正处于视察密苏里州和内华达州的两天之旅中,他将利用此次视察来宣传自己的经济政策,并为民主党参议院候选人筹集竞选资金。在11月份的选举活动中,经济、就业和预算赤字很可能将成为首要问题,此次选举将决定美国国会的控制权。在今天的演讲中,奥巴马对其上任不久后推出的总额8620亿美元的经济刺激性计划作出了辩护,这项计划中有一项内容是为清洁能源行业提供价值23亿美元的抵税。奥巴马曾在1月份表示,在这项抵税计划的帮助下,共有183个清洁能源项目创造了1.7万多个就业岗位,这些项目所涉及的产品包括涡轮发电机和太阳能面板等。
奥巴马今天还表示,美国经济正在从20世纪30年代以来最严重的衰退周期中复苏。据劳工部此前公布的非农就业报告显示,6月份私营企业的就业人数增加了8.3万人,但失业率则仍旧高达9.5%。就内华达州而言,5月份该州的失业率为14%。奥巴马称:“就我所知,对于内华达州而言,我们已经走过了艰难的时刻,但并非所有的困难日子都已经被甩在身后。不过我可以作出承诺的是,我们正在朝着正确的方向前进。
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THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody.Thank you.(Applause.)Please have a seat.Have a seat.(Applause.)Well, thank you, Harry.Thanks for giving me a chance to get out of Washington.It’s very hot there.(Laughter.)It’s hot here, too, but there’s a little more humidity there.And I just love coming to Vegas.(Applause.)I love being here.I mentioned last night, I'm not the only one who loves it, because I noticed that, for some reason, Air Force One is more crowded when we're coming to Vegas.(Laughter.)Somehow I need more staff and logistical support and a couple extra Secret Service guys.(Laughter.)
We've got some wonderful leaders here, and I just want to acknowledge them very quickly.U.S.Representative Dina Titus is here--(applause)--doing a great job.And Nevada’s Secretary of State, Ross Miller, is here.(Applause.)Dr.Neal Smatresk is here, and his family.And they’re doing a great job on behalf of UNLV.(Applause.)And all of you are here.(Applause.)And I am thrilled to see you.But I’m especially here to be with my friend and your Senator, Harry Reid.(Applause.)One of the first stories I heard about Harry was that he was a boxer back in the day here in Nevada.And I was mentioning last--she’s laughing, she’s--oh, I can't believe it.(Laughter.)No, he was.(Laughter.)You wouldn't know that because he’s so soft-spoken.He’s all “well, I'm Harry Reid.”(Laughter.)But when he first told me he was a boxer, he said, “Barack, I wasn’t the fastest, I wasn’t the hardest hitting, but I knew how to take a punch.”(Laughter.)He knew how to take a punch.And Harry Reid became a pretty good boxer because he would simply outlast his opponents.He had a stronger will.I think that tells you something about the kind of person he is, the kind of senator he is, the kind of Senate Majority Leader he is.He’s a fighter, and you should never bet against him.(Applause.)And that’s just what we need right now.That's what Nevada needs right now.(Applause.)That's what Nevada needs, is somebody who’s going to fight for the people of Nevada and for the American people.And you know that he wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth--in Searchlight, Nevada.So when you're going through tough times, Harry Reid has been there.He knows what it feels like to be scraping and scrimping, and struggle to make ends meet.And so when his home state is having a tough time, when the country is having a tough time, he knows that he’s got to be fighting on behalf of not those who are powerful, but on behalf of those who need help the most.Now, let me tell you, when we first took office, amidst the worst economy since the Great Depression, we needed Harry’s fighting spirit--because we had lost nearly three million jobs during the last six months of 2008.The month I was sworn in, January 2009, we lost 750,000 jobs in that month alone.The following month we lost 600,000 jobs.And these were all the consequence of a decade of misguided economic policies--a decade of stagnant wages, a decade of declining incomes, a decade of spiraling deficits.So our first mission was to break the momentum of the deepest and most vicious recession since the Great Depression.We had to stop the freefall and get the economy and jobs growing again.And digging out of this mess required us taking some tough decisions, and sometimes those decisions were not popular.And Harry knew they weren’t popular.I knew they weren’t popular.But they were the right thing to do.And Harry was willing to lead those fights because he knew that we had to change course;that to do nothing, to simply continue with the policies that had gotten us into this mess in the first place would mean further disaster.And to fail to act on some of the great challenges facing the country that we had been putting off for decades would mean a lesser future for our children and our grandchildren.Now, as a result of those tough steps that we took, we’re in a different place today than we were a year ago.An economy that was shrinking is now growing.We’ve gained private sector jobs for each of the past six months instead of losing them--almost 600,000 new jobs.But as Harry pointed out, that’s not enough.I don’t have to tell you that.The unemployment rate is still unacceptably high, particularly in some states like Nevada.And a lot of you have felt that pain personally or you’ve got somebody in your family who’s felt the pain.Maybe you found yourself underwater on your mortgage and faced the terrible prospect of losing your home.Maybe you’re out of work and worried about how you’re going to provide for your family.Or maybe you’re a student at UNLV and you’re wondering if you’re going to be able to find a job when you graduate, or if you’re going to be able to pay off your student loans, or if you’re going to be able to start your career off on the right foot.Now, the simple truth is it took years to dig this hole;it’s going to take more time than any of us would like to climb out of it.But the question is, number one, are we on the right track? And the answer is, yes.And number two, how do we accelerate the process? How do we get the recovery to pick up more steam? How do we fill this hole faster?
There’s a big debate in Washington right now about the role that government should play in all this.As I said in the campaign--and as I’ve repeated many times as President--the greatest generator of jobs in America is our private sector.It’s not government.It’s our entrepreneurs and innovators who are willing to take a chance on a good idea.It’s our businesses, large and small, who are making payroll and working with suppliers and distributing goods and services across the country and now across the world.The private sector, not government, is, was, and always will be the source of America’s economic success.That’s our strength, the dynamism of our economy.And that’s why one of the first things Harry Reid did, one of the first things we did, was cut dozens of taxes--not raise them, cut them--for middle class and small business people.And we extended loan programs to put capital in the hands of startups.And we worked to reduce the cost of health care for small businesses.And right now, Harry is fighting to pass additional tax breaks and loan authority to help small businesses grow and hire all across the country.But he has also tried to look out specifically for Nevada.He understands, for example, that tourism is so enormous an aspect of our economy, and so helped to move our trade promotion act that is going to be helping to do exactly what it says--promote tourism--and bring folks here to enjoy the incredible hospitality.The point is, our role in government, especially in difficult times like these, is to break down barriers that are standing in the way of innovation;to unleash the ingenuity that springs from our people;to give an impetus to businesses to grow and expand.That’s not some abstract theory.We’ve seen the results.We’ve seen what we can do to catalyze job growth in the private sector.And one of the places we’ve seen it most is in the clean energy sector--an industry that will not only produce jobs of the future but help free America from our dependence on foreign oil in the process, clean up our environment in the process, improve our national security in the process.So let me give you an example.Just yesterday, I took a tour of Smith Electric Vehicles in Kansas City, Missouri, on the way here.This is a company that just hired its 50th worker, it’s on the way to hiring 50 more, and is aiming to produce 500 electric vehicles at that plant alone.(Applause.)And these are spiffy-looking trucks.I mean, they are--and they’re used by Fortune 500 companies for distribution--PepsiCo, Frito-Lay.They’re also used for the United States military –-electric trucks with a lot of--they’re very strong, great horsepower.And the reason for their success is their entrepreneurial drive.But it’s also partly because of a grant that we’re offering companies that manufacture electric vehicles and the batteries that power them.Because of these grants, we’re going to be going from only having 2 percent of the global capacity to make advanced batteries that go in trucks and cars, run on electricity--we’re going to go from 2 percent of advanced battery market share to 40 percent just in the next five years--just in the next five years.(Applause.)And that will create thousands of jobs across the country--thousands of jobs across the country, not just this year, not just next year, but for decades to come.So it’s a powerful example of how we can generate jobs and promote robust economic growth here in Nevada and all across the country by incentivizing private sector investments.That’s what we’re working to do with the clean energy manufacturing tax credits that we enacted last year, thanks to Harry’s leadership.Thanks to Harry’s leadership.(Applause.)Some people know these tax credits by the name 48c, which refers to their section in the tax code.But here’s how these credits work.We said to clean energy companies, if you’re willing to put up 70 percent of the capital for a worthy project, a clean energy project, we’ll put up the remaining 30 percent.To put it another way, for every dollar we invest, we leverage two more private sector dollars.We’re betting on the ingenuity and talent of American businesses.(Applause.)
Now, these manufacturing tax credits are already having an extraordinary impact.A solar panel company--a solar power company called Amonix received a roughly $6 million tax credit for a new facility they’re building in the Las Vegas area-– a tax credit they were able to match with roughly $12 million in private capital.That's happening right now.And that’s just one of over--(applause)--that's just one of over 180 projects that received manufacturing tax credits in over 40 states.Now, here’s the--the only problem we have is these credits were working so well, there aren’t enough tax credits to go around.There are more worthy projects than there are tax credits.When we announced the program last year, it was such a success we received 500 applications requesting over $8 billion in tax credits, but we only had $2.3 billion to invest.In other words, we had almost four times as many worthy requests as we had tax credits.Now, my attitude, and Harry’s attitude, is that if an American company wants to create jobs and grow, we should be there to help them do it.So that’s why I’m urging Congress to invest $5 billion more in these kinds of clean energy manufacturing tax credits, more than doubling the amount that we made available last year.(Applause.)And this investment would generate nearly 40,000 jobs and $12 billion or more in private sector investment, which could trigger an additional 90,000 jobs.Now, I’m gratified that this initiative is drawing support from members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, including Republican Senators Richard Lugar and Orrin Hatch.Unfortunately, that kind of bipartisanship has been absent on a lot of efforts that Harry and I have taken up over the past year and a half.We fought to keep Nevada teachers and firefighters and police officers on the job, and to extend unemployment insurance and COBRA so folks have health insurance while they’re looking for work.We fought to stop health insurance companies from dropping your coverage on the basis of preexisting conditions, or right when you get sick, or placing lifetime limits on the amount of care that you can receive.We fought to eliminate wasteful subsidies that go to banks that were acting as unnecessary middlemen for guaranteed student loans from the federal government, and as a consequence, freed up tens of billions of dollars that are now going directly to students, which means more than a million students have access to financial aid that they didn't have before.(Applause.)And we’re now on the cusp of enacting Wall Street reforms that will empower consumers with clear and concise information that they need to make financial decisions that are best for them--(applause)--and to help prevent another crisis like this from ever happening again, and putting an end to some of the predatory lending and the subprime loans that had all kinds of fine print and hidden fees that have been such a burden for the economy of a state like Nevada and haven’t been fair to individual consumers in the process.So that’s what Harry and I fought for.And, frankly, at every turn we’ve met opposition and obstruction from a lot of leaders across the aisle.And that’s why I’m glad I’ve got a boxer in the Senate who is not afraid to fight for what he believes in.(Applause.)And Harry and I are going to keep on fighting until wages and incomes are rising, and businesses are hiring again right here in Nevada, and Americans are headed back to work again, and we’ve recovered from this recession, and we’re actually rebuilding this economy stronger than before.(Applause.)That’s what we’re committed to doing.(Applause.)
So, Nevada, I know we’ve been through tough times.And not all the difficult days are behind us.There are going to be some tough times to come.But I can promise you this: We are headed in the right direction.We are moving forward.We are not going to move backwards.(Applause.)
And I’m absolutely confident that if we keep on moving forward, if we refuse to turn backwards, if we’re willing to show the same kind of fighting spirit as Harry Reid has shown throughout his career, then out of this storm brighter days are going to come.Thank you very much, everybody.God bless you.(Applause.)
第二篇:奥巴马上海演讲英文稿+译文
奥巴马上海演讲英文稿+译文
President Obama at Town Hall Meeting in Shanghai Obama answers questions from Fudan University students and the Internet THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary November 16, 2009
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AT TOWN HALL MEETING WITH FUTURE CHINESE LEADERS Museum of Science and Technology Shanghai, China 1:18 P.M.CST
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good afternoon.It is a great honor for me to be here in Shanghai, and to have this opportunity to speak with all of you.I'd like to thank Fudan University's President Yang for his hospitality and his gracious welcome.I'd also like to thank our outstanding Ambassador, Jon Huntsman, who exemplifies the deep ties and respect between our nations.I don't know what he said, but I hope it was good.(Laughter.)
What I'd like to do is to make some opening comments, and then what I'm really looking forward to doing is taking questions, not only from students who are in the audience, but also we've received questions online, which will be asked by some of the students who are here in the audience, as well as by Ambassador Huntsman.And I am very sorry that my Chinese is not as good as your English, but I am looking forward to this chance to have a dialogue.This is my first time traveling to China, and I'm excited to see this majestic country.Here, in Shanghai, we see the growth that has caught the attention of the world--the soaring skyscrapers, the bustling streets and entrepreneurial activity.And just as I'm impressed by these signs of China's journey to the 21st century, I'm eager to see those ancient places that speak to us from China's distant past.Tomorrow and the next day I hope to have a chance when I'm in Beijing to see the majesty of the Forbidden City and the wonder of the Great Wall.Truly, this is a nation that encompasses both a rich history and a belief in the promise of the future.The same can be said of the relationship between our two countries.Shanghai, of course, is a city that has great meaning in the history of the relationship between the United States and China.It was here, 37 years ago, that the Shanghai Communique opened the door to a new chapter of engagement between our governments and among our people.However, America's ties to this city--and to this country--stretch back further, to the earliest days of America's independence.In 1784, our founding father, George Washington, commissioned the Empress of China, a ship that set sail for these shores so that it could pursue trade with the Qing Dynasty.Washington wanted to see the ship carry the flag around the globe, and to forge new ties with nations like China.This is a common American impulse--the desire to reach for new horizons, and to forge new partnerships that are mutually beneficial.Over the two centuries that have followed, the currents of history have steered the relationship between our countries in many directions.And even in the midst of tumultuous winds, our people had opportunities to forge deep and even dramatic ties.For instance, Americans will never forget the hospitality shown to our pilots who were shot down over your soil during World War II, and cared for by Chinese civilians who risked all that they had by doing so.And Chinese veterans of that war still warmly greet those American veterans who return to the sites where they fought to help liberate China from occupation.A different kind of connection was made nearly 40 years ago when the frost between our countries began to thaw through the simple game of table tennis.The very unlikely nature of this engagement contributed to its success--because for all our differences, both our common humanity and our shared curiosity were revealed.As one American player described his visit to China--“[The] people are just like us…The country is very similar to America, but still very different.”
Of course this small opening was followed by the achievement of the Shanghai Communique, and the eventual establishment of formal relations between the United States and China in 1979.And in three decades, just look at how far we have come.In 1979, trade between the United States and China stood at roughly $5 billion--today it tops over $400 billion each year.The commerce affects our people's lives in so many ways.America imports from China many of the computer parts we use, the clothes we wear;and we export to China machinery that helps power your industry.This trade could create even more jobs on both sides of the Pacific, while allowing our people to enjoy a better quality of life.And as demand becomes more balanced, it can lead to even broader prosperity.In 1979, the political cooperation between the United States and China was rooted largely in our shared rivalry with the Soviet Union.Today, we have a positive, constructive and comprehensive relationship that opens the door to partnership on the key global issues of our time--economic recovery and the development of clean energy;stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and the scourge of climate change;the promotion of peace and security in Asia and around the globe.All of these issues will be on the agenda tomorrow when I meet with President Hu.And in 1979, the connections among our people were limited.Today, we see the curiosity of those ping-pong players manifested in the ties that are being forged across many sectors.The second highest number of foreign students in the United States come from China, and we've seen a 50 percent increase in the study of Chinese among our own students.There are nearly 200 “friendship cities” drawing our communities together.American and Chinese scientists cooperate on new research and discovery.And of course, Yao Ming is just one signal of our shared love of basketball--I'm only sorry that I won't be able to see a Shanghai Sharks game while I'm visiting.It is no coincidence that the relationship between our countries has accompanied a period of positive change.China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty--an accomplishment unparalleled in human history--while playing a larger role in global events.And the United States has seen our economy grow along with the standard of living enjoyed by our people, while bringing the Cold War to a successful conclusion.There is a Chinese proverb: “Consider the past, and you shall know the future.” Surely, we have known setbacks and challenges over the last 30 years.Our relationship has not been without disagreement and difficulty.But the notion that we must be adversaries is not predestined--not when we consider the past.Indeed, because of our cooperation, both the United States and China are more prosperous and more secure.We have seen what is possible when we build upon our mutual interests, and engage on the basis of mutual respect.And yet the success of that engagement depends upon understanding--on sustaining an open dialogue, and learning about one another and from one another.For just as that American table tennis player pointed out--we share much in common as human beings, but our countries are different in certain ways.I believe that each country must chart its own course.China is an ancient nation, with a deeply rooted culture.The United States, by comparison, is a young nation, whose culture is determined by the many different immigrants who have come to our shores, and by the founding documents that guide our democracy.Those documents put forward a simple vision of human affairs, and they enshrine several core principles--that all men and women are created equal, and possess certain fundamental rights;that government should reflect the will of the people and respond to their wishes;that commerce should be open, information freely accessible;and that laws, and not simply men, should guarantee the administration of justice.Of course, the story of our nation is not without its difficult chapters.In many ways--over many years--we have struggled to advance the promise of these principles to all of our people, and to forge a more perfect union.We fought a very painful civil war, and freed a portion of our population from slavery.It took time for women to be extended the right to vote, workers to win the right to organize, and for immigrants from different corners of the globe to be fully embraced.Even after they were freed, African Americans persevered through conditions that were separate and not equal, before winning full and equal rights.None of this was easy.But we made progress because of our belief in those core principles, which have served as our compass through the darkest of storms.That is why Lincoln could stand up in the midst of civil war and declare it a
struggle to see whether any nation, conceived in liberty, and “dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” could long endure.That is why Dr.Martin Luther King could stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and ask that our nation live out the true meaning of its creed.That's why immigrants from China to Kenya could find a home on our shores;why opportunity is available to all who would work for it;and why someone like me, who less than 50 years ago would have had trouble voting in some parts of America, is now able to serve as its President.And that is why America will always speak out for these core principles around the world.We do not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation, but we also don't believe that the principles that we stand for are unique to our nation.These freedoms of expression and worship--of access to information and political participation--we believe are universal rights.They should be available to all people, including ethnic and religious minorities--whether they are in the United States, China, or any nation.Indeed, it is that respect for universal rights that guides America's openness to other countries;our respect for different cultures;our commitment to international law;and our faith in the future.These are all things that you should know about America.I also know that we have much to learn about China.Looking around at this magnificent city--and looking around this room--I do believe that our nations hold something important in common, and that is a belief in the future.Neither the United States nor China is content to rest on our achievements.For while China is an ancient nation, you are also clearly looking ahead with confidence, ambition, and a commitment to see that tomorrow's generation can do better than today's.In addition to your growing economy, we admire China's extraordinary commitment to science and research--a commitment borne out in everything from the infrastructure you build to the technology you use.China is now the world's largest Internet user--which is why we were so pleased to include the Internet as a part of today's event.This country now has the world's largest mobile phone network, and it is investing in the new forms of energy that can both sustain growth and combat climate change--and I'm looking forward to deepening the partnership between the United States and China in this critical area tomorrow.But above all, I see China's future in you--young people whose talent and dedication and dreams will do so much to help shape the 21st century.I've said many times that I believe that our world is now fundamentally interconnected.The jobs we do, the prosperity we build, the environment we protect, the security that we seek--all of these things are shared.And given that interconnection, power in the 21st century is no longer a zero-sum game;one country's success need not come at the expense of another.And that is why the United States insists we do not seek to contain China's rise.On the contrary, we welcome China as a strong and prosperous and successful member of the community of nations--a China that draws on the rights, strengths, and creativity of individual Chinese like you.To return to the proverb--consider the past.We know that more is to be gained when great powers cooperate than when they collide.That is a lesson that human beings have learned time and again, and that is the example of the history between our nations.And I believe strongly that cooperation must go beyond our government.It must be rooted in our people--in the studies we share, the business that we do, the knowledge that we gain, and even in the sports that we play.And these bridges must be built by young men and women just like you and your counterparts in America.That's why I'm pleased to announce that the United States will dramatically expand the number of our students who study in China to 100,000.And these exchanges mark a clear commitment to build ties among our people, as surely as you will help determine the destiny of the 21st century.And I'm absolutely confident that America has no better ambassadors to offer than our young people.For they, just like you, are filled with talent and energy and optimism about the history that is yet to be written.So let this be the next step in the steady pursuit of cooperation that will serve our nations, and the world.And if there's one thing that we can take from today's dialogue, I hope that it is a commitment to continue this dialogue going forward.So thank you very much.And I look forward now to taking some questions from all of you.Thank you very much.(Applause.)
So--I just want to make sure this works.This is a tradition, by the way, that is very common in the United States at these town hall meetings.And what we're going to do is I will just--if you are interested in asking a question, you can raise your hands.I will call on you.And then I will alternate between a question from the audience and an Internet question from
one of the students who prepared the questions, as well as I think Ambassador Huntsman may have a question that we were able to obtain from the Web site of our embassy.So let me begin, though, by seeing--and then what I'll do is I'll call on a boy and then a girl and then--so we'll go back and forth, so that you know it's fair.All right? So I'll start with this young lady right in the front.Why don't we wait for this microphone so everyone can hear you.And what's your name?
Q: My name is(inaudible)and I am a student from Fudan University.Shanghai and Chicago have been sister cities since 1985, and these two cities have conduct a wide range of economic, political, and cultural exchanges.So what measures will you take to deepen this close relationship between cities of the United States and China? And Shanghai will hold the World Exposition next year.Will you bring your family to visit the Expo? Thank you.PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, thank you very much for the question.I was just having lunch before I came here with the Mayor of Shanghai, and he told me that he has had an excellent relationship with the city of Chicago--my home town--that he's visited there twice.And I think it's wonderful to have these exchanges between cities.One of the things that I discussed with the Mayor is how both cities can learn from each other on strategies around clean energy, because one of the issues that ties China and America together is how, with an expanding population and a concern for climate change, that we're able to reduce our carbon footprint.And obviously in the United States and many developed countries, per capita, per individual, they are already using much more energy than each individual here in China.But as China grows and expands, it's going to be using more energy as well.So both countries have a great interest in finding new strategies.We talked about mass transit and the excellent rail lines that are being developed in Shanghai.I think we can learn in Chicago and the United States some of the fine work that's being done on high-speed rail.In the United States, I think we are learning how to develop buildings that use much less energy, that are much more energy-efficient.And I know that with Shanghai, as I traveled and I saw all the cranes and all the new buildings that are going up, it's very important for us to start incorporating these new technologies so that each building is energy-efficient when it comes to lighting, when it comes to heating.And so it's a terrific opportunity I think for us to learn from each other.I know this is going to be a major focus of the Shanghai World Expo, is the issue of clean energy, as I learned from the Mayor.And so I would love to attend.I'm not sure yet what my schedule is going to be, but I'm very pleased that we're going to have an excellent U.S.pavilion at the Expo, and I understand that we expect as many as 70 million visitors here.So it's going to be very crowded and it's going to be very exciting.Chicago has had two world expos in its history, and both of those expos ended up being tremendous boosts for the city.So I'm sure the same thing will happen here in Shanghai.Thank you.(Applause.)
Why don't we get one of the questions from the Internet? And introduce yourself, in case--Q: First shall I say it in Chinese, and then the English, okay? PRESIDENT OBAMA: Yes.Q: I want to pose a question from the Internet.I want to thank you, Mr.President, for visiting China in your first year in office, and exchange views with us in China.I want to know what are you bringing to China, your visit to China this time, and what will you bring back to the United States?(Applause.)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: The main purpose of my trip is to deepen my understanding of China and its vision for the future.I have had several meetings now with President Hu.We participated together in the G20 that was dealing with the economic financial crisis.We have had consultations about a wide range of issues.But I think it's very important for the United States to continually deepen its understanding of China, just as it's important for China to continually deepen its understanding of the United States.In terms of what I'd like to get out of this meeting, or this visit, in addition to having the wonderful opportunity to see the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, and to meet with all of you--these are all highlights--but in addition to that, the
discussions that I intend to have with President Hu speak to the point that Ambassador Huntsman made earlier, which is there are very few global challenges that can be solved unless the United States and China agree.So let me give you a specific example, and that is the issue we were just discussing of climate change.The United States and China are the world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, of carbon that is causing the planet to warm.Now, the United States, as a highly developed country, as I said before, per capita, consumes much more energy and emits much more greenhouse gases for each individual than does China.On the other hand, China is growing at a much faster pace and it has a much larger population.So unless both of our countries are willing to take critical steps in dealing with this issue, we will not be able to resolve it.There's going to be a Copenhagen conference in December in which world leaders are trying to find a recipe so that we can all make commitments that are differentiated so each country would not have the same obligations--obviously China, which has much more poverty, should not have to do exactly the same thing as the United States--but all of us should have these certain obligations in terms of what our plan will be to reduce these greenhouse gases.So that's an example of what I hope to get out of this meeting--a meeting of the minds between myself and President Hu about how together the United States and China can show leadership.Because I will tell you, other countries around the world will be waiting for us.They will watch to see what we do.And if they say, ah, you know, the United States and China, they're not serious about this, then they won't be serious either.That is the burden of leadership that both of our countries now carry.And my hope is, is that the more discussion and dialogue that we have, the more we are able to show this leadership to the world on these many critical issues.Okay?(Applause.)
All right, it's a--I think it must be a boy's turn now.Right? So I'll call on this young man right here.Q:(As translated.)Mr.President, good afternoon.I'm from Tongji University.I want to cite a saying from Confucius: “It is always good to have a friend coming from afar.” In Confucius books, there is a great saying which says that harmony is good, but also we uphold differences.China advocates a harmonious world.We know that the United States develops a culture that features diversity.I want to know, what will your government do to build a diversified world with different cultures? What would you do to respect the different cultures and histories of other countries? And what kinds of cooperation we can conduct in the future?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: This is an excellent point.The United States, one of our strengths is that we are a very diverse culture.We have people coming from all around the world.And so there's no one definition of what an American looks like.In my own family, I have a father who was from Kenya;I have a mother who was from Kansas, in the Midwest of the United States;my sister is half-Indonesian;she's married to a Chinese person from Canada.So when you see family gatherings in the Obama household, it looks like the United Nations.(Laughter.)
And that is a great strength of the United States, because it means that we learn from different cultures and different foods and different ideas, and that has made us a much more dynamic society.Now, what is also true is that each country in this interconnected world has its own culture and its own history and its own traditions.And I think it's very important for the United States not to assume that what is good for us is automatically good for somebody else.And we have to have some modesty about our attitudes towards other countries.I have to say, though, as I said in my opening remarks, that we do believe that there are certain fundamental principles that are common to all people, regardless of culture.So, for example, in the United Nations we are very active in trying to make sure that children all around the world are treated with certain basic rights--that if children are being exploited, if there's forced labor for children, that despite the fact that that may have taken place in the past in many different countries, including the United States, that all countries of the world now should have developed to the point where we are treating children better than we did in the past.That's a universal value.I believe, for example, the same thing holds true when it comes to the treatment of women.I had a very interesting discussion with the Mayor of Shanghai during lunch right before I came, and he informed me that in many professions now here in China, there are actually more women enrolled in college than there are men, and that they are doing very well.I think that is an excellent indicator of progress, because it turns out that if you look at development around the world, one of the best indicators of whether or not a country does well is how well it educates its girls and how it treats
its women.And countries that are tapping into the talents and the energy of women and giving them educations typically do better economically than countries that don't.So, now, obviously difficult cultures may have different attitudes about the relationship between men and women, but I think it is the view of the United States that it is important for us to affirm the rights of women all around the world.And if we see certain societies in which women are oppressed, or they are not getting opportunities, or there is violence towards women, we will speak out.Now, there may be some people who disagree with us, and we can have a dialogue about that.But we think it's important, nevertheless, to be true to our ideals and our values.And we--and when we do so, though, we will always do so with the humility and understanding that we are not perfect and that we still have much progress to make.If you talk to women in America, they will tell you that there are still men who have a lot of old-fashioned ideas about the role of women in society.And so we don't claim that we have solved all these problems, but we do think that it's important for us to speak out on behalf of these universal ideals and these universal values.Okay? All right.We're going to take a question from the Internet.Q: Hello, Mr.President.It's a great honor to be here and meet you in person.PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you.Q: I will be reading a question selected on the Internet to you, and this question is from somebody from Taiwan.In his question, he said: I come from Taiwan.Now I am doing business on the mainland.And due to improved cross-straits relations in recent years, my business in China is doing quite well.So when I heard the news that some people in America would like to propose--continue selling arms and weapons to Taiwan, I begin to get pretty worried.I worry that this may make our cross-straits relations suffer.So I would like to know if, Mr.President, are you supportive of improved cross-straits relations? And although this question is from a businessman, actually, it's a question of keen concern to all of us young Chinese students, so we'd really like to know your position on this question.Thank you.(Applause.)PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you.Well, I have been clear in the past that my administration fully supports a one-China policy, as reflected in the three joint communiqués that date back several decades, in terms of our relations with Taiwan as well as our relations with the People's Republic of China.We don't want to change that policy and that approach.I am very pleased with the reduction of tensions and the improvement in cross-straits relations, and it is my deep desire and hope that we will continue to see great improvement between Taiwan and the rest of--and the People's Republic in resolving many of these issues.One of the things that I think that the United States, in terms of its foreign policy and its policy with respect to China, is always seeking is ways that through dialogue and negotiations, problems can be solved.We always think that's the better course.And I think that economic ties and commercial ties that are taking place in this region are helping to lower a lot of the tensions that date back before you were born or even before I was born.Now, there are some people who still look towards the past when it comes to these issues, as opposed to looking towards the future.I prefer to look towards the future.And as I said, I think the commercial ties that are taking place--there's something about when people think that they can do business and make money that makes them think very clearly and not worry as much about ideology.And I think that that's starting to happen in this region, and we are very supportive of that process.Okay?
Let's see, it's a girl's turn now, right? Yes, right there.Yes.Hold on, let's get--whoops, I'm sorry, they took the mic back here.I'll call on you next.Go ahead, and then I'll go up here later.Go ahead.Q: Thank you.PRESIDENT OBAMA: I'll call on you later.But I'll on her first and then I'll call on you afterwards.Go ahead.Q: Okay, thank you.Mr.President, I'm a student from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.I have a question concerning the Nobel Prize for Peace.In your opinion, what's the main reason that you were honored the Nobel Prize for Peace? And will
it give you more responsibility and pressure to--more pressure and the responsibility to promote world peace? And will it bring you--will it influence your ideas while dealing with the international affairs? Thank you very much.PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you.That was an excellent question.I have to say that nobody was more surprised than me about winning the Nobel Prize for Peace.Obviously it's a great honor.I don't believe necessarily that it's an honor I deserve, given the extraordinary history of people who have won the prize.All I can do is to, with great humility, accept the fact that I think the committee was inspired by the American people and the possibilities of changing not only America but also America's approach to the world.And so in some ways I think they gave me the prize but I was more just a symbol of the shift in our approach to world affairs that we are trying to promote.In terms of the burden that I feel, I am extraordinarily honored to be put in the position of President.And as my wife always reminds me when I complain that I'm working too hard, she says, you volunteered for this job.(Laughter.)And so you--there's a saying--I don't know if there's a similar saying in China--we have a saying: “You made your bed, now you have to sleep in it.” And it basically means you have to be careful what you ask for because you might get it.I think that all of us have obligations for trying to promote peace in the world.It's not always easy to do.There are still a lot of conflicts in the world that are--date back for centuries.If you look at the Middle East, there are wars and conflict that are rooted in arguments going back a thousand years.In many parts of the world--let's say, in the continent of Africa--there are ethnic and tribal conflicts that are very hard to resolve.And obviously, right now, as President of the United States, part of my job is to serve as Commander-in-Chief, and my first priority is to protect the American people.And because of the attacks on 9/11 and the terrorism that has been taking place around the world where innocent people are being killed, it is my obligation to make sure that we root out these terrorist organizations, and that we cooperate with other countries in terms of dealing with this kind of violence.Nevertheless, although I don't think that we can ever completely eliminate violence between nations or between peoples, I think that we can definitely reduce the violence between peoples--through dialogue, through the exchange of ideas, through greater understanding between peoples and between cultures.And particularly now when just one individual can detonate a bomb that causes so much destruction, it is more important than ever that we pursue these strategies for peace.Technology is a powerful instrument for good, but it has also given the possibility for just a few people to cause enormous damage.And that's why I'm hopeful that in my meetings with President Hu and on an ongoing basis, both the United States and China can work together to try to reduce conflicts that are taking place.We have to do so, though, also keeping in mind that when we use our military, because we're such big and strong countries, that we have to be self-reflective about what we do;that we have to examine our own motives and our own interests to make sure that we are not simply using our military forces because nobody can stop us.That's a burden that great countries, great powers, have, is to act responsibly in the community of nations.And my hope is, is that the United States and China together can help to create an international norms that reduce conflict around the world.(Applause.)Okay.All right? Jon--I'm going to call on my Ambassador because I think he has a question that was generated through the Web site of our embassy.This was selected, though, by I think one of the members of our U.S.press corps so that--
AMBASSADOR HUNTSMAN: That's right.And not surprisingly, “in a country with 350 million Internet users and 60 million bloggers, do you know of the firewall?” And second, “should we be able to use Twitter freely”--is the question.PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, first of all, let me say that I have never used Twitter.I noticed that young people--they're very busy with all these electronics.My thumbs are too clumsy to type in things on the phone.But I am a big believer in technology and I'm a big believer in openness when it comes to the flow of information.I think that the more freely information flows, the stronger the society becomes, because then citizens of countries around the world can hold their own governments accountable.They can begin to think for themselves.That generates new ideas.It encourages creativity.And so I've always been a strong supporter of open Internet use.I'm a big supporter of non-censorship.This is part of the tradition of the United States that I discussed before, and I recognize that different countries have different traditions.I
can tell you that in the United States, the fact that we have free Internet--or unrestricted Internet access is a source of strength, and I think should be encouraged.Now, I should tell you, I should be honest, as President of the United States, there are times where I wish information didn't flow so freely because then I wouldn't have to listen to people criticizing me all the time.I think people naturally are--when they're in positions of power sometimes thinks, oh, how could that person say that about me, or that's irresponsible, or--but the truth is that because in the United States information is free, and I have a lot of critics in the United States who can say all kinds of things about me, I actually think that that makes our democracy stronger and it makes me a better leader because it forces me to hear opinions that I don't want to hear.It forces me to examine what I'm doing on a day-to-day basis to see, am I really doing the very best that I could be doing for the people of the United States.And I think the Internet has become an even more powerful tool for that kind of citizen participation.In fact, one of the reasons that I won the presidency was because we were able to mobilize young people like yourself to get involved through the Internet.Initially, nobody thought we could win because we didn't have necessarily the most wealthy supporters;we didn't have the most powerful political brokers.But through the Internet, people became excited about our campaign and they started to organize and meet and set up campaign activities and events and rallies.And it really ended up creating the kind of bottom-up movement that allowed us to do very well.Now, that's not just true in--for government and politics.It's also true for business.You think about a company like Google that only 20 years ago was--less than 20 years ago was the idea of a couple of people not much older than you.It was a science project.And suddenly because of the Internet, they were able to create an industry that has revolutionized commerce all around the world.So if it had not been for the freedom and the openness that the Internet allows, Google wouldn't exist.So I'm a big supporter of not restricting Internet use, Internet access, other information technologies like Twitter.The more open we are, the more we can communicate.And it also helps to draw the world together.Think about--when I think about my daughters, Malia and Sasha--one is 11, one is 8--from their room, they can get on the Internet and they can travel to Shanghai.They can go anyplace in the world and they can learn about anything they want to learn about.And that's just an enormous power that they have.And that helps, I think, promote the kind of understanding that we talked about.Now, as I said before, there's always a downside to technology.It also means that terrorists are able to organize on the Internet in ways that they might not have been able to do before.Extremists can mobilize.And so there's some price that you pay for openness, there's no denying that.But I think that the good outweighs the bad so much that it's better to maintain that openness.And that's part of why I'm so glad that the Internet was part of this forum.Okay? I'm going to take two more questions.And the next one is from a gentleman, I think.Right here, yes.Here's the microphone.Q: First, I would like to say that it is a great honor for me to stand here to ask you the questions.I think I am so lucky and just appreciate that your speech is so clear that I really do not need such kind of headset.(Laughter.)
And here comes my question.My name is(inaudible)from Fudan University School of Management.And I would like to ask you the question--is that now that someone has asked you something about the Nobel Peace Prize, but I will not ask you in the same aspect.I want to ask you in the other aspect that since it is very hard for you to get such kind of an honorable prize, and I wonder and we all wonder that--how you struggled to get it.And what's your university/college education that brings you to get such kind of prizes? We are very curious about it and we would like to invite you to share with us your campus education experiences so as to go on the road of success.PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, first of all, let me tell you that I don't know if there's a curriculum or course of study that leads you to win the Nobel Peace Prize.(Laughter.)So I can't guarantee that.But I think the recipe for success is the one that you are already following.Obviously all of you are working very hard, you're studying very hard.You're curious.You're willing to think about new ideas and think for yourself.You know, the people who I meet now that I find most inspiring
who are successful I think are people who are not only willing to work very hard but are constantly trying to improve themselves and to think in new ways, and not just accept the conventional wisdom.Obviously there are many different paths to success, and some of you are going to be going into government service;some of you might want to be teachers or professors;some of you might want to be businesspeople.But I think that whatever field you go into, if you're constantly trying to improve and never satisfied with not having done your best, and constantly asking new questions--"Are there things that I could be doing differently? Are there new approaches to problems that nobody has thought of before, whether it's in science or technology or in the arts?--those are usually the people who I think are able to rise about the rest.The one last piece of advice, though, that I would have that has been useful for me is the people who I admire the most and are most successful, they're not just thinking only about themselves but they're also thinking about something larger than themselves.So they want to make a contribution to society.They want to make a contribution to their country, their nation, their city.They are interested in having an impact beyond their own immediate lives.I think so many of us, we get caught up with wanting to make money for ourselves and have a nice car and have a nice house and--all those things are important, but the people who really make their mark on the world is because they have a bigger ambition.They say, how can I help feed hungry people? Or, how can I help to teach children who don't have an education? Or, how can I bring about peaceful resolution of conflicts? Those are the people I think who end up making such a big difference in the world.And I'm sure that young people like you are going to be able to make that kind of difference as long as you keep working the way you've been working.All right? All right, this is going to be the last question, unfortunately.We've run out of time so quickly.Our last Internet question, because I want to make sure that we got all three of our fine students here.Q: Mr.President, it's a great honor for the last question.And I'm a college student from Fudan University, and today I'm also the representative of China's Youth(inaudible.)And this question I think is from Beijing: Paid great attention to your Afghanistan policies, and he would like to know whether terrorism is still the greatest security concern for the United States? And how do you assess the military actions in Afghanistan, or whether it will turn into another Iraqi war? Thank you very much.PRESIDENT OBAMA: I think that's an excellent question.Well, first of all, I do continue to believe that the greatest threat to United States' security are the terrorist networks like al Qaeda.And the reason is, is because even though they are small in number, what they have shown is, is that they have no conscience when it comes to the destruction of innocent civilians.And because of technology today, if an organization like that got a weapon of mass destruction on its hands--a nuclear or a chemical or a biological weapon--and they used it in a city, whether it's in Shanghai or New York, just a few individuals could potentially kill tens of thousands of people, maybe hundreds of thousands.So it really does pose an extraordinary threat.Now, the reason we originally went into Afghanistan was because al Qaeda was in Afghanistan, being hosted by the Taliban.They have now moved over the border of Afghanistan and they are in Pakistan now, but they continue to have networks with other extremist organizations in that region.And I do believe that it is important for us to stabilize Afghanistan so that the people of Afghanistan can protect themselves, but they can also be a partner in reducing the power of these extremist networks.Now, obviously it is a very difficult thing--one of the hardest things about my job is ordering young men and women into the battlefield.I often have to meet with the mothers and fathers of the fallen, those who do not come home.And it is a great weight on me.It gives me a heavy heart.Fortunately, our Armed Services is--the young men and women who participate, they believe so strongly in their service to their country that they are willing to go.And I think that it is possible--working in a broader coalition with our allies in NATO and others that are contributing like Australia--to help train the Afghans so that they have a functioning government, that they have their own security forces, and then slowly we can begin to pull our troops out because there's no longer that vacuum that existed after the Taliban left.But it's a difficult task.It's not easy.And ultimately I think in trying to defeat these terrorist extremists, it's important to understand it's not just a military exercise.We also have to think about what motivates young people to become terrorists, why would they become suicide bombers.And although there are obviously a lot of different reasons, including I think the perversion of religion, in thinking that somehow these kinds of violent acts are appropriate, part of what's happened in places like Pakistan and Afghanistan is these young people have no education, they have no opportunities, and so they see no way for them to move forward in life, and that leads them into thinking that this is their only option.And so part of what we want to do in Afghanistan is to find ways that we can train teachers and create schools and improve agriculture so that people have a greater sense of hope.That won't change the ideas of a Osama bin Laden who are very ideologically fixed on trying to strike at the West, but it will change the pool of young people who they can recruit from.And that is at least as important, if not more important over time, as whatever military actions that we can take.Okay?
All right, I have had a wonderful time.I am so grateful to all of you.First of all, let me say I'm very impressed with all of your English.Clearly you've been studying very hard.And having a chance to meet with all of you I think has given me great hope for the future of U.S.-China relations.I hope that many of you have the opportunity to come and travel and visit the United States.You will be welcome.I think you will find that the American people feel very warmly towards the people of China.And I am very confident that, with young people like yourselves and the young people that I know in the United States, that our two great countries will continue to prosper and help to bring about a more peaceful and secure world.So thank you very much everybody.Thank you.(Applause.)END 2:08 P.M.CST
中文翻译:
奥巴马总统在上海与大学生直接对话(全文)
美国总统奥巴马11月16 日在上海科技博物馆举行的与上海大学生的直接对话会上发表演讲,并回答了大学生以及网友提出的一系列问题。以下是白宫新闻秘书办公室发布的总统演讲及问答记录稿的译文,由美国国务院国际信息局翻译。
-----------
白宫(THE WHITE HOUSE)
新闻秘书办公室(Office of the Press Secretary)
2009年11月16日
巴拉克·奥巴马总统在与中国未来领袖的直接对话会上的讲话
(REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AT TOWN HALL MEETING WITH FUTURE CHINESE LEADERS)
中国上海
中国上海科技博物馆
当地时间下午1:18
奥巴马总统:你们好。能够有机会在上海跟你们大家交谈,我深感荣幸。我要感谢复旦大学的杨校长,感谢他的款待和热情的欢迎。我还要感谢我们出色的大使洪博培,他代表了我们两国之间的深远联系和相互尊重。我不知道他刚才说什么,但是希望他说得不错。(笑声)
我今天准备先做一个开场白,但我真正希望做的是回答问题,不但回答在座的学生提出的问题,同时也回答从网上提出的一些问题,这些问题由在座的一些学生和洪博培大使代为提出。很抱歉,我的中文不如你们的英文,但我期待着这个和你们对话的机会。
这是我首次访问中国,看到你们壮丽的国家,我感到很兴奋。在上海,我们看到了全球瞩目的发展——高耸的大厦、繁忙的街道、创业的动态。这些都是中国步入21世纪的迹象,让我感到赞叹。同时,我也期盼看到向我们展现中国悠久历史的古迹。明天和后天我会在北京,希望有机会看到壮观的故宫和奇迹般的长城。的确,这是一个既有丰富的历史,又对未来的希望充满信心的国家。
我们两国的关系也是如此。毫无疑问,上海在美中关系史上是一个具有重大意义的城市。正是在这里,37年前发布的《上海公报》(Shanghai Communique)开启了我们两国政府和两国人民接触交往的新篇章。然而,美国与这个城市以及这个国家的纽带可以追溯到更久远的过去,直至美国独立初期。
1784年,我们的建国之父乔治•华盛顿主持了“中国女皇号”(Empress of China)的下水仪式。这条船前往中国海岸,寻求与清朝通商。华盛顿希望看到这条悬挂美国国旗的船前往世界各地,与像中国这样的国家缔结新的纽带。这是通常的美国人的愿望——希望达到新的地平线,建立新的、互利的伙伴关系。
在此后的两个世纪中,历史洪流使我们两国关系向许多不同的方向发展,但即使在动荡的岁月中,两国人民也抓住机会发展了深入的、甚至极不平凡的关系。例如,美国人民永远不会忘记,二战期间,美国飞行员在中国上空被击落后,中国公民冒着失去一切的危险护理他们。参加过二战的中国老兵仍然热情欢迎故地重游的美国老兵,他们曾经在那里作战,帮助中国从占领下获得解放。
近40年前,简单的乒乓球比赛带来了两国关系的解冻,使我们两国建立起另一种联系。这种接触令人意外,但却恰恰促成了其成功,因为尽管我们之间存在许多分歧,但是我们共同的人性和共同的好奇心得以从中显现。正如一位美国乒乓球队员在回忆对中国的访问时所说:“那里的人民和我们一样……这个国家和美国有许多相似之处,也有很大区别。”
无须赘言,这个小小的契机带来了《上海公报》的问世,并最终促使美中两国在1979年建立正式外交关系。请看在此后的30年,我们取得了多么长足的进展。
1979年,美中贸易额约为50亿美元,今天,贸易额已经超过4000亿美元。贸易在许多方面影响着两国人民的生活,美国电脑中的许多元件以及我们身穿的服装都是从中国进口的,我们向中国出口你们的工业需要的机器。这种贸易可以在太平洋两岸创造更多的就业机会,让我们的人民过上质量更高的生活。随着需求趋于平衡,繁荣的范围将进一步扩大。
1979年,美中之间的政治合作主要立足于双方共同面对的竞争对手苏联。如今我们享有积极的、建设性的、全面的关系,为我们在当今时代的关键性全球问题上建立伙伴关系打开了大门,这些问题包括:经济复苏和清洁能源开发、制止核武器扩散和气候变化的影响、在亚洲及全球各地促进和平与安全。所有这些问题都是我明天与胡主席会谈的内容。
1979年,我们两国人民的联系十分有限。今天,我们看到当年乒乓球队员的好奇心已经化为许多领域的纽带,中国留学生在美国的人数名列第二,而在美国学生中,学中文的人数增加了50%。我们两国有近200个友好城市,把我们的社区连接在一起。美中科学家合作进行新的研究与发现。而姚明是我们两国人民都热爱篮球的仅仅一个标志而已——令我遗憾的是,此行中我不能观看上海大鲨鱼队的比赛。
我们两国之间的关系相伴着一个积极变化的时期,这不是偶然的。中国实现了亿万人民脱贫,这一成就史无前例,同时,中国在全球问题中也在发挥更大的作用。美国在促使冷战顺利结束的同时,经济也取得了增长,人民的生活水平提高。
中国有句名言:“温故而知新。”当然,过去30年中我们也曾遇到挫折和挑战,我们的关系不是没有分歧和困难。但是,“我们必然是对手”的概念并非是注定不变的——回顾过去不会是这样。由于我们的合作,美中两国都更加繁荣、更加安全。我们已经看到我们本着共同的利益和相互的尊重去努力所能取得的成果。
可是,这种接触的成功取决于理解,取决于继续进行开诚布公的对话,相互了解,相互学习。正如前面提到的那位美国乒乓球队员所说——作为人,我们有着许多共同之处,但是我们两国在某些方面存在着差别。
我认为每个国家都必须规划自己的前进方向。中国是一个文明古国,文化深远。而美国相对而言是一个年轻的国家,它的文化由来自许多不同国家的移民以及指导我国民主制度的建国纲领所形成。
这些纲领中提出了对人类事务的简单明了的瞩望,并包含了一些核心原则——不论男女人人生而平等,都享有某些基本权利;政府应当反映民意,并对人民的愿望作出回应;商贸应该是开放的,信息应该自由流通;司法保障应该来自法治而不是人治。
当然,我国的历史也并非没有困难的篇章。在很多方面,在很长的时间里,我们要通过斗争去实现这些原则对全体人民的承诺,缔造一个更趋完善的联邦。我们曾打过一场很痛苦的南北战争,将我国的一部分人口从奴役下解放出来。妇女获得投票权、劳工赢得组织权、来自世界各地的移民得到完全的接纳——这些都是经过了一段时间才实现的。非洲裔美国人即使在获得自由后依然生活在被隔离和不平等的条件下,他们经过不懈努力才最终赢得全面、平等的权利。
所有这些都不曾轻而易举。但是,由于我们对这些核心原则的坚定信念,我们取得了进步,这些原则指引我们冲过了最黑暗的风暴。这就是为什么林肯(Lincoln)能在南北战争中挺身而出并宣布,这是一场考验一个孕育于自由之中、“忠实于人人生而平等这一原则”的国家能否永存的斗争。这也就是为什么马丁∙路德∙金(Martin Luther King)博士能够站立在林肯纪念堂(Lincoln Memorial)的台阶上,要求我们的国家实践自身信仰的真正含义。这也就是为什么来自从中国到肯尼亚的各国移民能够在我国的土地上安家;为什么所有努力寻求机会的人都能获得机会;为什么像我这种在不到50年前在美国的某些地方连投票都遇到困难的人,现在能够出任这个国家的总统。
这就是为什么美国一直在全世界为这些核心原则而大声疾呼。我们不寻求把任何政治体制强加给任何别的国家,但是我们也不认为我们主张的这些原则是我们国家所独有的。表达自由和宗教信仰自由——获得信息和政治参与的自由——我们认为这些自由都是普世的权利,所有人都应当享有,包括少数民族和宗教少数派,不管是在美国、中国还是在任何其他国家。正是对普世权利的尊重指导着美国向其他国家开放,尊重各种不同的文化,致力于遵守国际法,并对未来抱有信念。
这些都是你们应当了解的美国的情况。我也知道中国有很多有待我们了解的情况。环顾一下这座伟大的城市——环顾一下这个大厅——我确信我们两个国家有一个很重要的共同点,那就是我们对未来的信念。美国和中国都不想满足于已取得的成就,止步不前。虽然中国是一个古老的国家,但你们显然也对未来满怀信心、雄心和使年轻一代能比这一代人更有作为的决心。
我们不但钦佩中国日益增长的经济,还赞赏你们在科学研究方面极不平凡的努力——从你们建设的基础设施到你们使用的技术,均体现出这种努力。中国现在是世界上最大的互联网使用国——这也是我们今天很高兴能把互联网作为此次活动的一部分的原因。这个国家目前拥有世界上最大的移动电话网络,它正在投资发展既能维持可持续增长,又能应对气候变化的新型能源——我期待着明天在这个至关重要的领域中深化两国的合作关系。然而,最重要的是,我在你们身上看到了中国的未来——年轻一代的聪明才智、献身精神和梦想将为塑造21世纪发挥巨大作用。
我已说过多次,我相信我们现在的世界是紧密相连的。我们所做的工作,我们所建设的繁荣,我们所保护的环境,以及我们所寻求的安全——所有这一切都是共有的。鉴于这种相互联系,在21世纪,权力不应再成为一场零和游戏;一国的成功发展不应以他国为代价。这也就是为什么美国坚决表示我们不谋求遏制中国的崛起。恰恰相反,我们欢迎中国成为国际社会中一个强大、繁荣、成功的成员——一个从你们这样的每个中国人的权利、实力和创造力中获得力量的中国。
回到前面提到的那句古语——回顾过去。我们知道,大国之间选择合作而非对抗会带来更大的惠益。这是人类不断汲取的一个教训,我们两国的关系史中也不乏其例。我深信,合作必须不止于政府间的合作。合作必须植根于我们的人民——植根于我们共同进行的研究,我们的商贸活动,我们所学到的知识,乃至我们的体育运动。这些桥梁必须由你们这样的年轻人和美国的年轻人共同构筑。
因此,我高兴地宣布,美国准备将在中国留学的美国学生人数大幅度增加到10万人。这种交流是对在我们两国人民之间建立联系的明确承诺,毫无疑问,你们将帮助决定21世纪的命运。我完全相信,对美国来说,再好的使者莫过于我们的年轻人。因为他们和你们一样,才华横溢,充满活力,对有待书写的历史篇章充满乐观。
那么,就让这个举措成为我们稳步寻求合作的下一个步骤,这种合作有利于我们两国乃至整个世界。如果能从今天的对话中得到一点启示的话,我希望那就是致力于今后继续进行这种对话。
非常感谢诸位。现在我希望回答你们大家提出的一些问题。非常感谢。(掌声。)
我只想确保这能进行得顺利。顺便提一句,这是一种在美国的这类直接对话会中十分常见的传统做法。我们要做的是——如果你想提问,就请举手。我会叫到你。我会交替回答现场观众的问题和学生们代为提出的来自互联网的问题,还有,我想洪博培大使可能会提一个我们通过大使馆网站征集到的问题。
让我们开始吧,先看看——我来采取这样的做法:先叫一位男生,再叫一位女生,然后——这样轮流,以便大家认为公平。好吗?首先我要请前排这位年轻女士提问。请等一下拿到麦克风再讲,让大家都能听到。你叫什么名字?
问:我的名字叫(听不清),我是复旦大学的学生。自1985年以来,上海与芝加哥就结为了姐妹城市,两座城市在经济、政治和文化方面进行了各种广泛的的交流活动。那么,您将采取什么举措来加深美国与中国各城市间的这种紧密联系?上海将于明年举办世界博览会。您会带着您的家人来参观世博会吗?谢谢。
奥巴马总统: 十分感谢你提出这个问题。我来这里之前,恰在与上海市长共进午餐,他告诉我,他与芝加哥市——我的家乡——有着极好的关系,他已经到芝加哥市访问过两次。我认为城市之间进行交流是非常好的事。
我与上海市长讨论的内容之一是,两座城市如何能够在清洁能源战略上彼此学习,因为把中国与美国联系在一起的问题之一是:随着人口的增长和对气候变化的担忧,我们如何能够减少我们两国的碳足迹。显然,在美国和许多发达国家中,按人口、按每个人平均计算,他们使用的能源比起在中国这里的每个人使用的能源要多得多。但随着中国的增长和发展,它也将使用更多的能源。因此两国都十分想要找到新的战略。
我们谈到了公共交通及上海正在发展的优异的轨道线。我认为我们在芝加哥和美国可以从正在建造的精良的高速轨道工程中学习一些东西。
在美国,我想我们正在学习建造使用更少能源、节能效率更高的建筑。而我知道,就上海来说——我一路过来看到那么多起重机和那么多正在建造中的新楼房,我们开始吸收这些新技术十分重要,从而将使每幢大楼在照明方面、在取暖方面都做到节能。因此我认为这是一个向彼此学习的很好的机会。
我知道,清洁能源将成为上海世界博览会的一个主要焦点——我从上海市长那里了解到这一点。因此我将乐于出席。我现在还无法确定我未来的日程安排;但我感到十分高兴的是,在上海世博会里将有一个十分精彩的美国馆。我听说预计将有多达7000万人来参观。因此这里将会人山人海,而且会十分激动人心。
芝加哥在历史上曾举办过两次世博会,那两次世博会都给这座城市带来了巨大推动力。我确信同样的情况会在上海这里出现。
谢谢。(掌声)
让我们从网上的提问中选一个问题吧。请介绍你自己,万一 …… 问:我先说中文,再说英语,好吗?
奥巴马总统:好的。
问:我提的这个问题来自互联网。我要谢谢总统先生在您任期内第一年访问中国,在中国与我们交换意见。我想知道您这次访问中国给中国带来什么,您又将带什么回美国?(掌声)
奥巴马总统:我这次访问的主要目的是,加深了解中国以及中国对未来的展望。我与胡主席已经有多次会晤。我们共同参加了应对经济金融危机的20国集团会议。我们就一系列广泛议题进行了磋商。但是我认为,美国继续加深对中国的了解非常重要,正如中国也同样需要继续加深了解美国。
至于我希望从这次会晤或从这次访问中看到什么成果,除了借这个绝好的机会参观故宫和长城,并与在座的各位见面——这些都是主要内容——我还打算与胡主席讨论一个要点,也就是洪博培大使前面谈到的,没有美国和中国的共识,就无法战胜多少全球性的挑战。
我来举一个具体例子,这就是我们刚刚谈到的气候变化问题。美国和中国是世界上最大的两个温室气体放排及碳排放国,这种排放导致地球变暖。如我在前面所说,美国作为一个高度发达的国家,人均能源消耗量和温室气体排放量比中国高得多。另一方面,中国的增长速度更快,人口更多。因此,除非我们两国有意愿在这个问题上采取关键步骤,否则我们就无法解决这个问题。
在定于12月举行的哥本哈根会议上,世界领导人将努力寻找一项方案,使我们大家都能够作出各自不同的承诺,对各国承担的义务有所区分——显然,因为中国贫困人口多得多,因此不必采取与美国完全相同的行动——但是,在计划如何减少温室气体方面,我们大家都应承担一定的义务。
这个例子说明了我希望在这次会晤中看到什么成果——我将与胡主席交换想法,讨论美中两国如何能够共同发挥领导作用。因为,我可以告诉你们,世界上其他国家将等待着我们。他们将观察我们的行动。如果他们认为美国和中国并不认真对待这个问题,那么他们也就不会认真对待它。这是我们两国现在肩负的领导责任。我的希望是,通过越来越多的讨论和对话,我们能够向世界更多地展示我们在许多这些关键问题上的领导作用。好不好?(掌声)
好吧,下面该轮到男生了,对吗?我来请这位小伙子提问。
问:总统先生,下午好。我来自同济大学。我想引用孔子的一句话:“有朋自远方来不亦乐乎”。在《论语》中有一句名言叫和而不同。中国倡导一个和谐世界。我们知道美国形成了一种以多元化为特点的文化,请问您的这届政府会采取哪些措施来建设一个由不同文化组成的多元化世界?您会采取哪些措施尊重其他国家不同的文化和历史?我们将来能进行哪些合作?
奥巴马总统:这一点提得非常好。美国的优势之一就是我们有一种非常多元化的文化。我们那里有来自世界各地的人。因此,对于美国人长什么样不能一言以蔽之。以我自己的家庭为例,我父亲来自肯尼亚,我母亲来自美国中西部的堪萨斯州,我妹妹有一半的印度尼西亚血统,她又嫁给了一位华裔加拿大人。因此,我们奥巴马全家的聚会就像联合国一样。(笑声)
而这就是美国的力量所在,因为它意味着我们从不同的文化、不同的饮食和不同的想法中学到东西,这使我们的社会变得更加生机勃勃。
与此同时,每个国家在相互连通的世界中都拥有自己的文化、自己的历史和自己的传统。因此,我认为对于美国来讲重要的一点是,不能自认为对我们有利的东西也一定会给其他人带来好处。我们在对待其他国家时态度应当谦虚。
但我必须说明,正如我在开场白中所说的那样,我们确实认为一些基本原则是人所共有的,不论文化背景如何。例如,在联合国,我们非常积极地努力确保世界各地的儿童都享有某些基本权利——如果儿童受到剥削,如果他们被强迫做童工,尽管以前在包括美国在内的许多国家都可能发生过这样的事情,但是世界上所有的国家现在都应当发展到能以比过去更好的方式对待儿童的程度。这是一种普世价值观。
我相信在对待妇女的态度上也是如此。我在来这里之前同上海市长共进午餐并进行了很有意思的讨论,他告诉我现在中国高等院校中有很多专业的在校女生实际上比男生多,而且她们的学习非常好。我认为这是一个极好的进步指标,因为纵观世界各地的发展就会看到,一个国家的发展是否成功的最重要指标之一,就是该国女童受教育的情况以及妇女享有的待遇。而那些能够发挥妇女的聪明才智和能量,并能为她们提供良好教育的国家,通常比那些没有这么做的国家有更好的经济发展。
当然,不同的文化对男性和女性之间的关系可能会有不同的态度,不过我认为美国的观点是,我们必须申明全世界妇女的权利。如果我们看到女性在一些社会中受到压迫,得不到机会,或遭受暴力,我们将大声疾呼。
有些人可能不同意我们的观点,我们可以就此展开对话。但我们认为有必要恪守我们的理念和价值观。当然,我们在这样做的时候必须谦逊,必须认识到我们自己并非十全十美,在很多问题上还有待取得进展。如果你们问一问美国妇女,她们会告诉你,有一些男性对妇女在社会中的地位还抱着老观念不放。因此,我们不能说我们解决了全部问题,但我们认为必须为这些普世理念和这些普世价值观大声疾呼。
好吧。下面要回答一个通过互联网提出的问题。
问:您好,总统先生。我非常荣幸能来到这里见到您本人。
奥巴马总统:谢谢你。
问:我将读一个从网上选出的对您的提问,这个问题是一个台湾人提出的。他在提问时说:我来自台湾,现在在大陆做生意。由于两岸关系近年来不断改善,我现在在大陆的生意做得很好。因此,当我听到美国有人要提议——继续向台湾出售武器的消息时,我开始感到非常
担心。我担心这会破坏海峡两岸的关系。因此,总统先生,我想知道您是否支持改善两岸关系。当然,这个问题虽然是一位商人提出的,但所有年轻的中国学生其实都非常关心这个问题,所以我们特别希望了解您在这个问题上的立场。谢谢。(掌声)
奥巴马总统:谢谢你。我一贯明确表示,本届政府完全支持一个中国的政策,即几十年前发布的三个联合公报所阐明的我们与中华人民共和国的关系以及我们与台湾的关系。我们不想改变这项政策和这项方针。
我非常高兴地看到紧张局势的缓解和海峡两岸关系的改善,而且我非常盼望和希望我们能继续看到台湾和中国其他地区在解决很多这类问题时显著改善关系。
我认为,美国在对外政策中,也包括在对中国的政策中,一直寻求的是通过对话和谈判解决问题的途径。我们一贯认为这是最好的途径。而且我认为,这个地区正在建立的经济和商贸联系有助于缓解很多在你们出生前,甚至在我出生前就已形成的紧张关系。
但有些人在考虑这些问题时仍然向后看,而不是展望未来。我更愿意展望未来。就像我刚才说的,我认为正在建立的商贸关系——当人们认为他们能够做生意赚钱时,有些因素会使他们的想法变得非常清楚,而不致过分担心意识形态的问题。我认为这个地区已经开始出现这种变化,而且我们非常支持这一进程。
好吧,该轮到女生了,是吧?就是这一位。等一下,让我们——哎呦,对不起,他们把话筒拿回到这边了。下一个问题我再请你提。
请讲,我一会儿到这边来。请讲。
问:谢谢您。
奥巴马总统:我过一会儿再请你提问。我要先叫她,然后再叫你。
请讲。
问:好的,谢谢您。总统先生,我是上海交通大学的学生。我想请问一个关于诺贝尔和平奖的问题。依您之见,您获得诺贝尔和平奖的主要原因是什么?它会给您更多责任和压力来促进世界和平吗?它会对您处理国际事务的想法产生影响吗?非常感谢。
奥巴马总统:谢谢。这个问题提得很好。我必须说,没有人比我对赢得诺贝尔和平奖更感到吃惊。这当然是一项殊荣。基于过去获奖者的辉煌历史,我不认为我的获奖是完全实至名归的。但是,我只能谦卑地接受这一事实,也就是,使委员会受到感动的是美国民众以及那种不仅让美国发生改变、而且让美国对世界的方针发生改变的可能性。因此我想,以某种方式说,虽然他们颁给我这个奖,但我更只是一个象征,代表了我们在处理国际事务方面改变做法的努力。
至于我所感受的重担,我能担任总统一职着实为莫大的荣幸。每当我抱怨工作太繁重时,我的妻子总是提醒我:“你可是自愿要做这份工作的。”(笑声)我不知道中国是否有类似的谚语,但是我们美国人会说:“你铺了床,就得在上面睡觉。”大意是,你在许愿时要当心,因为你可能真的会如愿。
我们大家都有促进世界和平的义务。这并非总是易事。世界上依然存在很多几世纪以来尚未解决的冲突。看看中东,有些战争和冲突是基于千年之前的争论。在全球的很多地方,例如非洲,还有一些难以解决的民族和部落冲突。
显然,目前我身为美国总统,职责之一是担任三军统帅,而我的首要任务是保护美国人民。由于“9.11”袭击和世界各地的恐怖袭击造成无辜人民的伤亡,我的责任就是确保我们根除这些恐怖组织,并且和其他国家合作解决这类暴力问题。
然而,尽管我不认为我们可以完全消除国家或民族之间的暴力,我还是认为我们肯定可以减少民族之间的暴力——通过对话、交换意见、以及增进民族和文化之间的理解。
特别是在今天,只要一个人引爆一颗炸弹就能造成大规模的破坏,因此我们比以往任何时候都要更加努力推进促进和平的策略。技术可以是为人类造福的强大工具,但是也能让少数人有机可乘,造成极大的损害。所以我衷心希望在我和胡主席会面时以及双方的持续交往中,美中两国能够携手合作,设法减少正在发生的种种冲突。
然而,我们要在这样做,在我们动用军队的时候,还需想到,因为我们是如此强有力的大国,因此必须时刻反省我们的作为,检视我们的动机和自身的利益,确保我们不会仅仅因为没有人能够阻止我们就使用武装力量。大国强国的责任之一就是,在国际社会中以负责任的态度行事。我希望美中两国能够协力创建一个减少全球冲突的国际规范。(掌声)
好。怎么样?Jon——我将让我的大使提问,我想他有一个通过使馆网站提的问题。这是个挑选出来的问题,我想是由是我们美国记者团成员挑选的,所以….洪博培大使:对。而且毫不奇怪:“在一个有3亿5千万网民,6千万博客的国家,你听说没听说过防火墙?” 第二,“我们该不该能够自由使用Twitter(叽喳网)?”——就是这个问题。
奥巴马总统:首先,我要说,我从没用过Twitter。我注意到,年轻人他们都忙着这些电子东西。我的指头在电话上打字有些不灵。但是,我对技术深信不疑,我深信信息交流的开放性。我以为,信息交流得越自由,社会就越强大,因为这样世界各国的公民可以向自己的政府问责。他们会开始独立思考,从而产生新思想,鼓励创造性。
所以,我从来都是一个互联网公开使用的支持者。我大力支持信息不受管制。这也是我刚才所说的美国传统的一部分,我认识到不同的国家有不同的传统。我可以告诉你们,在美国,我们具有的自由的互联网——或者说上网无限制,是我们力量的一个来源,我觉得应该得到鼓励。
我应该告诉你们,我应该坦诚地说,作为美国总统,有时候我倒希望信息传播得没有这么自由,因为这样我就不会老是听到别人批评我。我觉得人很自然地——当他们在有权有势的时候就会想,那个人怎么能那样说我,或者,那是不负责任的,等等。然而事实是,由于在美国信息是自由交流的,在美国有许多人批评我,说我什么的都有,我其实认为这让我们的民主体制更强大,也让我成为一个更好的领导人,因为这种做法迫使我倾听那些我不想听的意见,迫使我审视我每天的所作所为,看一看我是否为美国人民尽了全力。
我认为互联网成了这种公民参与的更强大的工具。其实,我能当选总统的原因之一,就是因为通过互联网我们能够调动起像你们这样的年轻人的参与。开始的时候,谁也不认为我们能赢,因为我们并没有所必须的财力最大的人的支持,也没有最有势力的政治掮客。但通过互联网,人们对我们的竞选活动产生了激情,他们开始组织起来,聚会,安排竞选活动、事项和集会,最后成了真正的自下而上的运动,使我们能够干得出色。
而这并不仅是政府和政治事务的情形,商务也是如此。大家想想,像谷歌(Google)这样一个公司,仅在20年前——不到20年前,来自两位不比你们大多少的人的设想。当时它是一个科技项目。但突然间,因为互联网的缘故,他们能够创立起一个给世界各地商务带来变革的新产业。所以说,若不是有了互联网的自由和开放,就不会有谷歌。
因此,我大力支持不对互联网使用、互联网上网、以及Twitter等信息技术实行限制。我们越开放,就越能够沟通,这也将有助于让世界走到一起。
想一想——在我想到我的女儿玛莉娅(Malia)和萨夏(Sasha)的时候,她俩一个11岁,一个8岁,她们可以从自己的房间里上网,游历到上海。她们可以到世界任何一个地方,可以学习了解任何她们想了解的事情。她们拥有的是一种多么大的力量。我认为,这有助于推进我们刚才谈到的那种理解。
如我刚才所说,技术总有不利的一面。它也意味着恐怖分子能够以过去也许不可能的方式在网上组织起来。极端分子可以进行调动。所以,开放是有一些代价的,这不可否定认。但是,我认为,好处如此远远超过坏处,还是保持开放为好。这是我对这个论坛有互联网的部分感到高兴的原因。
我再回答两个问题,下一个问题来自一位男士,我想是。对,就在这里。给你麦克风。
问:首先,我想说,我非常荣幸能站在这里向您提问,我觉得我的运气太好了,您的讲话如此清楚,我都用不着这样一个耳机。(笑声)
我的问题是这样的。我的姓名是(听不清),我是复旦大学管理学院的学生,我想问您这个问题——有人已经问过您有关诺贝尔和平奖的某个方面的事情,我不想再问同一方面的问题,我想要问:赢得这样崇高的荣誉是非常不容易的——我想要知道,我们都想知道,您是如何争取到的?您得到的是什么样的大学教育,帮助您获得了如此殊荣? 我们都很好奇,我们想请您分享您的大学教育经历,以便走上成功之路。
奥巴马总统:首先,我要告诉你,我并不知道有一个能指引你赢得诺贝尔和平奖的教学大纲或者课程。(笑声)所以我不能给你保证。但是我想,获得成功的诀窍其实就是你现在已经在实践的。毫无疑问,你们都十分努力,你们在努力学习,你们有好奇心,你们愿意思考新的思想,并且自己作思考。你们知道,我现在所碰到的最激励我的成功者,是那些不仅愿意十分努力地工作,而且总是在提高自己的人,他们不断探索新思路,而不是仅仅墨守成规。
当然,通向成功的道路各不相同,你们中的一些人将进入政府机构;有些可能想成为教师或教授;也有些人可能想进入商贸界。但是我想,无论你进入哪个领域,如果你能持续不断地提高自己,不尽全力决不满足,而且不断提出新问题——“我是否还能用不同的方式来做?” 无论是在科学技术还是艺术领域,“是否还有没人想到过的新的解决问题的途径?”——我想这样一些人通常能够超群出众。
我还有最后一点建议,这个建议曾经使我受益匪浅,那就是我最敬仰的那些成功人士们,他们不是仅为自己着想,而是还考虑超越个人范围的事情。他们希望为社会作出贡献。他们希望为自己的国家、自己的民族、自己的城市作出贡献。他们希望能够产生超出自己个人生活以外的影响力。
我想,我们许多人都会忙于给自己挣钱,买一辆好车,买一座舒适的房子——所有这些都重要,但是那些真正对世界产生永久性影响的人是因为他们有远大的理想。他们问自己:我如何帮助更多的人免遭饥饿?我如何帮助没上过学的儿童接受教育?我如何帮助以和平方式化解冲突?我认为只有这样的人才能最终对世界产生重大影响。我相信,只要像你们这样的年轻人继续努力下去,就能够产生这样的影响。
还有问题吗?好,这是最后一个问题。很遗憾,时间过得真快,最后回答一个网友的提问,因为我希望确保我们这三位出色的学生都有机会提问。
问:总统先生,很荣幸能提最后一个问题。我是复旦大学的学生,今天我也是中国青年[听不清]的代表。我想这是一个来自北京的问题:非常关注您的阿富汗政策。他想知道,恐怖主义是否仍然是美国最大的安全威胁?您如何评估在阿富汗的军事行动?它是否会演变成另一场伊拉克战争?非常感谢您。
第三篇:奥巴马2014年2月1日演讲译文
奥巴马2014年2月1日演讲译文
Hi, everybody.This week, I delivered my State of the Union Address.Today, here’s the three-minute version.After four years of economic growth with eight million new private sector jobs, our unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been in more than five years.And with the economy speeding up, companies say they intend to hire more people this year.大家好。本周我发表了国情咨文演讲。今天,我要发表一个3分钟的简略版。经历了四年的、创造了八百万个就业机会的经济增长之后,我们的失业率降至5年来的最低。随着经济加速,很多公司都说要在今年多雇人。
But while those at the top are doing better than ever, average wages have barely budged.Inequality has deepened.Too many Americans are working harder and harder just to get by.And too many still aren’t working at all.但是尽管那些富人们比以往过得更好,广大普通人却没有什么大进展。不平等扩大了。那么多的美国人工作越来越努力却只是勉强过得去。那么多的美国人仍然没有工作。
Our job is to reverse those trends.It’s time to restore opportunity for all people – the idea that no matter who you are, if you work hard and live up to your responsibilities, you can make it if you try.我们的工作就是逆转这种趋势。现在是重新给所有人机会的时候了--这个设想就是不管你干什么,只要你努力工作并且履行自己的责任,你就可以过得好。
The opportunity agenda I laid out on Tuesday has four parts.This week, I took them on the road.Job one is more new jobs: jobs in construction and manufacturing, jobs in innovation and energy.In Wisconsin, I talked with plant workers at GE about part two: training more Americans with the skills to fill those new jobs.In Tennessee, I talked with students about part three: guaranteeing every child access to a world-class education, from early childhood, through college, and right into a career.我在周四提出的机会日程包括四部分。本周,我就开始到处宣传这些了。
第一件事是新就业机会:在建筑业和制造业的就业机会、在创新和能源领域的就业机会。
在威斯康辛州,我与通用电气公司的工人们讨论了第二部分:培训更多的美国人掌握这些新工作要求的技能。
在田纳西州,我与同学们讨论了第三部分:确保每一个孩子得到世界级的教育,从早教到大学直到职业生涯。
And with steelworkers in Pittsburgh, and retail workers in Maryland, I laid out part four: making sure hard work pays off for men and women, with wages you can live on, savings you can retire on, and health insurance that’s there for you when you need it.在朴茨茅斯和马里兰州我分别与钢铁工人们和零售工人们讨论了第四部分:确保勤奋工作的男男女女们得到应有的回报--维持生活的工资和退休后养老的储蓄,以及你们需要时就可享受的医保。
These ideas will strengthen the middle class and help more people work their way into the middle class.Some of them will require Congress.But wherever I can take steps to expand opportunity for more families on my own, I will.I’m going to ask business leaders, education leaders, and philanthropic leaders to partner with us to advance these goals.这些设想将加强中产阶级并且帮助更多的人获得进入中产阶级的机会。其中有些要求国会来做。但是凡是我自己就有权做的扩展更多的家庭的机会的事,我将会做。我就要求企业界领导人,教育界领导人和慈善界领导人与我们共同努力推进这些目标的实现。
And every single day, I’m going to fight for these priorities – to shift the odds back in favor of more working and middle-class Americans, and to keep America a place where you can always make it if you try.Thanks.Have a great weekend.And enjoy the Super Bowl.我每天都要为这些要务而奋斗--让机会偏向更多的勤奋工作的和中产阶级美国人,并且使美国永远是你努力就能成功的地方。
谢谢。周末快乐。尽享“超级碗”大赛吧。
第四篇:奥巴马2014年6月28日演讲译文
奥巴马2014年6月28日演讲译文
Hi, everybody.This week, I spent a couple days in Minneapolis, talking with people about their lives – their concerns, their successes, and their hopes for the future.I went because of a letter I received from a working mother named Rebekah, who shared with me the hardships her young family has faced since the financial crisis.She and her husband Ben were just newlyweds expecting their first child, Jack, when the housing crash dried up his contracting business.He took what jobs he could, and Rebekah took out student loans and retrained for a new career.They sacrificed – for their kids, and for each other.And five years later, they’ve paid off debt, bought their first home, and had their second son, Henry.大家好。本周,我在明尼波利斯呆了几天,与人们谈论他们的生活--他们的关注,他们的成功和他们对未来的希望。
我去那里是因为我收到了一封来自一个名叫Rebekah的工薪母亲的来信,她在信中告诉我他们的年轻的家庭自金融危机以来的艰辛。她和她的丈夫Ben新婚燕尔正在期盼他们的长子Jack降生时,正赶上房地产泡沫破灭,Ben签约的公司破产。他做所有能做的工作,Rebekah偿还学生贷款,为了新的生涯重新培训自己。他们为了孩子们牺牲,为了对方牺牲。五年后,他们偿还了债务,买了手套住房,有了次子Henry。
In her letter to me, she wrote, “We are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard times.”And in many ways, that’s America’s story these past five years.We are a strong, tight-knit family that’s made it through some very tough times.Today, over the past 51 months, our businesses have created 9.4 million new jobs.By measure after measure, our economy is doing better than it was five years ago.But as Rebekah also wrote in her letter, there are still too many middle-class families like hers who do everything right – who work hard and who sacrifice – but can’t seem to get ahead.It feels like the odds are stacked against them.And with just a small change in our priorities, we could fix that.在给我的信中,她写道,“我们是一个坚强亲密无间的家庭,走过了一段非常非常艰难的日子。”在很多方面,这是过去五年里美国的故事。我们是一个坚强的亲密无间的大家庭,走过了一段非常艰难的日子。
今天,在过去的51个月里,我们的企业创造了9百40万个新就业机会。一个又一个指标表明,我们比五年前好多了。
但是正如Rebekah在信中还写道的,还有很多他们一样的中产阶级家庭没有过错--他们努力工作付出牺牲--但是没有过得更好。好像他们的前方有障碍阻挠他们。我们对这些的关注还很少,我们必须改正这些。
The problem is, Republicans in Congress keep blocking or voting down almost every serious idea to strengthen the middle class.This year alone, they’ve said no to raising the minimum wage, no to fair pay, no to student loan reform, no to extending unemployment insurance.And rather than invest in education that helps working families get ahead, they actually voted to give another massive tax cut to the wealthiest Americans.This obstruction keeps the system rigged for those at the top, and rigged against the middle class.And as long as they insist on doing it, I’ll keep taking actions on my own – like the actions I’ve taken already to attract new jobs, lift workers’ wages, and help students pay off their loans.I’ll do my job.And if it makes Republicans in Congress mad that I’m trying to help people out, they can join me, and we’ll do it together.问题是,国会的共和党人继续阻挠或投票反对几乎每一个加强中产阶级的认真的设想。仅仅今年,他们就反对提高最低工资,反对公平分配,反对学生贷款改革,反对扩大失业保险。他们不是投资于帮助工薪家庭搞得好的教育,而是投票赞同给最富裕的美国人更多的税收减免。
这个障碍保持这个系统为富人服务,不利于中产阶级。只要他们坚持这样,我就继续单独行动--正如我已经采取的吸引新就业机会、提高工人工资和帮助学生们偿还贷款的行动。我将尽我的职责。如果我努力帮助人民令国会的共和党人不安,他们可以与我合作,我们共同做这些。
The point is, we could do so much more as a country – as a strong, tight-knit family – if Republicans in Congress were less interested in stacking the deck for those at the top, and more interested in growing the economy for everybody.So rather than more tax breaks for millionaires, let’s give more tax breaks to help working families pay for child care or college.Rather than protect tax loopholes that let big corporations set up tax shelters overseas, let’s put people to work rebuilding roads and bridges right here in America.Rather than stack the decks in favor of those who’ve already succeeded, let’s realize that we are stronger as a nation when we offer a fair shot to every American.关键是,我们作为一个国家、作为一个坚强的亲密无间的大家庭可以做得如此之多--如果国会的共和党人不那么热衷于为富人们某私利,而热衷于为所有人发展经济的话。
所以不是为富人们减税,而是让我们推出更多减税来帮助工薪家庭支付育儿和上大学的开销。不是维护让大公司可以在海外设立避税所的税收漏洞,而是让人们可以马上在美国投入重新建设道路和桥梁。不是为已经成功的人们谋私利,而是让我们认识到我们给每个美国人公平的机会,我们作为一个国家才能更加强大。
I’m going to spend some time talking about these very choices in the week ahead.That’s because we know from our history that our economy doesn’t grow from the top-down, it grows from the middle-out.We do better when the middle class does better.That’s the American way.That’s what I believe in.And that’s what I’ll keep fighting for.Have a great Fourth of July, everybody – and good luck to Team USA down in Brazil.Thanks.我将在未来的一周里花一些时间谈论这些选择。那是因为我们以史为鉴得知我们的经济自上而下发展不好,而是从中间向两边才发展得好。中产阶级兴则我们旺。这就是美国的道路。这就是我的信仰。这就是我要继续为之奋斗的。
各位,独立日快乐--祝远在巴西的美国足球队好运。
谢谢。
第五篇:奥巴马2014年8月23日演讲译文
奥巴马2014年8月23日演讲译文
Hi, everybody.Nearly six years after the worst financial crisis of our lifetimes, our businesses have added nearly 10 million new jobs over the past 53 months.That’s the longest streak of private-sector job creation in our history.And we’re in a six-month streak with our economy creating at least 200,000 new jobs each month--the first time that’s happened since 1997.Thanks to the decisions we made to rescue and rebuild our economy, and your hard work and resilience, America is leading again.Areas like manufacturing, energy, technology, and autos are all booming.And here’s the thing: we’re selling more goods Made in America to the rest of the world than ever before.American exports are at an all-time high.大家好。自我们一生中最严重的金融危机爆发近六年了,我们的企业在过去的53个月里已经增加了近1,000万个新就业各位。这是我们的历史上时间最长的私企板块就业各位增长。我们的经济有六个月中每月新增至少200,000个就业各位--这自1997年以来是第一次。
多亏了我们做出的拯救和重建我们的经济的决定和你们的坚韧和辛勤工作,美国又重新领先了。诸如制造业、能源、技术和汽车等领域都在蓬勃发展。现在的形势是:我们的国产车销往世界其它地区的数量超过以往任何时期。美国的出口创历史新高。
Over the past five years, we’ve worked hard to open new markets for our businesses, and to help them compete on a level playing field in those markets.And we’ve broken records for exports four years running.Last year, our exports supported more than 11 million American jobs – about
1.6 million more than when I took office.They’re good jobs that typically pay about 15% more than the national average.And more small businesses are selling their goods abroad than ever before--nearly 300,000 last year alone.We should be doing everything we can to accelerate this progress, not stall it.在过去的五年里,我们经过艰苦卓绝的努力为我们的企业开拓市场,帮助他们在这些市场上公平竞争。我们的出口连续四年打破记录。去年,我们的出口支撑了超过1千1百万个在美国的就业岗位--比我就任时多了1百60万个。这些都是好工作,通常比全国平均工资高15%。比以往更多的小企业把他们的产品销往海外--仅去年就有近300,000个。
我们应该尽一切可能加速这种进步,而不是阻止它。
One place to start is by supporting something called the U.S.Export-Import Bank.Its sole mission is to create American jobs.That’s it.It helps many American entrepreneurs take that next step and take their small business global.But next month, its charter will expire--unless Members of Congress do their job and reauthorize it.Now, past Congresses have done this 16 times, always with support from both parties.Republican and Democratic Presidents have supported the bank, too.This time around shouldn’t be any different.Because the bank works.It’s independent.It pays for itself.But if Congress fails to act, thousands of businesses, large and small, that sell their products abroad will take a completely unnecessary hit.一个出发点就是支持美国进出口银行。它的唯一任务就是创造在美国的就业各位。这就是,它帮助很多美国企业家们走出下一步并且使他们的小企业全球化。但是下个月,它的特许状就要过期了--除非国会议员们尽他们的职责重新授权它。
现在,过去的国会已经16次重新授权了,都是在两党的支持下。共和党人和民主党人也一直支持这个银行。这回也不应该有什么不同。因为这个银行有用。它是独立的。它可以自负盈亏。但是如果国会不作为,成千上万的企业,无论大小,只要他们的产品销往海外,都将受到完全没必要的打击。
Small business owners have had to overcome a lot these past several years.We all saw local businesses close their doors during the crisis.And in the past few years, we’ve seen more and more open their doors and do their part to help lead America’s comeback.At the very least, they deserve a Congress that doesn’t stand in the way of their success.Your members of Congress are home this month.If you’re a small business owner or employee of a large business that depends on financing to tackle new markets and create new jobs, tell them to quit treating your business like it’s expendable, and start treating it for what it is: vital to America’s success.Tell them to do their jobs--keep America’s exports growing, and keep America’s recovery going.Thanks, and have a great weekend.小企业主们在过去几年里一直被迫克服这些。我们都看到地方企业在危机中关门。在过去的几年里,我们已经看到越来越多的企业开门营业尽他们的一份力帮助美国复兴。他们至少应该换来国会不阻挠他们的发展吧。
本月你们的国会议员们都在家休假。如果你是依靠贷款开拓新市场和创造新就业岗位的小企业主或大企业雇员,那就告诉他们不要视你们的企业可有可无,而是按它的本来面目对待它:对美国的成功至关重要。告诉他们尽他们的职责--维持美国出口增长,保持美国复兴长久。
谢谢,周末快乐。