第一篇：奥巴马2016国情咨文演讲 双语全文
奥巴马2016国情咨文演讲
双语全文
奥巴马2016国情咨文演讲
| 双语全文President Obama's final state of the Union address 当地时间12号晚间，美国总统奥巴马在华盛顿发表了任上最后一次国情咨文，这也是他第八次进行国情咨文演讲。
Mr.Speaker, Mr.Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans: 议长先生、副总统先生、各位国会议员和美国同胞们：Tonight marks the eighth year I've come here to report on the State of the Union.And for this final one, I'm going to try to make it shorter.I know some of you are antsy to get back to Iowa.今晚是我在这里做国情咨文的第八个年头，也是最后一次。我将尽量简而言之。我知道你们中有些人急着回爱荷华州（译者注：两党党内预选进行地）。I also understand that because it's an election season, expectations for what we'll achieve this year are low.Still, Mr.Speaker, I appreciate the constructive approach you and the other leaders took at the end of last year to pass a budget and make tax cuts permanent for working families.So I hope we can work together this year on bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform, and helping people who are battling prescription drug abuse.We just might surprise the cynics again.我也理解此时正当大选之季，因此公众对我们今年成就的期望并不高。但是，议长先生，您以及其他领导人去年年末通过了建设性的预算决议，使得工薪家庭减税计划能够长久实施下去，我对此深表感激。因此我衷心希望今年两党能够在一些重要事务上同心协作，比如，推行刑事司法改革，帮助那些与处方药滥用行为抗争的人们。我们很可能会让质疑者们再次大吃一惊。But tonight, I want to go easy on the traditional list of proposals for the year ahead.Don't worry, I've got plenty, from helping students learn to write computer code to personalizing medical treatments for patients.And I'll keep pushing for progress on the work that still needs doing.Fixing a broken immigration system.Protecting our kids from gun violence.Equal pay for equal work, paid leave, raising the minimum wage.All these things still matter to hardworking families;they are still the right thing to do;and I will not let up until they get done.但在今晚，我打算少谈些像往年那样的发展计划。别担心，我还是有很多计划要谈，比如，帮助学生学习编写计算机代码，以及对病人进行个性化治疗。我将继续推动这些未竟事业的进步。完善有漏洞的移民体系。保护我们的孩子们免遭枪械暴力。继续推行同工同酬及带薪休假，并提高最低工资水平。所有的这一切对于努力工作的家庭们来说依然至关重要；这些仍是我们要做的对的事情。我绝不会放松这些工作，直至他们完成为止。But for my final address to this chamber, I don't want to talk just about the next year.I want to focus on the next five years, ten years, and beyond.但这是我最后一次在此发表讲话，我不想只谈论来年的事宜。我想关注今后的五年、十年，甚至更久远的事情。I want to focus on our future.我更关注我们的未来。We live in a time of extraordinary change – change that's reshaping the way we live, the way we work, our planet and our place in the world.It's change that promises amazing medical breakthroughs, but also economic disruptions that strain working families.It promises education for girls in the most remote villages, but also connects terrorists plotting an ocean away.It's change that can broaden opportunity, or widen inequality.And whether we like it or not, the pace of this change will only accelerate.我们生活在一个充满巨变的时代，这场巨变改变了我们的生活、工作方式，改变了我们的星球和我们在世界上的地位。这种巨变预示着医学将出现重大突破，也会带来困扰着工薪家庭的经济动荡。它为生活在边远山区的女孩们带去教育的希望，却也使远距重洋的恐怖分子得以串通一气策划阴谋。这场巨变能够带来机遇，也会扩大不公。无论我们喜欢与否，这场巨变的进度只会越来越快。America has been through big changes before – wars and depression, the influx of immigrants, workers fighting for a fair deal, and movements to expand civil rights.Each time, there have been those who told us to fear the future;who claimed we could slam the brakes on change, promising to restore past glory if we just got some group or idea that was threatening America under control.And each time, we overcame those fears.We did not, in the words of Lincoln, adhere to the “dogmas of the quiet past.” Instead we thought anew, and acted anew.We made change work for us, always extending America's promise outward, to the next frontier, to more and more people.And because we did – because we saw opportunity where others saw only peril – we emerged stronger and better than before.美国曾经历过种种巨变——战争，萧条，移民涌入，工人运动，以及民权运动。每一次，总有人告诉我们要畏惧未来。每当美国受到某些组织或者言论威胁，将要失控，这些人就告诉我们要停止变革，并承诺恢复往日的辉煌。但每一次，我们都能够克服恐惧。用林肯的话来说，我们并未遵循“平静的过去时代的信条”。相反地，我们能够用新的思维思考，以新的方式行事。我们巧妙地利用变化，始终将美国的潜力扩展至更广阔的前沿，惠及更多的民众。正缘于此——因为他人眼中的风险在我们看来是机遇——我们变得比以前更强更好。What was true then can be true now.Our unique strengths as a nation – our optimism and work ethic, our spirit of discovery and innovation, our diversity and commitment to the rule of law – these things give us everything we need to ensure prosperity and security for generations to come.过去的真理，现在亦未曾改变。我们的乐观主义与职业道德，我们的发现与创新精神，我们种族多样化和法治信条，这些都是我们作为一个国家所拥有的独一无二的优点，使我们具备了世代繁荣昌盛、国泰民安的一切条件。In fact, it's that spirit that made the progress of these past seven years possible.It's how we recovered from the worst economic crisis in generations.It's how we reformed our health care system, and reinvented our energy sector;how we delivered more care and benefits to our troops and veterans, and how we secured the freedom in every state to marry the person we love.事实上，正因有了这种精神力量，我们过去七年才可能取得进步。它使我们得以从几代以来最严重的经济危机中恢复；是我们改革医疗体系、改造能源部门的动力；保证了我们给予军人和老兵更多关心和福利。也正因为此，我们能够让每个州的人都获得了与所爱的人结婚的自由。But such progress is not inevitable.It is the result of choices we make together.And we face such choices right now.Will we respond to the changes of our time with fear, turning inward as a nation, and turning against each other as a people? Or will we face the future with confidence in who we are, what we stand for, and the incredible things we can do together? 但是，这些进步并不是注定会发生的，而是我们共同选择的结果。我们当下正面临着这样的选择。面对时代的变化，我们是将以恐惧对之，闭门造车，各自为战？还是自我肯定，坚持立场，相信我们能共创奇迹？
So let's talk about the future, and four big questions that we as a country have to answer – regardless of who the next President is, or who controls the next Congress.让我们先来谈谈未来，以及美国需要回答的四个大问题——无论下一届美国总统是谁，无论哪个党派掌控国会。First, how do we give everyone a fair shot at opportunity and security in this new economy? 首先，我们如何在新经济中给每个人公平的机会和保障？Second, how do we make technology work for us, and not against us – especially when it comes to solving urgent challenges like climate change? 第二，我们如何让技术为我们服务，而不是与我们对抗——尤其是面临气候变化这样急需应对的挑战的时候？Third, how do we keep America safe and lead the world without becoming its policeman? 第三，我们如何保障美国的安全，同时，在不充当世界警察的前提下，引领整个世界？And finally, how can we make our politics reflect what's best in us, and not what's worst? 最后，我们如何制定政策，使其反映出美国的好，而不是美国的恶？Let me start with the economy, and a basic fact: the United States of America, right now, has the strongest, most durable economy in the world.We're in the middle of the longest streak of private-sector job creation in history.More than 14 million new jobs;the strongest two years of job growth since the '90s;an unemployment rate cut in half.Our auto industry just had its best year ever.Manufacturing has created nearly 900,000 new jobs in the past six years.And we've done all this while cutting our deficits by almost three-quarters.我先说说经济，基本的事实是这样的：现在，在全球范围内，美国经济是最为强大且坚固的。纵观历史，我们现在处于私营部门连续创造就业机会最长的一段时期中。我们创造了逾1400万个新的就业岗位；这是自20世纪90年代以来就业增长最为强劲的两年；失业率下降了一半。汽车行业也创造了最辉煌的一年。在过去的六年里，制造业创造了将近90万个新的就业岗位。而且，我们在取得这些成绩的同时，还将赤字减少了近四分之三.Anyone claiming that America's economy is in decline is peddling fiction.What is true – and the reason that a lot of Americans feel anxious – is that the economy has been changing in profound ways, changes that started long before the Great Recession hit and haven't let up.Today, technology doesn't just replace jobs on the assembly line, but any job where work can be automated.Companies in a global economy can locate anywhere, and face tougher competition.As a result, workers have less leverage for a raise.Companies have less loyalty to their communities.And more and more wealth and income is concentrated at the very top.任何声称美国经济正在衰落的说法都是在传播虚构事实。实际情况——同时也是许多美国人感到焦虑的原因——是美国经济正在经历巨大变革，而且这变革早在大萧条发生之前就已经开始，到现在还没有结束。今天，能够被高科技取代的工作岗位并不仅限于生产线，还包括任何可以实现自动化的岗位。在经济全球化中，公司可以落户于世界任何地方，也会面临更加激烈的竞争。其结果是，雇员要求加薪的筹码变少。公司对其所在群体的忠诚度更低。同时，越来越多的财富和收入积聚到社会顶层阶级手中。All these trends have squeezed workers, even when they have jobs;even when the economy is growing.It's made it harder for a hardworking family to pull itself out of poverty, harder for young people to start on their careers, and tougher for workers to retire when they want to.And although none of these trends are unique to America, they do offend our uniquely American belief that everybody who works hard should get a fair shot.这些变化趋势挤压了雇员的生存空间，即使他们拥有工作，即使美国经济一直在增长。工薪家庭想要通过努力工作，摆脱贫困，年轻人想要开创自己的事业，雇员想要适时退休，都已经不太容易。虽然面临这些变革的不只有美国，但是这些的确违背了独有的美国式信念，那就是，任何努力工作的人都应当得到公平待遇。For the past seven years, our goal has been a growing economy that works better for everybody.We've made progress.But we need to make more.And despite all the political arguments we've had these past few years, there are some areas where Americans broadly agree.在过去的七年中，我们的目标一直都是，保持经济增长，以造福每一个人。我们已经取得了一些进步。但是，我们需要继续努力。尽管在过去的一些年中，我们有过许多政治上的争论，但是在一些领域，我们取得了普遍的共识。We agree that real opportunity requires every American to get the education and training they need to land a good-paying job.The bipartisan reform of No Child Left Behind was an important start, and together, we've increased early c
第二篇：奥巴马2011年国情咨文演讲
奥巴马2011年国情咨文演讲
一、演讲摘要
华盛顿当地时间1月25日晚(北京时间1月26日上午)，美国总统奥巴马在国会发表2011年国情咨文。奥巴马在演讲中表示，解决短期的就业和长期的美国竞争力问题将成为未来政府工作的重点。另外，奥巴马还讲到了医改、外交政策、军事、政府机制改革等未来政府的工作内容。
二、奥巴马演讲经典语录
1.不管我们是谁、来自何方，我们中的每一个人都是一个更伟大事务的一部分，2.如果你努力工作，你可能会终身拥有这个职位，这个工作会给你带来体面的收入、好的福利，有时还会获得升职。
3.世界已发生了变革。对于许多人来说，变革是痛苦的。这就好像，在比赛进行到一半时，表现出色而又颇感自豪的运动员发现规则突然改变了。
4.世界发生了变革，但这不应当使我们灰心，它应当成为激励我们的动力。
5.我们将赢得未来，但为了实现这一点，我们不能原地踏步。正如罗伯特•肯尼迪所说的那样“未来不是一个礼物，它是一个成就。”维持美国梦从来不是墨守成规。它需要每一代人作出牺牲、斗争，满足新时代的要求。
6.现在轮到我们这一代人了。我们知道在我们的时代为工 作和行业进行竞争需要什么。
7.赢得未来的首个步骤是鼓励美国人创新。
8.所有人都无法肯定地预言下一个主要行业将是什么行业或者新的就业岗位来自哪里。三十年前，我们不知道一个被称作互联网的东西会引发经济革命。我们所能做的是，争取在这些方面比其它国家的人做得更好，激发美国人民的创造性和想像力。
9.创新不只改变我们的生活，更重要的是，这是我们赖以谋生的方法。
10.成功不是名气或者公共关系所带来的，它是由辛劳的工作和自律造就的。
11.赢得未来的最后一步最关键的一步是确保我们不会葬身于如山的债务之中。
12.要在这个不断变化的新世界中取得成功，我们需改革、责任和创新。
13.我们围绕一切事情展开争论，这会使难度变得更高，14.美国人的思想活力仍在，我们的命运依旧掌握在我们手中。
15.我们中的每个人都应当有机会来塑造自己的命运。16.争取在2035年之前使美国85%的电力供应量来自清洁能源。
17.改革不仅仅是从上到下的指示。18.教育竞赛不会止步于高中毕业证。19.我们必须战胜敌人，无论他们在哪里，并建立跨越地区、种族和宗教界线的联盟。
20.或许我们拥有不同的观点，但我们都坚信同一个承诺：这是一个只要尝试就可能会成功的地方。又或许我们拥有不同的背景，但我们都坚信同一梦想：这是一个一切皆有可能的国家。
21.虽然我不确定我们将如何超越地平线到达更好的地方，但我知道我们将会到达那里。
22.这就是美国人在过去两百多年里一直在做的事情--再造自我
23.与其向昨天的能源业提供补贴，我们不如投资于未来的能源
附：《奥巴马国情咨文全文》奥巴马2011年国情咨文演讲全文内容
今晚我想首先向美国第112届国会的男女议员、你们的新议长约翰•博纳表示祝贺。在我们庆祝这一时刻时，我们仍然很清楚一位国会议员的座位是空着的，让我们为我们的同事、我们的朋友加布里埃尔•吉福兹的健康祈祷。
呼吁两党合作
我们这些今晚出席这一活动的人在过去两年曾存在分歧，这不是秘密。辩论是非常激烈的，我们为我们各自的观点进行了激烈的斗争。这是一件好事，这是强有力的民主所要求的。这种争论帮助美国成为区别于其它国家的民主国家。
但图森市的悲剧给了我们一个停止争论的理由。我们进行的公共辩论引发了噪音、情绪、怨恨。图森的悲剧提醒我们，不管我们是谁、来自何方，我们中的每一个人都是一个更伟大事务的一部分，它比政党或者政治倾向更具必然性。
我们是美国大家庭的组成部分。我们相信，在这个各种种族、信仰、观点并存的国家，我们仍是一个团结在一起的民族。我们拥有共同的希望和信条，图森小女孩的梦想与我们自己孩子的梦想没有什么大的差别，这些梦想都应获得实现的机会。
这也是使我们作为一个国家产生分歧的原因。
现在，简单地认识到这一点本身将不会开启一个合作的新时代。这一时刻所能产生的成果取决于我们。这一时刻所产生的成果将不会由我们是否今晚坐在一起而决定，它将被我们明 天是否合作所决定。
我认为我们能够实现合作。我认为我们必须这样。这是那些把我们送到这里的人们所期望的。他们通过他们的选票决定，执政将是两党共同的责任。新的法案只有在获得民主党和共和党议员的支持下才能通过。在面对比党派或者政治更大的挑战面前，我们将一起前行，或者原地不动。
现在的利害不是谁将赢得下次选举，毕竟，我们刚刚举行完一次选举。现在的利害是新的就业机会和新的行业是否会在美国生根或者在其它地方。这事关我们人民的辛劳工作和行业是否能得到回报。这事关我们是否能继续保持领导能力，这种领导能力使美国不只局限于地图上的某一个地方，美国因为这种领导能力而成为世界的灯光。
我们作好了前进的准备。在我们大多数人经历最为糟糕的经济衰退两年后，股市已再次大幅上升。公司赢利在增加。经济在再次增长。
但我们从不只以这些标准来衡量进展。我们以我们人民的成功来评估进展，通过他们所能找到的工作和这些工作所提供的生活质量，通过小企业主把好点子的梦想转变成兴旺发达的企业的前景，通过我们给我们孩子更好生活的机遇。
这是一个美国人民想让我们从事的事业，美国人民想让我们共同致力于这项事业。
我们去年12月作了这方面的工作。由于我们通过的减税法案，美国人今天收到的支票金额要比过去多。所有的企业都 可以把它今年所作投资的全部开支注销。这些由民主党人和共和党人合作采取的措施将使经济增长，增加就业岗位，私人行业去年已创造的1百多万个就业岗位。
但我们有更多的工作要做。我们在过去两年所采取的措施可能已克服了经济衰退的主要困难，但是为了赢得未来，我们必须直面应对那些在过去数十年来一直积累起来的挑战。
许多收看这一讲演的人可能还记得那个找到好工作意味着在附近工厂或者市中心商业区就业的时候。你并不总是需要获得一个学位，你的竞争基本只限于你的邻居。如果你努力工作，你可能会终身拥有这个职位，这个工作会给你带来体面的收入、好的福利，有时还会获得升职。你可能还会拥有看到你的孩子在同一公司工作的自豪感。
世界已发生了变革。对于许多人来说，变革是痛苦的。在曾经一度业务繁忙工厂面临关闭时，我透过百叶窗看到了这种痛苦；在一度繁忙的商业街道空空如也的店门前，我看到了这种痛苦；在那些看到收入不断缩水或者失业美国人的绝望言论中，我听到了这种痛苦。这就好像，在比赛进行到一半时，表现出色而又颇感自豪的运动员发现规则突然改变了。
他们是正确的，规则发生了变化。仅仅用了一代人的时间，技术革命已改变了我们的工作、生活和做生意的方式。一度需要1000名工人的钢铁厂现在用100名工人就可以完成同样的工作。今天，任何一家公司都可以设立商店、雇佣员工、把产品销售给有互联网连接的所有地方。与此同时，中国和印度等国已意识到，它们在作出一些变革后将能够在新世界(10.69,0.13,1.23%)里与其它国家进行竞争。所以，他们开始对他们的孩子进行更早和更长时间的教育，更加重视数学和科学。他们投资于研发和新技术。就在不久之前，中国已拥有世界上最大的私营太阳能研究设施，世界上运行速度最快的计算机。
所以，是的，世界发生了变革。就业岗位的竞争是真实存在的，但这不应当使我们灰心，它应当成为激励我们的动力。请记住，尽管我们在过去几年遭受到了巨大打击，尽管所有的悲观者预言美国在衰落，但美国仍是世界上最大、最繁荣的经济体。我们工人的劳动生产率是最高的，我们的公司是最成功的，我们的投资者和企业家所拥有的专利数是最多的。我们拥有世界上最好的院校和大学，来美国就读的学生超过任何其它国家。
更为重要的是，我们是首个以思想立国的国家，这个思想是我们中的每个人都应当有机会来塑造自己的命运。这就是为什么先驱们和移民们数个世纪以来不惜冒着失去一切的风险来到美国的原因。这就是我们的学生不只是记住方程式，而是会提出“你认为这个想法如何？你想如何改变世界？当你长大后你想成为什么样的人”等问题。
我们将赢得未来，但为了实现这一点，我们不能原地踏步。正如罗伯特•肯尼迪所说的那样“未来不是一个礼物，它是一个成就。”维持美国梦从来不是墨守成规。它需要每一代人作 出牺牲、斗争，满足新时代的要求。
现在轮到我们这一代人了。我们知道在我们的时代为工作和行业进行竞争需要什么。我们需要在创新、教育和建设方面超越其它国家。我们要使美国成为商业环境最好的国家。我们需要对我们的赤字负责任，对我们的政府进行改革。这就是我们的人民实现繁荣的方法。这就是我们如何赢得未来的方法。今晚，我想谈谈我们如何作到这些。
激励创新
赢得未来的首个步骤是鼓励美国人创新。
我们所有人都无法肯定地预言下一个主要行业将是什么行业或者新的就业岗位来自哪里。三十年前，我们不知道一个被称作互联网的东西会引发经济革命。我们所能做的是，争取在这些方面比其它国家的人做得更好，激发美国人民的创造性和想像力。我们是一个将车开到车道上、把计算机放在办公室的国家，是一个拥有爱迪生、莱特兄弟的国家，是一个拥有谷歌和Facebook的国家。在美国，创新不只改变我们的生活，更重要的是，这是我们赖以谋生的方法。
我们的自由企业制度驱动着创新，但是由于公司投资基础研究并不总是有利可图，在历史上，我们的政府向一流的科学家和发明家提供了他们所需要的支持。这些支持种下了互联网的种子，这些支持帮助制造出计算机芯片和全球定位仪这样的东西。
想想所有的好工作，从制造业到零售业都来自于这些突 破。
半个世纪之前，当苏联人发射一颗名为“伴侣号”的人造卫星从而在太空竞赛领域击败我们时，我们不知道我们如何在登月方面击败他们。那方面的科学当时还不存在，美国宇航局当时甚至都还未组建。但在更好的研究和教育方面投资后，我们不仅超过了苏联人，我们还推动了一系列的创新，这些创新创造了新的行业和数百万个新就业岗位。
这是我们那一代人创造的“伴侣号”走在世界前沿的时刻。我在两年前说过，我们需要将研发拓展到自太空竞赛高峰后再也没有出现过的新层次上。我将在未来几周内向国会提交一份预算案，它将帮助我们实现这一目标。我们将投资于生物医药研究、信息技术，尤其是清洁能源技术，这一投资将会强化我们的安全、保护我们的地球、为我们的人民创造无数新就业岗位。
我们已看到了可再生能源的潜力。罗伯特•阿伦和加里•阿伦是一对在密歇根州经营屋顶公司的兄弟。他们在“9•11”恐怖袭击事件后志愿派出他们最好的装修屋顶员工来帮助维修五角大楼，但是他们工厂的半个厂区没有开工，经济衰退重创了他们的工厂。今天，在政府贷款的帮助下，空闲的厂房被用于制造销往全球各地的太阳能电池板。用罗伯特的话说：“我们再造了自己。”
这就是美国人在过去两百多年里一直在做的事情，再造自我。为了推动更多像阿伦兄弟这样的成功故事，我们已开始再 造我们的能源政策。我们将不只提供款项，我们还将提供挑战。我们将告诉美国的科学家和工程师，如果他们组建他们领域最好的科学家小组，致力解决清洁能源最困难问题，我们将向我们时代的“阿波罗项目”提供资金支持。
在加州理工学院，科学家正在寻找一种将太阳光和水转换成汽车燃料的方法。在橡树岭国家实验室，科学家们正在通过超级计算机以使从我们的核设施获得更多能量。在进行更多的研究和激励措施后，我们可以用生物燃料来打破我们对石油的依赖，成为在2015年前首个拥有一百万电动汽车上路的国家。
我们需要找到创新背后的要素。为了向创新提供经费支持，我将请求国会取消向石油公司所提供的数十亿美元税款补贴。我不知道你是否注意到这一情况，但石油公司自身运营得很不错。所以，与其向昨天的能源业提供补贴，我们不如投资于未来的能源。
现在，清洁能源领域的技术突破只有在业界知道有销售市场的情况下才会转变成清洁能源业的工作岗位。所以，今晚，我想让你们和我一起来制订一个新目标：争取在2035年之前使美国85%的电力供应量来自清洁能源。一些人想要风力和太阳能，其它人想要核电、清洁煤炭和天然气。为了实现这一目标，我们将需要所有这些清洁能源。我呼吁民主党人和共和党人通过合作来实现这一目标。
发展教育
保持我们在研究和技术领域的领导地位对于美国的成功 至关重要。如果我们想拥抱未来，如果我们想让创新在美国而不是海外创造就业岗位，那么我们必须赢得教育我们孩子的竞赛。
思考一下吧，在未来十年，近半数新就业岗位将需要拥有高中以上的教育程度。虽然如此，美国仍有近四分之一的学生甚至未完成中学教育。我们教育和科学的教育质量落后于许多国家。美国年轻人拥有大学学位比例的排行已降至世界第九位。所以问题是，我们所有的人，作为公民，作为父母，是否愿意做那些必要的事情以便让每个孩子都有成功的机会？
这一责任不仅是在我们的教室内开始的，也是在我们的家庭和社区里开始的。是家庭首先培养了孩子爱好学习的习惯，只有父母在确保关掉电视的情况下，孩子的家庭作业才会完成。我们需要教育我们的孩子，不仅是超级碗比赛的获胜者值得庆祝，那些科学大赛的赢家也应当值得庆祝。成功不是名气或者公共关系所带来的，它是由辛劳的工作和自律造就的。
我们的学校也有责任。当一名儿童步入教室，它就应当是一个被寄以厚望和拥有很高教学能力的地方。但是太多的学校未能达到这一标准。这就是为什么我们没有向教育系统注入大笔资金原因，我们启动了一个名为“冲顶赛跑”的竞争。我们对所有50个州说：“如果你们能够向我们展示提高教师质量和学生成就的最具创新力的方案，我们将向你们提供款项。”
“冲顶赛跑”是我们公共学校在十年内所进行的最有意义的改革。它只使用了不到我们每年教育开支的1%的经费，但它 已使40个州提高了教学和学习标准。这些标准不是由华盛顿所决定的，它是由美国各个州的共和党和民主党州长们所决定的。“冲顶赛跑”应当成为我们今年所采取的方法。我们今年将用一个更为灵活、专注于用给我们的孩子带来最大益处的法律来取代《不让一个儿童落后法》。
你们应该知道，当改革不仅仅是从上到下的指示时，我们的孩子所能够取得的成绩有多大。改革措施将由当地的教师和校长、校董事会和社区来决定。
以丹佛的布鲁斯•兰多夫学校为例，它在三年前被评为是科罗拉多州最差的学校之一，它位于两个敌对黑帮争夺的地盘内。但在去年五月，该校97%的高三学生获得了毕业证，大多数人将是他们家庭中上大学的第一人。在学校实现转变后的第一年，一位学生的话使这一切成为现实的校长流下了眼泪。这个学生说： “感谢你，威特斯女士，感谢你向我们表明，我们是聪明的，我们能够成功。”
让我们也记住，除了父母之外，对一个孩子成功的最大影响来自于站在教室前的男女教师们。在韩国，教师们被称作“国家建造者”。在美国，现是我们该以同样程度的尊重对待那些教育我们孩子的人的时候了。我们应当奖励好教师，停止为糟糕的教师找借口。在未来十年，由于非常多的婴儿潮一代教师将退休，我们将需要准备10万名科学、技术、工程和数学学科教师。
事实上，对于今晚收听讲演的、正在考虑职业选择的年轻 人，如果你想让我们国家前途有所不同，如果你想让一个孩子的生命有所不同，成为一位教师吧。你的国家需要你。
当然，教育竞赛不会止步于高中毕业证。为了竞争，必须让每位美国人都有接受高等教育的机会。这就是我们为什么结束向银行提供没有充分根据的税款补贴，用节省下来的钱来使数百万学生能有能力上大学。我今年将请求国会采取进一步措施，使我们的学费税收抵免永久化，对一个人四年的大学来说，这笔钱相当于1万美元。
由于人们需要在今天快速变化的经济领域里接受新工作和职业的培训，我们也将重新使美国的社区学院恢复活力。我上个月看到了北卡罗来纳州福费斯社区技术学院的潜力，学院的许多学生曾在现在已搬离城镇的附近工厂就业。凯西•普罗克托是一位两个孩子的母亲，她18岁就开始在家具业工作。她告诉我，现年 55岁的她正在攻读生物技术学位，不只是因为家具业的工作没有了，而是因为她想鼓励她的孩子也追求他们的梦想。凯西说：“我希望这将能教会他们永不放弃。”如果我们采取这些措施，如果我们提高对每个孩子的期待值，给他们在教育方面最好的机遇，从他们出生至他们上一次的就业岗位，我们将实现我在两年前确定的目标：在这个十年结束的时候，美国将再度成为拥有大学生比例最高的国家。
非法移民问题
有关教育的最后一点。今天，我们的学校里有数百万学业优秀的非美国公民。一些人是非法工人的孩子，他们与他们父 母的行为没有任何关系。他们是以美国人的身份长大的，宣誓效忠美国，但却每天生活在将被驱逐的威胁之下。其它人来自海外，在我们的院校和大学里学习，但他们一旦获得学位，我们就把他们送回国和我们进行竞争。这没有道理。
现在，我强烈地认为，我们应当一下子解决非法移民的问题。我作好了与共和党人和民主党人合作以保护我们边境的准备，执行我们的法律，解决数百万生活在阴影之下的非法移民问题。我知道，这方面的辩论将是艰难的，将需要时间。但是今晚，让我们就开始作出努力达成共识。停止驱逐那些有才能、负责任的年轻人，他们可以在我们的实验室工作、创业、给美国带来新的财富。
重建基础设施
赢得未来的第三步是重建美国。为了吸引新的行业来到美国，我们需要运送人员、商品、信息最快捷、最可靠的方法，从高速铁路至高速互联网等基础设施。
我们的基础设施曾经是世界上最棒的，但现在我们的领先优势已经下滑。韩国家庭的互联网接入比例已超过了美国。欧洲国家和俄罗斯在公路和铁路的投资额超过了美国。中国正在建造更快的火车和新机场。与此同时，当我们自己的工程师给我们的基础设施打分时，他们给我们打了一个“D”。
我们必须做得更好，美国是一个建设了州际铁路、将电力输往乡村社区、建设了州际高速公路的国家。这些项目创造的工作不只来自于铺设铁轨或者路面，工作机会也来自在镇里新 建火车站或者新外匝道附近开设的行业。
在未来两年，我们已开始为21世纪进行重建。这个项目已为遭到沉重打击的建筑业带来了数千个好工作。今晚，我提议我们加倍这方面的努力
我们将让更多的美国人从事修理年久失修的道路和桥梁工作。我们将确保这方面的工作有充分的经费保证，吸引私人投资，根据项目对经济而不是对政治家的最佳益处来选择项目。
在未来二十五年内，我们的目标是使80%的美国人能够拥有高速铁路，这将使你乘高速铁路出行的时间比开车出行的时间减少一半。对于一些旅程来说，它将比乘飞机出行更快，而且没有严格的安检措施。在我们讲话之时，加州和中西部地区的高铁线路已在建设之中。
在未来五年内，我们将使业界向98%的美国人提供下一代高速无线网络连接成为可能。这并不只是更快的互联网和更少的漏接电话。这事关使美国的各个地区都进入数字化时代。这事关衣阿华州或者阿拉巴马州乡村社区的农民和小企业主能够向全世界出售他们的产品，这事关消防队员能够用手持装臵来下载着火建筑物的设计图。这事关一名学生可以用数字教科书进行上课或者一位病人能够与她的医生进行面对面的视频聊天。
所有这些投资，在创新、教育、基础设施方面的投资将为美国带来更好的商业环境并且创造就业。但是为了帮助我们的 公司竞争，我们还必须打破那些阻碍它们成功的障碍物。
税收调整
多年以来，众多的游说人士利用税法来为某些公司和行业谋利，那些在这一系统中就业的会计师或者律师最终什么税都不交，而所有其他人则要承受世界上最高的公司税率。这毫无道理，这需要改变。
所以，今晚，我请求民主党和共和党人简化税率，根除漏洞，实现公平竞争。用这些节省下来的钱来降低公司税率，这将是25年来的第一次，而且是在不增加我们赤字的情况下。
促进国际贸易增加就业
为了帮助商业界向海外出售更多的产品，我们确定了在2014年将出口额翻一倍的目标，因为我们出口的越多，在国内创造的就业岗位就会越多。我们的出口额已经开始上升。我们最近与印度和中国签署了协议，这些协议将为美国25万多个就业岗位提供支持。我们上个月与韩国完成了贸易协议的最后文本，它将支持至少7万个美国就业岗位。这一协议获得来自行业和劳工组织、民主党人和共和党人前所未有的支持。我请求国会尽早通过这一协议。
在我就职之前，我明确表示，我们将执行我们的贸易协议。我将只会签署那些对美国工人有信心、增加美国就业岗位的协议。我们与韩国签署协议时就是这样做的，我想在与巴拿马和哥伦比亚寻求签署类似协议时也会这样做，在继续与我们的亚太和全球贸易会谈时持同样立场。为了降低增长和投资的障碍，我已下令对政府规则进行重新评估。当我们发现那些给行业带来不必要负担的规则时，我们将会修改这些规则。但我将不会毫不迟疑地设立或者强制执行常识性的保护性规则，以保护美国人民。我们在过去一个多世纪一直是这样做的。这就是为什么我们的食物、水、空气是安全的。这就是我们为什么去年对信用卡公司隐藏资费和惩罚规定采取消费者保护措施，为了避免新的金融危机采取新规则的原因。这就是我们为什么最终通过改革法案以防止医保行业剥削病人的原因。
医疗改革
现在，我听说了有关你们中的一些人对新的医保法律有一些担心的传闻。所以让我来首先说，所有的事情都有改善的可能。如果你有使医疗护理更加高质量或者更便宜的想法，我很愿意与你合作。我们现在可以着手开始解决法案中给小企业带来不必要记帐负担的缺陷。
但我不愿意去做的事情是，重返保险公司以先决条件为由来否决一些人获得医疗保险的时代。我不愿意告诉来自得州的脑癌患者詹姆斯•霍华德，医保公司可能不会支付他的治疗费用。我不愿意告诉俄勒冈州的小企业主吉姆•豪斯，他还得多支付5000美元来使他的雇员获得医保。就在我们讲话时，这一法案正使给老年人所开的处方药更为便宜，使没有医疗保险的学生有继续享受他们父母医保的机会。所以，与其重开过去两年在这方面的斗争，不如让我们纠正需要纠正的地方，向前 走。
削减赤字
现在，赢得未来的最后一步最关键的一步是确保我们不会葬身于如山的债务之中。
几乎从10年前开始，赤字财政几乎就一直与我们形影相随。在金融危机爆发后，这在一定程度上对于保持银行流动性、保护就业以及增加人民收入来说是必要的。
但现在经济衰退的最糟时刻已经结束，我们必须直面政府财政入不敷出的现实。这是不可持续的。每天，美国的家庭在节衣缩食以保证营收平衡。他们的政府也应如此。
所以今天晚上，我建议从今年开始，冻结未来五年部分国内项目支出。这将使美国财政赤字在未来十年减少4000多亿美元，进而使政府可自由支配的开支所占经济的比例降低到艾森豪威尔总统时期以来的最低水平。
冻结需要进行痛苦的削减。我们已经冻结了未来两年辛劳工作的联邦雇员的工资水平。我也建议削减我一直非常关注的一些项目的支出，比如社区行动项目。国防部长也已同意削减他与他的将军们认为对我们军事影响不大的数百亿美元的军费支出。
我承认，在座各位中有些人已提出了进一步削减开支的提案，我愿意删除任何的确可节省的开支。不过，我们必须确保不加重最脆弱的民众的负担。而且，我们还要确保所削减开支属真正超重部分。通过减少对改革和教育的投资来实现赤字削 减，就相当于拆除发动机以实现超载飞机减重的目的。这样做或许可能让你一开始觉得飞得很高，但没过多久，你就会感受到冲击。
现在，我提出的大部分削减和节省提案只包括在国内支出中，而这种开支仅占我国预算的12%多一点。为了取得进一步进展，我们必须停止仅削减此类开支就已足够的臆测。这还不够。
去年我组建的两党联立财政委员会已经明确了这一点。我并不认同他们的全部提案，但他们的确取得了重大进步。他们的结论是，解决我国赤字问题的唯一办法是削减我们能够发现的所有过度消费，包括国内项目开支、国防开支、医疗开支等等。
这就意味着，进一步降低卫生保健开支，包括像医疗保险和医疗补贴我国长期赤字最大单一来源这样的项目。医疗保险改革将减缓这些开支的上升，这就是无党派经济学家认为废止卫生保健法会使我国赤字增加2500亿美元的部分原因。我很愿意看到其他降低开支的想法，包括去年共和党的一项提案：进行医疗事故改革，降低草率的医疗诉讼发生率。
为了构建坚实的基础，我们还应制定两党解决方案，强化后代社会保障。在这一点上，我们不应危及当前退休人员(最易受到伤害的人群)或残疾人，不应有损后代利益，不应使美国退休收入保障受制于充满不确定性的股市。
如果我们真的关心我们的赤字，我们就不能允许永久延长 有关2%最富裕美国人的减税法案。在削减学校资金或学生的奖学金之前，我们应该让那些百万富翁们放弃他们的减税优惠。
这不是惩罚他们所取得的成功。而是要促进美国的成功。实际上，在税收方面，我们能为所有美国人做的最好的事莫过于简化个人税码(individual tax code)。这将会是一项艰巨的工作，不过两党成员已经表示有意从事这项工作，而且我也准备加入他们。
所以，现在是时候采取行动了。现在是时候两党及国会两院在原则上做出让步，共同从事这项工作了。如果我们现在做出这一艰难决定，从而严加控制我们的赤字，那么我们便能够进行赢得未来所需的投资。
政府改革
更进一步的说，我们的政府不能负担得更多。我们应该给人民一个更强有力、更高效的政府。过去的政府无法赢得未来。
我们生活和工作在信息时代，但上一次政府大规模重组却还是在黑白电视机的时代。涉及出口的有12个机构。涉及住房政策的则至少有5个实体。我常举的一个例子是：大马哈鱼在淡水中时由内政部负责，而在咸水中时则由商业部负责。而我听说一旦被熏烤之后情况就更复杂。
现在，我们已经在过去的两年里，在利用技术以及消灭浪费方面实现了突飞猛进。退伍军人现在点一下鼠标，就能下载他们的电子病历。我们正在出售几英亩数年都未曾使用的联邦办公地点，而且我们将去除繁文缛节以便摆脱更多负担。不过，我们需要考虑更多。未来的几个月里，我的政府将会提出一项建议，以最有助于实现打造更具竞争力美国的目标的方法，合并、巩固并整顿联邦政府。我将会把这一建议提交给国会进行投票，我们将会推动这一建议的通过。
未来一年里，我们将继续努力重建人民对政府机构的信任。因为你们应当确切知道你们所缴的税花在哪里，花了多少，你们也将能够在第一时间登陆网站获得这些信息。因为你们应当知道自己选出的官员何时会见游说团体，我已要求国会按照白宫已经在做的将这些信息公布上网。而且因为美国人民应当知道，特殊利益不能穿插在小项目的立法中，国会中的两党议员应该知道这一点：如果呈现在我案头的法案中存在“特殊专款”(一般是指国会议员各自根据其选区或者集团需要，插入预算报告中的“相关项目专款”)，我将会予以否决。
一个具备公开和竞争力的21世纪政府。一个量入为出的政府。一个由新技术与理念驱动的经济体系。要在这个不断变化的新世界中取得成功，我们需改革、责任和创新。这还需要我们在外交事务中通过新方法接触世界。
所以，我们必须战胜敌人，无论他们在哪里，并建立跨越地区、种族和宗教界线的联盟。美国的道德榜样必需始终照耀着渴望自由、正义和尊严的所有人。因此我们已经开始了这项工作，所以今晚我们能够说美国领导阶层已经复兴，美国的地位已经恢复。
外交政策 看看伊拉克，我们近十万勇敢的男女士兵已经昂首挺胸撤离伊拉克，美国的战斗任务也已经结束。在那里，暴力现象已经开始下降，新政府已经组建。今年，我们的民众将与伊拉克人民建立持久伙伴关系，与此同时，我们从伊拉克撤军的工作也将结束。美国遵守了承诺，伊拉克战争即将结束。
当然，诚如我们所言，基地组织及其附属组织仍在计划攻击我们。感谢我们的情报和执法人员，我们正在挫败他们阴谋，保护我们的城市和天空。对于极端分子激发我们国内暴力行动的企图，我们正以社区力量、对法规的尊重，以及对美国穆斯林是我们美国大家庭一份子的坚定信仰，作出回应。
我们也同基地组织及其海外盟友展开了战斗。在阿富汗，我们的军队已经占据了塔利班的根据地，并且训练了阿富汗安全部队。我们的目标很明显：通过阻止塔利班再次压榨阿富汗人民，我们将会阻止基地组织获得充当9•11起点的避风港。
经过英雄部队及平民的奋战，只剩下少数阿富汗人仍处于塔利班这一叛乱组织的控制下。摆在前面的将会是激烈的战斗，而且阿富汗政府需要进行更好的管制。不过，我们正在增强阿富汗人民的力量，并与他们构建持久的伙伴关系。今年，我们将会同近50个国家一起，开始向由阿富汗主导的状态过渡。今年7月，我们将开始撤军。
在巴基斯坦，基地组织领导阶层承受着比2001年以来任何时候都要大的压力。他们的领导人及特务正逐渐远离战场，他们的避风港正在收缩。而且，我们已经从阿富汗边境向阿拉 伯半岛直至全世界发出了信息：我们不会怜悯、我们不会动摇、我们会打败你们。
美国领导人也在努力确保最厉害战争武器的安全。因为共和党和民主党通过了新《削减战略武器条约》，可部署的武器和发射器会更少。因为我们要重振世界，要在各大洲限制核材料，以免落入恐怖分子手中。
因为美国也在通过外交努力坚持要求伊朗履行其义务，所以伊朗政府现在面临着比以往更加严厉的制裁。在朝鲜半岛上，我们与盟国韩国站在一起，坚持朝鲜践行其放弃核武器的诺言。
这仅是我们重塑世界、维护世界和平和繁荣所作出努力的一部分。我们与欧洲同盟一道，在努力恢复北约的活力，增加从反恐到导弹防御等各方面的合作。我们已经重新设定了与俄罗斯的关系，强化亚洲同盟，并与印度等国家建立了新的伙伴关系。今年三月，我将访问巴西、智利和萨尔瓦多，打造美洲新的进步同盟。在全球，我们与那些负责任的国家一道，帮助农民生产更多的粮食，支持医治伤患的医生，并与败坏社会风气和掠夺人民财富的腐败行为作斗争。
最近的事件告诉我们，使我们与众不同的，不仅是我们的力量，也必然还有其后的目的。在我们的帮助下，南苏丹人民在经历了多年的战争后，最终能够投票选择自己的独立。他们在黎明前排起了数千人的长队，人民在大街上欢舞。一名在战争中失去了四名兄弟的男子在描述他身边的景象时这样说到： “这曾是我生命大多时间中的战场，现在我们希望自由”。
军人保障、军队同性恋问题
我们绝对不能忘记我们为之努力、为之奋斗、所有人都铭记心中的事情。我们必须永远记住，在这场斗争中负担最为沉重的美国人正是那些报效我们祖国的男男女女。
今晚，让我们共同重申，我们的国家会团结一致地支持我们的军队及其家人。让我们为他们服务，就像他们为我们服务那样，给予他们需要的装备、为他们提供应得的保健和福利、并在建设祖国的伟大任务中，为退伍军人提供支持。
我们的军人来自这个国家的每一个角落。他们是黑人、白人、拉丁裔、亚裔和印第安人。他们是基督教教徒、印度教教徒、犹太教教徒和穆斯林。的确，我们知道，其中有一些人是同性恋。从今年开始，美国人都不会因为他们的爱人而被禁止报效其所爱的国家。接下来，我呼吁所有大学校园向我们的军方征兵人员和后备军官训练队敞开大门。现在，是时候和过去的分裂斗争说再见了。我们应该作为一个民族向前迈进。
美国梦
我们不应该对摆在我们面前的工作心存任何幻想。改革学校、改变能源使用方式、减少赤字，这一切都并非易事，这需要时间。我们会围绕一切事情展开争论，这会使难度变得更高，成本、细节、每一个法律条文。
自然，一些国家没有这种问题。
尽管我们民主有时会出现争议、挫败及混乱，但我知道在 场的各位都不愿意与世界上其他任何国家的人做交换。
或许我们会存在政策分歧，但我们都坚信我国宪法所昭示的正义。或许我们拥有不同的观点，但我们都坚信同一个承诺：这是一个只要尝试就可能会成功的地方。又或许我们拥有不同的背景，但我们都坚信同一梦想：这是一个一切皆有可能的国家。
正是这个梦想让我今晚站在这里，站在大家面前。正是这个梦想让来自斯克兰顿的工人阶级成为了我后盾。也正是这个梦想让一个从父辈开始在辛辛那提的酒吧扫地的人，成为了这个世界上最强国家的众议院议长。
这个梦想(美国梦)驱使着艾伦兄弟为了一个新时代而彻底改造了他们的屋顶工程公司。这个梦想驱使着那些在佛塞斯技术社区学院求学的学生们学习新技术，为了未来努力奋斗。这个梦想也驱使一个名为布兰登•费舍尔的小企业主有了自己的故事。
布兰登在宾夕法尼亚州的柏林市开设了一家公司，专攻新型钻探技术。去年夏季的一天，他看到新闻，智利矿井中有33人被困，无人知道如何营救。但布兰登认为他的公司可以帮忙。他设计了一套营救方案，称为B计划。他的员工24小时工作，生产所需的钻探设备。然后布兰登前往智利。
他同其他人一起钻了一个2000英尺的洞，连续不眠不休工作了三四天。37天后，B计划成功，矿工获救。但布兰登不想引起注意，矿工升井后，他并没有在那里。他已经回家开始 致力于下一个项目了。
后来，他的一名员工提到了这次营救，“Center Rock是一家小公司，但我们做的却是大事情。”
我们做大事
自建国初期以来，美国便充满了由敢于追梦的普通人所谱写的故事。我们就是这样赢得了未来。
我们是一个会这样说话的民族：“我或许没有巨款，但是我有成立一家新公司的高见。我或许没有出生在一个拥有大学学历的家庭，但我将会成为这个家庭里第一个获得大学学历的人。我或许并不认识那些处于困境中的人们，但我认为我能够帮助他们，而且我需要试一试。”
虽然我不确定我们将如何超越地平线到达更好的地方，但我知道我们将会到达那里。我知道我们能够做到。
我们在成就伟业
美国人的思想活力仍在，我们的命运依旧掌握在我们手中。今晚，两个多世纪后，因为我们的人民，我们的未来变得充满希望，我们的旅程不断向前，我们的国家变得强大。
谢谢大家。愿上帝保佑你们，愿上帝保佑美利坚合众国。
第三篇：奥巴马国情咨文演讲语录
奥巴马国情咨文演讲语录
Text of President Barack Obama's first State of the Union speech[ 2010-01-28 11:42 ] 当地时间周三晚9时，美国总统奥巴马发表上任后的首次国情咨文演讲。他在讲话中宣布政府计划向银行收费，以弥补政府为救助金融机构及汽车业而蒙受的损失，补偿纳税人的利益。
奥巴马在发言中多次重复：“我不愿意救助银行”，随后宣布将向银行收费。以下是其演讲语录及全文： I hated it.You hated it.It was about as popular as a root canal.(Speaking of the bank bailout)“我痛恨它。你们也痛恨它。它就像牙根管一样普及。”（说到救助银行）
To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve some problems, not run for the hills.(Speaking to “naysayers”in Congress)在此，我想提醒民主党人，我们仍然拥有数十年来最大范围的多数支持，大家希望我们去解决问题，而不是仓皇落逃。（对议会反对派说）
Right now, I know there are many Americans who aren't sure if they still believe we can change or at least, that I can deliver on it.(Referring to his campaign promises)我知道现在很多美国人怀疑他们是否还可以相信我们能够改变，或者至少我是否还能履行诺言。（谈到竞选承诺）
By the time I'm finished speaking tonight, more Americans will have lost their health insurance.Millions will lose it this year.Our deficit will grow.Premiums will go up.Patients will be denied the care they need.Small business owners will continue to drop coverage altogether.I will not walk away from these Americans and neither should the people in this chamber.(Speaking of the health-care overhaul)到我结束今晚的讲话之时，更多的美国人正在失去医保，病人得不到应有的治疗，小企业主继续放弃为员工提供医保，我不会不管这些没有医保的美国人，在座的各位也不应该如此。（谈到医疗改革）Jobs must be our number one focus in 2010.People are out of work.They are hurting.They need our help.And I want a jobs bill on my desk without delay.(Referring to his top priority to stabilize the economy)就业将成为2010年我们工作的重中之重。人们正在失去工作，经受痛苦。他们需要我们的帮助，我希望尽快在我的办公桌上看到一个刺激就业的计划。（谈到稳定经济的首要任务）
Let's seize this moment — to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our union once more.让我们抓住这个时刻——重新开始，追逐梦想，重振美国。
If we do not take meaningful steps to rein in our debt, it could damage our markets, increase the cost of borrowing and jeopardize our recovery.(Referring to fears about the US trade balance and the national debt)如果我们不采取有效措施控制债务，势必危及市场、增加借贷成本、影响经济复苏。（谈及对美国贸易平衡和国债的担心）
Madame Speaker, Vice President Biden, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:
Our Constitution declares that from time to time, the president shall give to Congress information about the state of our union.For 220 years, our leaders have fulfilled this duty.They have done so during periods of prosperity and tranquility.And they have done so in the midst of war and depression;at moments of great strife and great struggle.It's tempting to look back on these moments and assume that our progress was inevitable, that America was always destined to succeed.But when the Union was turned back at Bull Run and the Allies first landed at Omaha Beach, victory was very much in doubt.When the market crashed on Black Tuesday and civil rights marchers were beaten on Bloody Sunday, the future was anything but certain.These were times that tested the courage of our convictions and the strength of our union.And despite all our divisions and disagreements, our hesitations and our fears, America prevailed because we chose to move forward as one nation and one people.Again, we are tested.And again, we must answer history's call.One year ago, I took office amid two wars, an economy rocked by severe recession, a financial system on the verge of collapse and a government deeply in debt.Experts from across the political spectrum warned that if we did not act, we might face a second depression.So we acted immediately and aggressively.And one year later, the worst of the storm has passed.But the devastation remains.One in 10 Americans still cannot find work.Many businesses have shuttered.Home values have declined.Small towns and rural communities have been hit especially hard.For those who had already known poverty, life has become that much harder.This recession has also compounded the burdens that America's families have been dealing with for decades — the burden of working harder and longer for less, of being unable to save enough to retire or help kids with college.So I know the anxieties that are out there right now.They're not new.These struggles are the reason I ran for president.These struggles are what I've witnessed for years in places like Elkhart, Ind., and Galesburg, Ill.I hear about them in the letters that I read each night.The toughest to read are those written by children asking why they have to move from their home, or when their mom or dad will be able to go back to work.For these Americans and so many others, change has not come fast enough.Some are frustrated;some are angry.They don't understand why it seems like bad behavior on Wall Street is rewarded but hard work on Main Street isn't, or why Washington has been unable or unwilling to solve any of our problems.They are tired of the partisanship and the shouting and the pettiness.They know we can't afford it.Not now.So we face big and difficult challenges.And what the American people hope what they deserve is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences, to overcome the numbing weight of our politics.For while the people who sent us here have different backgrounds, different stories and different beliefs, the anxieties they face are the same.The aspirations they hold are shared: a job that pays the bills, a chance to get ahead.Most of all, the ability to give their children a better life.You know what else they share? They share a stubborn resilience in the face of adversity.After one of the most difficult years in our history, they remain busy building cars and teaching kids, starting businesses and going back to school.They're coaching Little League and helping their neighbors.As one woman wrote me, “We are strained but hopeful, struggling but encouraged.” It is because of this spirit, this great decency and great strength that I have never been more hopeful about America's future than I am tonight.Despite our hardships, our union is strong.We do not give up.We do not quit.We do not allow fear or division to break our spirit.In this new decade, it's time the American people get a government that matches their decency, that embodies their strength.And tonight, I'd like to talk about how together, we can deliver on that promise.It begins with our economy.Our most urgent task upon taking office was to shore up the same banks that helped cause this crisis.It was not easy to do.And if there's one thing that has unified Democrats and Republicans, it's that we all hated the bank bailout.I hated it.You hated it.It was about as popular as a root canal.But when I ran for president, I promised I wouldn't just do what was popular — I would do what was necessary.And if we had allowed the meltdown of the financial system, unemployment might be double what it is today.More businesses would certainly have closed.More homes would have surely been lost.So I supported the last administration's efforts to create the financial rescue program.And when we took the program over, we made it more transparent and accountable.As a result, the markets are now stabilized, and we have recovered most of the money we spent on the banks.To recover the rest, I have proposed a fee on the biggest banks.I know Wall Street isn't keen on this idea, but if these firms can afford to hand out big bonuses again, they can afford a modest fee to pay back the taxpayers who rescued them in their time of need.As we stabilized the financial system, we also took steps to get our economy growing again, save as many jobs as possible and help Americans who had become unemployed.That's why we extended or increased unemployment benefits for more than 18 million Americans, made health insurance 65 percent cheaper for families who get their coverage through COBRA and passed 25 different tax cuts.Let me repeat: we cut taxes.We cut taxes for 95 percent of working families.We cut taxes for small businesses.We cut taxes for first-time homebuyers.We cut taxes for parents trying to care for their children.We cut taxes for 8 million Americans paying for college.As a result, millions of Americans had more to spend on gas, and food and other necessities, all of which helped businesses keep more workers.And we haven't raised income taxes by a single dime on a single person.Not a single dime.Because of the steps we took, there are about 2 million Americans working right now who would otherwise be unemployed — 200,000 work in construction and clean energy, 300,000 are teachers and other education workers, tens of thousands are cops, firefighters, correctional officers and first responders.And we are on track to add another one-and-a-half-million jobs to this total by the end of the year.The plan that has made all of this possible, from the tax cuts to the jobs, is the Recovery Act.That's right — the Recovery Act, also known as the stimulus bill.Economists on the left and the right say that this bill has helped saved jobs and avert disaster.But you don't have to take their word for it.Talk to the small business in Phoenix that will triple its work force because of the Recovery Act.Talk to the window manufacturer in Philadelphia who said he used to be skeptical about the Recovery Act, until he had to add two more work shifts just because of the business it created.Talk to the single teacher raising two kids who was told by her principal in the last week of school that because of the Recovery Act, she wouldn't be laid off after all.There are stories like this all across America.And after two years of recession, the economy is growing again.Retirement funds have started to gain back some of their value.Businesses are beginning to invest again, and slowly some are starting to hire again.But I realize that for every success story, there are other stories, of men and women who wake up with the anguish of not knowing where their next paycheck will come from — who send out resumes week after week and hear nothing in response.That is why jobs must be our number one focus in 2010, and that is why I am calling for a new jobs bill tonight.Now, the true engine of job creation in this country will always be America's businesses.But government can create the conditions necessary for businesses to expand and hire more workers.We should start where most new jobs do — in small businesses, companies that begin when an entrepreneur takes a chance on a dream or a worker decides it's time she became her own boss.Through sheer grit and determination, these companies have weathered the recession and are ready to grow.But when you talk to small business owners in places like Allentown, Pa., or Elyria, Ohio, you find out that even though banks on Wall Street are lending again, they are mostly lending to bigger companies.But financing remains difficult for small business owners across the country.So tonight, I'm proposing that we take $30 billion of the money Wall Street banks have repaid and use it to help community banks give small businesses the credit they need to stay afloat.I am also proposing a new small business tax credit — one that will go to over 1 million small businesses who hire new workers or raise wages.While we're at it, let's also eliminate all capital gains taxes on small business investment and provide a tax incentive for all businesses, large and small, to invest in new plants and equipment.Next, we can put Americans to work today building the infrastructure of tomorrow.From the first railroads to the interstate highway system, our nation has always been built to compete.There's no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains or the new factories that manufacture clean energy products.Tomorrow, I'll visit Tampa, Fla., where workers will soon break ground on a new high-speed railroad funded by the Recovery Act.There are projects like that all across this country that will create jobs and help our nation move goods, services and information.We should put more Americans to work building clean energy facilities and give rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy efficient, which supports clean energy jobs.And to encourage these and other businesses to stay within our borders, it's time to finally slash the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas and give those tax breaks to companies that create jobs in the United States of America.The House has passed a jobs bill that includes some of these steps.As the first order of business this year, I urge the Senate to do the same.People are out of work.They are hurting.They need our help.And I want a jobs bill on my desk without delay.But the truth is, these steps still won't make up for the 7 million jobs we've lost over the last two years.The only way to move to full employment is to lay a new foundation for long-term economic growth and finally address the problems that America's families have confronted for years.We cannot afford another so-called economic expansion like the one from last decade — what some call the lost decade — where jobs grew more slowly than during any prior expansion, where the income of the average American household declined while the cost of health care and tuition reached record highs, where prosperity was built on a housing bubble and financial speculation.From the day I took office, I have been told that addressing our larger challenges is too ambitious — that such efforts would be too contentious, that our political system is too gridlocked and that we should just put things on hold for awhile.For those who make these claims, I have one simple question: How long should we wait? How long should America put its future on hold? You see, Washington has been telling us to wait for decades, even as the problems have grown worse.Meanwhile, China's not waiting to revamp its economy;Germany's not waiting;India's not waiting.These nations aren't standing still.These nations aren't playing for second place.They're putting more emphasis on math and science.They're rebuilding their infrastructure.They are making serious investments in clean energy because they want those jobs.Well I do not accept second place for the United States of America.As hard as it may be, as uncomfortable and contentious as the debates may be, it's time to get serious about fixing the problems that are hampering our growth.One place to start is serious financial reform.Look, I am not interested in punishing banks, I'm interested in protecting our economy.A strong, healthy financial market makes it possible for businesses to access credit and create new jobs.It channels the savings of families into investments that raise incomes.But that can only happen if we guard against the same recklessness that nearly brought down our entire economy.We need to make sure consumers and middle class families have the information they need to make financial decisions.We can't allow financial institutions, including those that take your deposits, to take risks that threaten the whole economy.The House has already passed financial reform with many of these changes.And the lobbyists are already trying to kill it.Well, we cannot let them win this fight.And if the bill that ends up on my desk does not meet the test of real reform, I will send it back.Next, we need to encourage American innovation.Last year, we made the largest investment in basic research funding in history — an investment that could lead to the world's cheapest solar cells or treatment that kills cancer cells but leaves healthy ones untouched.And no area is more ripe for such innovation than energy.You can see the results of last year's investment in clean energy — in the North Carolina company that will create 1,200 jobs nationwide helping to make advanced batteries, or in the California business that will put 1,000 people to work making solar panels.But to create more of these clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives.That means building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country.It means making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development.It means continued investment in advanced biofuels and clean coal technologies.And yes, it means passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill with incentives that will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America.I am grateful to the House for passing such a bill last year.This year, I am eager to help advance the bipartisan effort in the Senate.I know there have been questions about whether we can afford such changes in a tough economy, and I know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change.But even if you doubt the evidence, providing incentives for energy efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future — because the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy.And America must be that nation.Third, we need to export more of our goods.Because the more products we make and sell to other countries, the more jobs we support right here in America.So tonight, we set a new goal: We will double our exports over the next five years, an increase that will support 2 million jobs in America.To help meet this goal, we're launching a national export initiative that will help farmers and small businesses increase their exports and reform export controls consistent with national security.We have to seek new markets aggressively, just as our competitors are.If America sits on the sidelines while other nations sign trade deals, we will lose the chance to create jobs on our shores.But realizing those benefits also means enforcing those agreements so our trading partners play by the rules.And that's why we will continue to shape a Doha trade agreement that opens global markets, and why we will strengthen our trade relations in Asia and with key partners like South Korea, Panama and Colombia.Fourth, we need to invest in the skills and education of our people.This year, we have broken through the stalemate between left and right by launching a national competition to improve our schools.The idea here is simple: Instead of rewarding failure, we only reward success.Instead of funding the status quo, we only invest in reform — reform that raises student achievement, inspires students to excel in math and science, and turns around failing schools that steal the future of too many young Americans, from rural communities to inner cities.In the 21st century, one of the best anti-poverty programs is a world-class education.In this country, the success of our children cannot depend more on where they live than their potential.When we renew the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, we will work with Congress to expand these reforms to all 50 states.Still, in this economy, a high school diploma no longer guarantees a good job.I urge the Senate to follow the House and pass a bill that will revitalize our community colleges, which are a career pathway to the children of so many working families.To make college more affordable, this bill will finally end the unwarranted taxpayer subsidies that go to banks for student loans.Instead, let's take that money and give families a $10,000 tax credit for four years of college and increase Pell Grants.And let's tell another 1 million students that when they graduate, they will be required to pay only 10 percent of their income on student loans, and all of their debt will be forgiven after 20 years — and forgiven after 10 years if they choose a career in public service.Because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they chose to go to college.And it's time for colleges and universities to get serious about cutting their own costs — because they too have a responsibility to help solve this problem.Now, the price of college tuition is just one of the burdens facing the middle class.That's why last year I asked Vice President Biden to chair a task force on middle class families.That's why we're nearly doubling the child care tax credit, and making it easier to save for retirement by giving every worker access to a retirement account and expanding the tax credit for those who start a nest egg.That's why we're working to lift the value of a family's single largest investment — their home.The steps we took last year to shore up the housing market have allowed millions of Americans to take out new loans and save an average of $1,500 on mortgage payments.This year, we will step up refinancing so that homeowners can move into more affordable mortgages.And it is precisely to relieve the burden on middle-class families that we still need health insurance reform.Now let's be clear — I did not choose to tackle this issue to get some legislative victory under my belt.And by now it should be fairly obvious that I didn't take on health care because it was good politics.I took on health care because of the stories I've heard from Americans with pre-existing conditions whose lives depend on getting coverage, patients who've been denied coverage and families — even those with insurance — who are just one illness away from financial ruin.After nearly a century of trying, we are closer than ever to bringing more security to the lives of so many Americans.The approach we've taken would protect every American from the worst practices of the insurance industry.It would give small businesses and uninsured Americans a chance to choose an affordable health care plan in a competitive market.It would require every insurance plan to cover preventive care.And by the way, I want to acknowledge our first lady, Michelle Obama, who this year is creating a national movement to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity and make our kids healthier.Our approach would preserve the right of Americans who have insurance to keep their doctor and their plan.It would reduce costs and premiums for millions of families and businesses.And according to the Congressional Budget Office — the independent organization that both parties have cited as the official scorekeeper for Congress — our approach would bring down the deficit by as much as $1 trillion over the next two decades.Still, this is a complex issue, and the longer it was debated, the more skeptical people became.I take my share of the blame for not explaining it more clearly to the American people.And I know that with all the lobbying and horse trading, this process left most Americans wondering what's in it for them.But I also know this problem is not going away.By the time I'm finished speaking tonight, more Americans will have lost their health insurance.Millions will lose it this year.Our deficit will grow.Premiums will go up.Patients will be denied the care they need.Small business owners will continue to drop coverage altogether.I will not walk away from these Americans and neither should the people in this chamber.As temperatures cool, I want everyone to take another look at the plan we've proposed.There's a reason why many doctors, nurses and health care experts who know our system best consider this approach a vast improvement over the status quo.But if anyone from either party has a better approach that will bring down premiums, bring down the deficit, cover the uninsured, strengthen Medicare for seniors and stop insurance company abuses, let me know.Here's what I ask of Congress, though: Do not walk away from reform.Not now.Not when we are so close.Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people.Now, even as health care reform would reduce our deficit, it's not enough to dig us out of a massive fiscal hole in which we find ourselves.It's a challenge that makes all others that much harder to solve, and one that's been subject to a lot of political posturing.So let me start the discussion of government spending by setting the record straight.At the beginning of the last decade, America had a budget surplus of over $200 billion.By the time I took office, we had a one year deficit of over $1 trillion and projected deficits of $8 trillion over the next decade.Most of this was the result of not paying for two wars, two tax cuts and an expensive prescription drug program.On top of that, the effects of the recession put a $3 trillion hole in our budget.That was before I walked in the door.Now if we had taken office in ordinary times, I would have liked nothing more than to start bringing down the deficit.But we took office amid a crisis, and our efforts to prevent a second depression have added another $1 trillion to our national debt.I am absolutely convinced that was the right thing to do.But families across the country are tightening their belts and making tough decisions.The federal government should do the same.So tonight, I'm proposing specific steps to pay for the $1 trillion that it took to rescue the economy last year Starting in 2011, we are prepared to freeze government spending for three years.Spending related to our national security, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will not be affected.But all other discretionary government programs will.Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don't.And if I have to enforce this discipline by veto, I will.We will continue to go through the budget line by line to eliminate programs that we can't afford and don't work.We've already identified $20 billion in savings for next year.To help working families, we will extend our middle-class tax cuts.But at a time of record deficits, we will not continue tax cuts for oil companies, investment fund managers and those making over $250,000 a year.We just can't afford it.Now, even after paying for what we spent on my watch, we will still face the massive deficit we had when I took office.More importantly, the cost of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will continue to skyrocket.That's why I've called for a bipartisan fiscal commission, modeled on a proposal by Republican Judd Gregg and Democrat Kent Conrad.This can't be one of those Washington gimmicks that lets us pretend we solved a problem.The commission will have to provide a specific set of solutions by a certain deadline.Yesterday, the Senate blocked a bill that would have created this commission.So I will issue an executive order that will allow us to go forward, because I refuse to pass this problem on to another generation of Americans.And when the vote comes tomorrow, the Senate should restore the pay-as-you-go law that was a big reason why we had record surpluses in the 1990s.I know that some in my own party will argue that we cannot address the deficit or freeze government spending when so many are still hurting.I agree, which is why this freeze will not take effect until next year, when the economy is stronger.But understand — if we do not take meaningful steps to rein in our debt, it could damage our markets, increase the cost of borrowing and jeopardize our recovery — all of which could have an even worse effect on our job growth and family incomes.From some on the right, I expect we'll hear a different argument — that if we just make fewer investments in our people, extend tax cuts for wealthier Americans, eliminate more regulations and maintain the status quo on health care, our deficits will go away.The problem is, that's what we did for eight years.That's what helped lead us into this crisis.It's what helped lead to these deficits.And we cannot do it again.Rather than fight the same tired battles that have dominated Washington for decades, it's time to try something new.Let's invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt.Let's meet our responsibility to the citizens who sent us here.Let's try common sense.To do that, we have to recognize that we face more than a deficit of dollars right now.We face a deficit of trust — deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years.To close that credibility gap we must take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to end the outsized influence of lobbyists;to do our work openly and to give our people the government they deserve.That's what I came to Washington to do.That's why — for the first time in history — my administration posts our White House visitors online.And that's why we've excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs or seats on federal boards and commissions.But we can't stop there.It's time to require lobbyists to disclose each contact they make on behalf of a client with my administration or Congress.And it's time to put strict limits on the contributions that lobbyists give to candidates for federal office.Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our elections.Well, I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities.They should be decided by the American people, and that's why I'm urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong.I'm also calling on Congress to continue down the path of earmark reform.You have trimmed some of this spending and embraced some meaningful change.But restoring the public trust demands more.For example, some members of Congress post some earmark requests online.Tonight, I'm calling on Congress to publish all earmark requests on a single Web site before there's a vote, so that the American people can see how their money is being spent.Of course, none of these reforms will even happen if we don't also reform how we work with one another.Now, I am not naive.I never thought the mere fact of my election would usher in peace, harmony and some post-partisan era.I knew that both parties have fed divisions that are deeply entrenched.And on some issues, there are simply philosophical differences that will always cause us to part ways.These disagreements, about the role of government in our lives, about our national priorities and our national security, have been taking place for over 200 years.They are the very essence of our democracy.But what frustrates the American people is a Washington where every day is election day.We cannot wage a perpetual campaign where the only goal is to see who can get the most embarrassing headlines about their opponent — a belief that if you lose, I win.Neither party should delay or obstruct every single bill just because they can.The confirmation of well-qualified public servants should not be held hostage to the pet projects or grudges of a few individual senators.Washington may think that saying anything about the other side, no matter how false, is just part of the game.But it is precisely such politics that has stopped either party from helping the American people.Worse yet, it is sowing further division among our citizens and further distrust in our government.So no, I will not give up on changing the tone of our politics.I know it's an election year.And after last week, it is clear that campaign fever has come even earlier than usual.But we still need to govern.To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve some problems, not run for the hills.And if the Republican leadership is going to insist that 60 votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town, then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well.Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it's not leadership.We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions.So let's show the American people that we can do it together.This week, I'll be addressing a meeting of the House Republicans.And I would like to begin monthly meetings with both the Democratic and Republican leadership.I know you can't wait.Throughout our history, no issue has united this country more than our security.Sadly, some of the unity we felt after 9/11 has dissipated.We can argue all we want about who's to blame for this, but I am not interested in relitigating the past.I know that all of us love this country.All of us are committed to its defense.So let's put aside the schoolyard taunts about who is tough.Let's reject the false choice between protecting our people and upholding our values.Let's leave behind the fear and division and do what it takes to defend our nation and forge a more hopeful future — for America and the world.That is the work we began last year.Since the day I took office, we have renewed our focus on the terrorists who threaten our nation.We have made substantial investments in our homeland security and disrupted plots that threatened to take American lives.We are filling unacceptable gaps revealed by the failed Christmas attack, with better airline security and swifter action on our intelligence.We have prohibited torture and strengthened partnerships from the Pacific to South Asia to the Arabian Peninsula.And in the last year, hundreds of al-Qaida's fighters and affiliates, including many senior leaders, have been captured or killed — far more than in 2008.In Afghanistan, we are increasing our troops and training Afghan Security Forces so they can begin to take the lead in July of 2011 and our troops can begin to come home.We will reward good governance, reduce corruption and support the rights of all Afghans — men and women alike.We are joined by allies and partners who have increased their own commitment, and who will come together tomorrow in London to reaffirm our common purpose.There will be difficult days ahead.But I am confident we will succeed.As we take the fight to al-Qaida, we are responsibly leaving Iraq to its people.As a candidate, I promised that I would end this war, and that is what I am doing as president.We will have all of our combat troops out of Iraq by the end of this August.We will support the Iraqi government as they hold elections, and continue to partner with the Iraqi people to promote regional peace and prosperity.But make no mistake: This war is ending, and all of our troops are coming home.Tonight, all of our men and women in uniform — in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world — must know that they have our respect, our gratitude and our full support.And just as they must have the resources they need in war, we all have a responsibility to support them when they come home.That is why we made the largest increase in investments for veterans in decades.That is why we are building a 21st century VA.And that is why Michelle has joined with Jill Biden to forge a national commitment to support military families.Even as we prosecute two wars, we are also confronting perhaps the greatest danger to the American people — the threat of nuclear weapons.I have embraced the vision of John F.Kennedy and Ronald Reagan through a strategy that reverses the spread of these weapons and seeks a world without them.To reduce our stockpiles and launchers, while ensuring our deterrent, the United States and Russia are completing negotiations on the farthest-reaching arms control treaty in nearly two decades.And at April's nuclear security summit, we will bring 44 nations together behind a clear goal: securing all vulnerable nuclear materials around the world in four years, so that they never fall into the hands of terrorists.These diplomatic efforts have also strengthened our hand in dealing with those nations that insist on violating international agreements in pursuit of these weapons.That is why North Korea now faces increased isolation and stronger sanctions — sanctions that are being vigorously enforced.That is why the international community is more united, and the Islamic Republic of Iran is more isolated.And as Iran's leaders continue to ignore their obligations, there should be no doubt: They, too, will face growing consequences.That is the leadership that we are providing — engagement that advances the common security and prosperity of all people.We are working through the G-20 to sustain a lasting global recovery.We are working with Muslim communities around the world to promote science, education and innovation.We have gone from a bystander to a leader in the fight against climate change.We are helping developing countries to feed themselves and continuing the fight against HIV/AIDS.And we are launching a new initiative that will give us the capacity to respond faster and more effectively to bioterrorism or an infectious disease — a plan that will counter threats at home and strengthen public health abroad.As we have for over 60 years, America takes these actions because our destiny is connected to those beyond our shores.But we also do it because it is right.That is why, as we meet here tonight, over 10,000 Americans are working with many nations to help the people of Haiti recover and rebuild.That is why we stand with the girl who yearns to go to school in Afghanistan, we support the human rights of the women marching through the streets of Iran, and we advocate for the young man denied a job by corruption in Guinea.For America must always stand on the side of freedom and human dignity.Abroad, America's greatest source of strength has always been our ideals.The same is true at home.We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: the notion that we are all created equal, that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law you should be protected by it, that if you adhere to our common values you should be treated no different than anyone else.We must continually renew this promise.My administration has a civil rights division that is once again prosecuting civil rights violations and employment discrimination.We finally strengthened our laws to protect against crimes driven by hate.This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.We are going to crack down on violations of equal pay laws — so that women get equal pay for an equal day's work.And we should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system — to secure our borders, enforce our laws and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nations.In the end, it is our ideals, our values, that built America — values that allowed us to forge a nation made up of immigrants from every corner of the globe, values that drive our citizens still.Every day, Americans meet their responsibilities to their families and their employers.Time and again, they lend a hand to their neighbors and give back to their country.They take pride in their labor, and are generous in spirit.These aren't Republican values or Democratic values they're living by, business values or labor values.They are American values.Unfortunately, too many of our citizens have lost faith that our biggest institutions — our corporations, our media and, yes, our government — still reflect these same values.Each of these institutions are full of honorable men and women doing important work that helps our country prosper.But each time a CEO rewards himself for failure, or a banker puts the rest of us at risk for his own selfish gain, people's doubts grow.Each time lobbyists game the system or politicians tear each other down instead of lifting this country up, we lose faith.The more that TV pundits reduce serious debates into silly arguments and big issues into sound bites, our citizens turn away.No wonder there's so much cynicism out there.No wonder there's so much disappointment.I campaigned on the promise of change — change we can believe in, the slogan went.And right now, I know there are many Americans who aren't sure if they still believe we can change — or at least, that I can deliver it.But remember this — I never suggested that change would be easy or that I can do it alone.Democracy in a nation of 300 million people can be noisy and messy and complicated.And when you try to do big things and make big changes, it stirs passions and controversy.That's just how it is.Those of us in public office can respond to this reality by playing it safe and avoid telling hard truths.We can do what's necessary to keep our poll numbers high and get through the next election instead of doing what's best for the next generation.But I also know this: If people had made that decision 50 years ago or 100 years ago or 200 years ago, we wouldn't be here tonight.The only reason we are is because generations of Americans were unafraid to do what was hard, to do what was needed even when success was uncertain, to do what it took to keep the dream of this nation alive for their children and grandchildren.Our administration has had some political setbacks this year and some of them were deserved.But I wake up every day knowing that they are nothing compared to the setbacks that families all across this country have faced this year.And what keeps me going — what keeps me fighting — is that despite all these setbacks, that spirit of determination and optimism — that fundamental decency that has always been at the core of the American people — lives on.It lives on in the struggling small business owner who wrote to me of his company, “None of us,” he said, “are willing to consider, even slightly, that we might fail.” It lives on in the woman who said that even though she and her neighbors have felt the pain of recession, “We are strong.We are resilient.We are American.” It lives on in the 8-year-old boy in Louisiana, who just sent me his allowance and asked if I would give it to the people of Haiti.And it lives on in all the Americans who've dropped everything to go some place they've never been and pull people they've never known from rubble, prompting chants of “USA!USA!USA!” when another life was saved.The spirit that has sustained this nation for more than two centuries lives on in you, its people.We have finished a difficult year.We have come through a difficult decade.But a new year has come.A new decade stretches before us.We don't quit.I don't quit.Let's seize this moment — to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our union once more.Thank you.God Bless You.And God Bless the United States of America.
第四篇：奥巴马发表2011年国情咨文演讲
奥巴马发表2011年国情咨文演讲(全文)http://www.xiexiebang.com 2011年01月26日 16:03 中国日报网站
华盛顿当地时间1月25日晚(北京时间1月26日上午)，美国总统奥巴马在国会发表2011年国情咨文。奥巴马在演讲中表示，解决短期的就业和长期的美国竞争力问题将成为未来政府工作的重点。另外，奥巴马还讲到了医改、外交政策、军事、政府机制改革等未来政府的工作内容。以下是演讲全文内容：
今晚我想首先向美国第112届国会的男女议员、你们的新议长约翰·贝纳表示祝贺。在我们庆祝这一时刻时，我们仍然很清楚一位国会议员的座位是空着的，让我们为我们的同事、我们的朋友加布里埃尔·吉福兹的健康祈祷。
呼吁两党合作
我们这些今晚出席这一活动的人在过去两年曾存在分歧，这不是秘密。辩论是非常激烈的，我们为我们各自的观点进行了激烈的斗争。这是一件好事，这是强有力的民主所要求的。这种争论帮助美国成为区别于其它国家的民主国家。
但图森市的悲剧给了我们一个停止争论的理由。我们进行的公共辩论引发了噪音、情绪、怨恨。图森的悲剧提醒我们，不管我们是谁、来自何方，我们中的每一个人都是一个更伟大事务的一部分，它比政党或者政治倾向更具必然性。
我们是美国大家庭的组成部分。我们相信，在这个各种种族、信仰、观点并存的国家，我们仍是一个团结在一起的民族。我们拥有共同的希望和信条，图森小女孩的梦想与我们自己孩子的梦想没有什么大的差别，这些梦想都应获得实现的机会。
这也是使我们作为一个国家产生分歧的原因。
现在，简单地认识到这一点本身将不会开启一个合作的新时代。这一时刻所能产生的成果取决于我们。这一时刻所产生的成果将不会由我们是否今晚坐在一起而决定，它将被我们明天是否合作所决定。
我认为我们能够实现合作。我认为我们必须这样。这是那些把我们送到这里的人们所期望的。他们通过他们的选票决定，执政将是两党共同的责任。新的法案只有在获得民主党和共和党议员的支持下才能通过。在面对比党派或者政治更大的挑战面前，我们将一起前行，或者原地不动。
现在的利害不是谁将赢得下次选举，毕竟，我们刚刚举行完一次选举。现在的利害是新的就业机会和新的行业是否会在美国生根或者在其它地方。这事关我们人民的辛劳工作和行业是否能得到回报。这事关我们是否能继续保持领导能力，这种领导能力使美国不只局限于地图上的某一个地方，美国因为这种领导能力而成为世界的灯光。
我们作好了前进的准备。在我们大多数人经历最为糟糕的经济衰退两年后，股市已再次大幅上升。公司赢利在增加。经济在再次增长。
但我们从不只以这些标准来衡量进展。我们以我们人民的成功来评估进展，通过他们所能找到的工作和这些工作所提供的生活质量，通过小企业主把好点子的梦想转变成兴旺发达的企业的前景，通过我们给我们孩子更好生活的机遇。
这是一个美国人民想让我们从事的事业，美国人民想让我们共同致力于这项事业。
我们去年12月作了这方面的工作。由于我们通过的减税法案，美国人今天收到的支票金额要比过去多。所有的企业都可以把它今年所作投资的全部开支注销。这些由民主党人和共和党人合作采取的措施将使经济增长，增加就业岗位，私人行业去年已创造的1百多万个就业岗位。
但我们有更多的工作要做。我们在过去两年所采取的措施可能已克服了经济衰退的主要困难，但是为了赢得未来，我们必须直面应对那些在过去数十年来一直积累起来的挑战。
许多收看这一讲演的人可能还记得那个找到好工作意味着在附近工厂或者市中心商业区就业的时候。你并不总是需要获得一个学位，你的竞争基本只限于你的邻居。如果你努力工作，你可能会终身拥有这个职位，这个工作会给你带来体面的收入、好的福利，有时还会获得升职。你可能还会拥有看到你的孩子在同一公司工作的自豪感。
世界已发生了变革。对于许多人来说，变革是痛苦的。在曾经一度业务繁忙工厂面临关闭时，我透过百叶窗看到了这种痛苦；在一度繁忙的商业街道空空如也的店门前，我看到了这种痛苦；在那些看到收入不断缩水或者失业美国人的绝望言论中，我听到了这种痛苦。这就好像，在比赛进行到一半时，表现出色而又颇感自豪的运动员发现规则突然改变了。
他们是正确的，规则发生了变化。仅仅用了一代人的时间，技术革命已改变了我们的工作、生活和做生意的方式。一度需要1000名工人的钢铁厂现在用100名工人就可以完成同样的工作。今天，任何一家公司都可以设立商店、雇佣员工、把产品销售给有互联网连接的所有地方。
与此同时，中国和印度等国已意识到，它们在作出一些变革后将能够在新世界(11.25,0.21,1.90%)里与其它国家进行竞争。所以，他们开始对他们的孩子进行更早和更长时间的教育，更加重视数学和科学。他们投资于研发和新技术。就在不久之前，中国已拥有世界上最大的私营太阳能研究设施，世界上运行速度最快的计算机。
所以，是的，世界发生了变革。就业岗位的竞争是真实存在的，但这不应当使我们灰心，它应当成为激励我们的动力。请记住，尽管我们在过去几年遭受到了巨大打击，尽管所有的悲观者预言美国在衰落，但美国仍是世界上最大、最繁荣的经济体。我们工人的劳动生产率是最高的，我们的公司是最成功的，我们的投资者和企业家所拥有的专利数是最多的。我们拥有世界上最好的院校和大学，来美国就读的学生超过任何其它国家。
更为重要的是，我们是首个以思想立国的国家，这个思想是我们中的每个人都应当有机会来塑造自己的命运。这就是为什么先驱们和移民们数个世纪以来不惜冒着失去一切的风险来到美国的原因。这就是我们的学生不只是记住方程式，而是会提出“你认为这个想法如何？你想如何改变世界？当你长大后你想成为什么样的人”等问题。
我们将赢得未来，但为了实现这一点，我们不能原地踏步。正如罗伯特·肯尼迪所说的那样“未来不是一个礼物，它是一个成就。”维持美国梦从来不是墨守成规。它需要每一代人作出牺牲、斗争，满足新时代的要求。
现在轮到我们这一代人了。我们知道在我们的时代为工作和行业进行竞争需要什么。我们需要在创新、教育和建设方面超越其它国家。我们要使美国成为商业环境最好的国家。我们需要对我们的赤字负责任，对我们的政府进行改革。这就是我们的人民实现繁荣的方法。这就是我们如何赢得未来的方法。今晚，我想谈谈我们如何作到这些。
激励创新
赢得未来的首个步骤是鼓励美国人创新。
我们所有人都无法肯定地预言下一个主要行业将是什么行业或者新的就业岗位来自哪里。三十年前，我们不知道一个被称作互联网的东西会引发经济革命。我们所能做的是，争取在这些方面比其它国家的人做得更好，激发美国人民的创造性和想像力。我们是一个将车开到车道上、把计算机放在办公室的国家，是一个拥有爱迪生、莱特兄弟的国家，是一个拥有谷歌和Facebook的国家。在美国，创新不只改变我们的生活，更重要的是，这是我们赖以谋生的方法。
我们的自由企业制度驱动着创新，但是由于公司投资基础研究并不总是有利可图，在历史上，我们的政府向一流的科学家和发明家提供了他们所需要的支持。这些支持种下了互联网的种子，这些支持帮助制造出计算机芯片和全球定位仪这样的东西。
想想所有的好工作，从制造业到零售业都来自于这些突破。
半个世纪之前，当苏联人发射一颗名为“伴侣号”的人造卫星从而在太空竞赛领域击败我们时，我们不知道我们如何在登月方面击败他们。那方面的科学当时还不存在，美国宇航局当时甚至都还未组建。但在更好的研究和教育方面投资后，我们不仅超过了苏联人，我们还推动了一系列的创新，这些创新创造了新的行业和数百万个新就业岗位。
这是我们那一代人创造的“伴侣号”——走在世界前沿的时刻。我在两年前说过，我们需要将研发拓展到自太空竞赛高峰后再也没有出现过的新层次上。我将在未来几周内向国会提交一份预算案，它将帮助我们实现这一目标。我们将投资于生物医药研究、信息技术，尤其是清洁能源技术，这一投资将会强化我们的安全、保护我们的地球、为我们的人民创造无数新就业岗位。
我们已看到了可再生能源的潜力。罗伯特·阿伦和加里·阿伦是一对在密歇根州经营屋顶公司的兄弟。他们在“9·11”恐怖袭击事件后志愿派出他们最好的装修屋顶员工来帮助维修五角大楼，但是他们工厂的半个厂区没有开工，经济衰退重创了他们的工厂。今天，在政府贷款的帮助下，空闲的厂房被用于制造销往全球各地的太阳能电池板。用罗伯特的话说：“我们再造了自己。”
这就是美国人在过去两百多年里一直在做的事情，再造自我。为了推动更多像阿伦兄弟这样的成功故事，我们已开始再造我们的能源政策。我们将不只提供款项，我们还将提供挑战。我们将告诉美国的科学家和工程师，如果他们组建他们领域最好的科学家小组，致力解决清洁能源最困难问题，我们将向我们时代的“阿波罗项目”提供资金支持。
在加州理工学院，科学家正在寻找一种将太阳光和水转换成汽车燃料的方法。在橡树岭国家实验室，科学家们正在通过超级计算机以使从我们的核设施获得更多能量。在进行更多的研究和激励措施后，我们可以用生物燃料来打破我们对石油的依赖，成为在2015年前首个拥有一百万电动汽车上路的国家。
我们需要找到创新背后的要素。为了向创新提供经费支持，我将请求国会取消向石油公司所提供的数十亿美元税款补贴。我不知道你是否注意到这一情况，但石油公司自身运营得很不错。所以，与其向昨天的能源业提供补贴，我们不如投资于未来的能源。
现在，清洁能源领域的技术突破只有在业界知道有销售市场的情况下才会转变成清洁能源业的工作岗位。所以，今晚，我想让你们和我一起来制订一个新目标：争取在2035年之前使美国85%的电力供应量来自清洁能源。一些人想要风力和太阳能，其它人想要核电、清洁煤炭和天然气。为了实现这一目标，我们将需要所有这些清洁能源。我呼吁民主党人和共和党人通过合作来实现这一目标。发展教育
保持我们在研究和技术领域的领导地位对于美国的成功至关重要。如果我们想拥抱未来，如果我们想让创新在美国而不是海外创造就业岗位，那么我们必须赢得教育我们孩子的竞赛。
思考一下吧，在未来十年，近半数新就业岗位将需要拥有高中以上的教育程度。虽然如此，美国仍有近四分之一的学生甚至未完成中学教育。我们教育和科学的教育质量落后于许多国家。美国年轻人拥有大学学位比例的排行已降至世界第九位。所以问题是，我们所有的人，作为公民，作为父母，是否愿意做那些必要的事情以便让每个孩子都有成功的机会？
这一责任不仅是在我们的教室内开始的，也是在我们的家庭和社区里开始的。是家庭首先培养了孩子爱好学习的习惯，只有父母在确保关掉电视的情况下，孩子的家庭作业才会完成。我们需要教育我们的孩子，不仅是超级碗比赛的获胜者值得庆祝，那些科学大赛的赢家也应当值得庆祝。成功不是名气或者公共关系所带来的，它是由辛劳的工作和自律造就的。
我们的学校也有责任。当一名儿童步入教室，它就应当是一个被寄以厚望和拥有很高教学能力的地方。但是太多的学校未能达到这一标准。这就是为什么我们没有向教育系统注入大笔资金原因，我们启动了一个名为“冲顶赛跑”的竞争。我们对所有50个州说：“如果你们能够向我们展示提高教师质量和学生成就的最具创新力的方案，我们将向你们提供款项。”
“冲顶赛跑”是我们公共学校在十年内所进行的最有意义的改革。它只使用了不到我们每年教育开支的1%的经费，但它已使40个州提高了教学和学习标准。这些标准不是由华盛顿所决定的，它是由美国各个州的共和党和民主党州长们所决定的。“冲顶赛跑”应当成为我们今年所采取的方法。我们今年将用一个更为灵活、专注于用给我们的孩子带来最大益处的法律来取代《不让一个儿童落后法》。
你们应该知道，当改革不仅仅是从上到下的指示时，我们的孩子所能够取得的成绩有多大。改革措施将由当地的教师和校长、校董事会和社区来决定。
以丹佛的布鲁斯·兰多夫学校为例，它在三年前被评为是科罗拉多州最差的学校之一，它位于两个敌对黑帮争夺的地盘内。但在去年五月，该校97%的高三学生获得了毕业证，大多数人将是他们家庭中上大学的第一人。在学校实现转变后的第一年，一位学生的话使这一切成为现实的校长流下了眼泪。这个学生说：“感谢你，威特斯女士，感谢你向我们表明，我们是聪明的，我们能够成功。”
让我们也记住，除了父母之外，对一个孩子成功的最大影响来自于站在教室前的男女教师们。在韩国，教师们被称作“国家建造者”。在美国，现是我们该以同样程度的尊重对待那些教育我们孩子的人的时候了。我们应当奖励好教师，停止为糟糕的教师找借口。在未来十年，由于非常多的婴儿潮一代教师将退休，我们将需要准备10万名科学、技术、工程和数学学科教师。
事实上，对于今晚收听讲演的、正在考虑职业选择的年轻人，如果你想让我们国家前途有所不同，如果你想让一个孩子的生命有所不同，成为一位教师吧。你的国家需要你。
当然，教育竞赛不会止步于高中毕业证。为了竞争，必须让每位美国人都有接受高等教育的机会。这就是我们为什么结束向银行提供没有充分根据的税款补贴，用节省下来的钱来使数百万学生能有能力上大学。我今年将请求国会采取进一步措施，使我们的学费税收抵免永久化，对一个人四年的大学来说，这笔钱相当于1万美元。
由于人们需要在今天快速变化的经济领域里接受新工作和职业的培训，我们也将重新使美国的社区学院恢复活力。我上个月看到了北卡罗来纳州福费斯社区技术学院的潜力，学院的许多学生曾在现在已搬离城镇的附近工厂就业。凯西·普罗克托是一位两个孩子的母亲，她18岁就开始在家具业工作。她告诉我，现年55岁的她正在攻读生物技术学位，不只是因为家具业的工作没有了，而是因为她想鼓励她的孩子也追求他们的梦想。凯西说：“我希望这将能教会他们永不放弃。”如果我们采取这些措施，如果我们提高对每个孩子的期待值，给他们在教育方面最好的机遇，从他们出生至他们上一次的就业岗位，我们将实现我在两年前确定的目标：在这个十年结束的时候，美国将再度成为拥有大学生比例最高的国家。
非法移民问题
有关教育的最后一点。今天，我们的学校里有数百万学业优秀的非美国公民。一些人是非法工人的孩子，他们与他们父母的行为没有任何关系。他们是以美国人的身份长大的，宣誓效忠美国，但却每天生活在将被驱逐的威胁之下。其它人来自海外，在我们的院校和大学里学习，但他们一旦获得学位，我们就把他们送回国和我们进行竞争。这没有道理。
现在，我强烈地认为，我们应当一下子解决非法移民的问题。我作好了与共和党人和民主党人合作以保护我们边境的准备，执行我们的法律，解决数百万生活在阴影之下的非法移民问题。我知道，这方面的辩论将是艰难的，将需要时间。但是今晚，让我们就开始作出努力达成共识。停止驱逐那些有才能、负责任的年轻人，他们可以在我们的实验室工作、创业、给美国带来新的财富。
重建基础设施
赢得未来的第三步是重建美国。为了吸引新的行业来到美国，我们需要运送人员、商品、信息最快捷、最可靠的方法，从高速铁路至高速互联网等基础设施。
我们的基础设施曾经是世界上最棒的，但现在我们的领先优势已经下滑。韩国家庭的互联网接入比例已超过了美国。欧洲国家和俄罗斯在公路和铁路的投资额超过了美国。中国正在建造更快的火车和新机场。与此同时，当我们自己的工程师给我们的基础设施打分时，他们给我们打了一个“D”。
我们必须做得更好，美国是一个建设了州际铁路、将电力输往乡村社区、建设了州际高速公路的国家。这些项目创造的工作不只来自于铺设铁轨或者路面，工作机会也来自在镇里新建火车站或者新外匝道附近开设的行业。
在未来两年，我们已开始为21世纪进行重建。这个项目已为遭到沉重打击的建筑业带来了数千个好工作。今晚，我提议我们加倍这方面的努力。
我们将让更多的美国人从事修理年久失修的道路和桥梁工作。我们将确保这方面的工作有充分的经费保证，吸引私人投资，根据项目对经济而不是对政治家的最佳益处来选择项目。
在未来二十五年内，我们的目标是使80%的美国人能够拥有高速铁路，这将使你乘高速铁路出行的时间比开车出行的时间减少一半。对于一些旅程来说，它将比乘飞机出行更快，而且没有严格的安检措施。在我们讲话之时，加州和中西部地区的高铁线路已在建设之中。
在未来五年内，我们将使业界向98%的美国人提供下一代高速无线网络连接成为可能。这并不只是更快的互联网和更少的漏接电话。这事关使美国的各个地区都进入数字化时代。这事关衣阿华州或者阿拉巴马州乡村社区的农民和小企业主能够向全世界出售他们的产品，这事关消防队员能够用手持装置来下载着火建筑物的设计图。这事关一名学生可以用数字教科书进行上课或者一位病人能够与她的医生进行面对面的视频聊天。
所有这些投资，在创新、教育、基础设施方面的投资将为美国带来更好的商业环境并且创造就业。但是为了帮助我们的公司竞争，我们还必须打破那些阻碍它们成功的障碍物。
税收调整
多年以来，众多的游说人士利用税法来为某些公司和行业谋利，那些在这一系统中就业的会计师或者律师最终什么税都不交，而所有其他人则要承受世界上最高的公司税率。这毫无道理，这需要改变。
所以，今晚，我请求民主党和共和党人简化税率，根除漏洞，实现公平竞争。用这些节省下来的钱来降低公司税率，这将是25年来的第一次，而且是在不增加我们赤字的情况下。
促进国际贸易增加就业
为了帮助商业界向海外出售更多的产品，我们确定了在2014年将出口额翻一倍的目标，因为我们出口的越多，在国内创造的就业岗位就会越多。我们的出口额已经开始上升。我们最近与印度和中国签署了协议，这些协议将为美国25万多个就业岗位提供支持。我们上个月与韩国完成了贸易协议的最后文本，它将支持至少7万个美国就业岗位。这一协议获得来自行业和劳工组织、民主党人和共和党人前所未有的支持。我请求国会尽早通过这一协议。
在我就职之前，我明确表示，我们将执行我们的贸易协议。我将只会签署那些对美国工人有信心、增加美国就业岗位的协议。我们与韩国签署协议时就是这样做的，我想在与巴拿马和哥伦比亚寻求签署类似协议时也会这样做，在继续与我们的亚太和全球贸易会谈时持同样立场。
为了降低增长和投资的障碍，我已下令对政府规则进行重新评估。当我们发现那些给行业带来不必要负担的规则时，我们将会修改这些规则。但我将不会毫不迟疑地设立或者强制执行常识性的保护性规则，以保护美国人民。我们在过去一个多世纪一直是这样做的。这就是为什么我们的食物、水、空气是安全的。这就是我们为什么去年对信用卡公司隐藏资费和惩罚规定采取消费者保护措施，为了避免新的金融危机采取新规则的原因。这就是我们为什么最终通过改革法案以防止医保行业剥削病人的原因。
医疗改革
现在，我听说了有关你们中的一些人对新的医保法律有一些担心的传闻。所以让我来首先说，所有的事情都有改善的可能。如果你有使医疗护理更加高质量或者更便宜的想法，我很愿意与你合作。我们现在可以着手开始解决法案中给小企业带来不必要记帐负担的缺陷。
但我不愿意去做的事情是，重返保险公司以先决条件为由来否决一些人获得医疗保险的时代。我不愿意告诉来自得州的脑癌患者詹姆斯·霍华德，医保公司可能不会支付他的治疗费用。我不愿意告诉俄勒冈州的小企业主吉姆·豪斯，他还得多支付5000美元来使他的雇员获得医保。就在我们讲话时，这一法案正使给老年人所开的处方药更为便宜，使没有医疗保险的学生有继续享受他们父母医保的机会。所以，与其重开过去两年在这方面的斗争，不如让我们纠正需要纠正的地方，向前走。
削减赤字
现在，赢得未来的最后一步——最关键的一步——是确保我们不会葬身于如山的债务之中。
几乎从10年前开始，赤字财政几乎就一直与我们形影相随。在金融危机爆发后，这在一定程度上对于保持银行流动性、保护就业以及增加人民收入来说是必要的。
但现在经济衰退的最糟时刻已经结束，我们必须直面政府财政入不敷出的现实。这是不可持续的。每天，美国的家庭在节衣缩食以保证营收平衡。他们的政府也应如此。
所以今天晚上，我建议从今年开始，冻结未来五年部分国内项目支出。这将使美国财政赤字在未来十年减少4000多亿美元，进而使政府可自由支配的开支所占经济的比例降低到艾森豪威尔总统时期以来的最低水平。
冻结需要进行痛苦的削减。我们已经冻结了未来两年辛劳工作的联邦雇员的工资水平。我也建议削减我一直非常关注的一些项目的支出，比如社区行动项目。国防部长也已同意削减他与他的将军们认为对我们军事影响不大的数百亿美元的军费支出。
我承认，在座各位中有些人已提出了进一步削减开支的提案，我愿意删除任何的确可节省的开支。不过，我们必须确保不加重最脆弱的民众的负担。而且，我们还要确保所削减开支属真正超重部分。通过减少对改革和教育的投资来实现赤字削减，就相当于拆除发动机以实现超载飞机减重的目的。这样做或许可能让你一开始觉得飞得很高，但没过多久，你就会感受到冲击。
现在，我提出的大部分削减和节省提案只包括在国内支出中，而这种开支仅占我国预算的12%多一点。为了取得进一步进展，我们必须停止仅削减此类开支就已足够的臆测。这还不够。
去年我组建的两党联立财政委员会已经明确了这一点。我并不认同他们的全部提案，但他们的确取得了重大进步。他们的结论是，解决我国赤字问题的唯一办法是削减我们能够发现的所有过度消费，包括国内项目开支、国防开支、医疗开支等等。
这就意味着，进一步降低卫生保健开支，包括像医疗保险和医疗补贴——我国长期赤字最大单一来源——这样的项目。医疗保险改革将减缓这些开支的上升，这就是无党派经济学家认为废止卫生保健法会使我国赤字增加2500亿美元的部分原因。我很愿意看到其他降低开支的想法，包括去年共和党的一项提案：进行医疗事故改革，降低草率的医疗诉讼发生率。
为了构建坚实的基础，我们还应制定两党解决方案，强化后代社会保障。在这一点上，我们不应危及当前退休人员(最易受到伤害的人群)或残疾人，不应有损后代利益，不应使美国退休收入保障受制于充满不确定性的股市。
如果我们真的关心我们的赤字，我们就不能允许永久延长有关2%最富裕美国人的减税法案。在削减学校资金或学生的奖学金之前，我们应该让那些百万富翁们放弃他们的减税优惠。
这不是惩罚他们所取得的成功。而是要促进美国的成功。
实际上，在税收方面，我们能为所有美国人做的最好的事莫过于简化个人税码(individual tax code)。这将会是一项艰巨的工作，不过两党成员已经表示有意从事这项工作，而且我也准备加入他们。
所以，现在是时候采取行动了。现在是时候两党及国会两院在原则上做出让步，共同从事这项工作了。如果我们现在做出这一艰难决定，从而严加控制我们的赤字，那么我们便能够进行赢得未来所需的投资。
政府改革
更进一步的说，我们的政府不能负担得更多。我们应该给人民一个更强有力、更高效的政府。过去的政府无法赢得未来。
我们生活和工作在信息时代，但上一次政府大规模重组却还是在黑白电视机的时代。涉及出口的有12个机构。涉及住房政策的则至少有5个实体。我常举的一个例子是：大马哈鱼在淡水中时由内政部负责，而在咸水中时则由商业部负责。而我听说一旦被熏烤之后情况就更复杂。
现在，我们已经在过去的两年里，在利用技术以及消灭浪费方面实现了突飞猛进。退伍军人现在点一下鼠标，就能下载他们的电子病历。我们正在出售几英亩数年都未曾使用的联邦办公地点，而且我们将去除繁文缛节以便摆脱更多负担。不过，我们需要考虑更多。未来的几个月里，我的政府将会提出一项建议，以最有助于实现打造更具竞争力美国的目标的方法，合并、巩固并整顿联邦政府。我将会把这一建议提交给国会进行投票，我们将会推动这一建议的通过。
未来一年里，我们将继续努力重建人民对政府机构的信任。因为你们应当确切知道你们所缴的税花在哪里，花了多少，你们也将能够在第一时间登陆网站获得这些信息。因为你们应当知道自己选出的官员何时会见游说团体，我已要求国会按照白宫已经在做的将这些信息公布上网。而且因为美国人民应当知道，特殊利益不能穿插在小项目的立法中，国会中的两党议员应该知道这一点：如果呈现在我案头的法案中存在“特殊专款”(一般是指国会议员各自根据其选区或者集团需要，插入预算报告中的“相关项目专款”)，我将会予以否决。
一个具备公开和竞争力的21世纪政府。一个量入为出的政府。一个由新技术与理念驱动的经济体系。要在这个不断变化的新世界(11.29,0.25,2.26%)中取得成功，我们需改革、责任和创新。这还需要我们在外交事务中通过新方法接触世界。
像工作和商业一样，威胁和挑战现在也能够跨越边界，影响到其他的地方。没有任何单一的墙能够阻隔东方和西方，在美国之外，也没有形成一个能与我们抗衡的有力竞争者。
所以，我们必须战胜敌人，无论他们在哪里，并建立跨越地区、种族和宗教界线的联盟。美国的道德榜样必需始终照耀着渴望自由、正义和尊严的所有人。因此我们已经开始了这项工作，所以今晚我们能够说美国领导阶层已经复兴，美国的地位已经恢复。
外交政策
看看伊拉克，我们近十万勇敢的男女士兵已经昂首挺胸撤离伊拉克，美国的战斗任务也已经结束。在那里，暴力现象已经开始下降，新政府已经组建。今年，我们的民众将与伊拉克人民建立持久伙伴关系，与此同时，我们从伊拉克撤军的工作也将结束。美国遵守了承诺，伊拉克战争即将结束。
当然，诚如我们所言，基地组织及其附属组织仍在计划攻击我们。感谢我们的情报和执法人员，我们正在挫败他们阴谋，保护我们的城市和天空。对于极端分子激发我们国内暴力行动的企图，我们正以社区力量、对法规的尊重，以及对美国穆斯林是我们美国大家庭一份子的坚定信仰，作出回应。
我们也同基地组织及其海外盟友展开了战斗。在阿富汗，我们的军队已经占据了塔利班的根据地，并且训练了阿富汗安全部队。我们的目标很明显：通过阻止塔利班再次压榨阿富汗人民，我们将会阻止基地组织获得充当9·11起点的避风港。
经过英雄部队及平民的奋战，只剩下少数阿富汗人仍处于塔利班这一叛乱组织的控制下。摆在前面的将会是激烈的战斗，而且阿富汗政府需要进行更好的管制。不过，我们正在增强阿富汗人民的力量，并与他们构建持久的伙伴关系。今年，我们将会同近50个国家一起，开始向由阿富汗主导的状态过渡。今年7月，我们将开始撤军。
在巴基斯坦，基地组织领导阶层承受着比2001年以来任何时候都要大的压力。他们的领导人及特务正逐渐远离战场，他们的避风港正在收缩。而且，我们已经从阿富汗边境向阿拉伯半岛直至全世界发出了信息：我们不会怜悯、我们不会动摇、我们会打败你们。
美国领导人也在努力确保最厉害战争武器的安全。因为共和党和民主党通过了新《削减战略武器条约》，可部署的武器和发射器会更少。因为我们要重振世界，要在各大洲限制核材料，以免落入恐怖分子手中。
因为美国也在通过外交努力坚持要求伊朗履行其义务，所以伊朗政府现在面临着比以往更加严厉的制裁。在朝鲜半岛上，我们与盟国韩国站在一起，坚持朝鲜践行其放弃核武器的诺言。
这仅是我们重塑世界、维护世界和平和繁荣所作出努力的一部分。我们与欧洲同盟一道，在努力恢复北约的活力，增加从反恐到导弹防御等各方面的合作。我们已经重新设定了与俄罗斯的关系，强化亚洲同盟，并与印度等国家建立了新的伙伴关系。今年三月，我将访问巴西、智利和萨尔瓦多，打造美洲新的进步同盟。在全球，我们与那些负责任的国家一道，帮助农民生产更多的粮食，支持医治伤患的医生，并与败坏社会风气和掠夺人民财富的腐败行为作斗争。
最近的事件告诉我们，使我们与众不同的，不仅是我们的力量，也必然还有其后的目的。在我们的帮助下，南苏丹人民在经历了多年的战争后，最终能够投票选择自己的独立。他们在黎明前排起了数千人的长队，人民在大街上欢舞。一名在战争中失去了四名兄弟的男子在描述他身边的景象时这样说到：“这曾是我生命大多时间中的战场，现在我们希望自由”。
军人保障、军队同性恋问题
我们绝对不能忘记我们为之努力、为之奋斗、所有人都铭记心中的事情。我们必须永远记住，在这场斗争中负担最为沉重的美国人正是那些报效我们祖国的男男女女。
今晚，让我们共同重申，我们的国家会团结一致地支持我们的军队及其家人。让我们为他们服务，就像他们为我们服务那样，给予他们需要的装备、为他们提供应得的保健和福利、并在建设祖国的伟大任务中，为退伍军人提供支持。
我们的军人来自这个国家的每一个角落。他们是黑人、白人、拉丁裔、亚裔和印第安人。他们是基督教教徒、印度教教徒、犹太教教徒和穆斯林。的确，我们知道，其中有一些人是同性恋。从今年开始，美国人都不会因为他们的爱人而被禁止报效其所爱的国家。接下来，我呼吁所有大学校园向我们的军方征兵人员和后备军官训练队敞开大门。现在，是时候和过去的分裂斗争说再见了。我们应该作为一个民族向前迈进。
美国梦
我们不应该对摆在我们面前的工作心存任何幻想。改革学校、改变能源使用方式、减少赤字，这一切都并非易事，这需要时间。我们会围绕一切事情展开争论，这会使难度变得更高，成本、细节、每一个法律条文。
尽管我们民主有时会出现争议、挫败及混乱，但我知道在场的各位都不愿意与世界上其他任何国家的人做交换。
或许我们会存在政策分歧，但我们都坚信我国宪法所昭示的正义。或许我们拥有不同的观点，但我们都坚信同一个承诺：这是一个只要尝试就可能会成功的地方。又或许我们拥有不同的背景，但我们都坚信同一梦想：这是一个一切皆有可能的国家。
正是这个梦想让我今晚站在这里，站在大家面前。正是这个梦想让来自斯克兰顿的工人阶级成为了我后盾。也正是这个梦想让一个从父辈开始在辛辛那提的酒吧扫地的人，成为了这个世界上最强国家的众议院议长。
这个梦想(美国梦)驱使着艾伦兄弟为了一个新时代而彻底改造了他们的屋顶工程公司。这个梦想驱使着那些在佛塞斯技术社区学院求学的学生们学习新技术，为了未来努力奋斗。这个梦想也驱使一个名为布兰登·费舍尔的小企业主有了自己的故事。
布兰登在宾夕法尼亚州的柏林市开设了一家公司，专攻新型钻探技术。去年夏季的一天，他看到新闻，智利矿井中有33人被困，无人知道如何营救。但布兰登认为他的公司可以帮忙。他设计了一套营救方案，称为B计划。他的员工24小时工作，生产所需的钻探设备。然后布兰登前往智利。
他同其他人一起钻了一个2000英尺的洞，连续不眠不休工作了三四天。37天后，B计划成功，矿工获救。但布兰登不想引起注意，矿工升井后，他并没有在那里。他已经回家开始致力于下一个项目了。
后来，他的一名员工提到了这次营救，“Center Rock是一家小公司，但我们做的却是大事情。”
我们做大事。
自建国初期以来，美国便充满了由敢于追梦的普通人所谱写的故事。我们就是这样赢得了未来。
我们是一个会这样说话的民族：“我或许没有巨款，但是我有成立一家新公司的高见。我或许没有出生在一个拥有大学学历的家庭，但我将会成为这个家庭里第一个获得大学学历的人。我或许并不认识那些处于困境中的人们，但我认为我能够帮助他们，而且我需要试一试。”
虽然我不确定我们将如何超越地平线到达更好的地方，但我知道我们将会到达那里。我知道我们能够做到。
我们在成就伟业。
美国人的思想活力仍在，我们的命运依旧掌握在我们手中。今晚，两个多世纪后，因为我们的人民，我们的未来变得充满希望，我们的旅程不断向前，我们的国家变得强大。
谢谢大家。愿上帝保佑你们，愿上帝保佑美利坚合众国。
第五篇：奥巴马2016国情咨文演讲-中英对照
奥巴马2016国情咨文演讲（双语全文）
当地时间12号晚间，美国总统奥巴马在华盛顿发表了任上最后一次国情咨文，这也是他第八次进行国情咨文演讲。
Mr.Speaker, Mr.Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans:
议长先生、副总统先生、各位国会议员和美国同胞们：
Tonight marks the eighth year I've come here to report on the State of the Union.And for this final one, I'm going to try to make it shorter.I know some of you are antsy to get back to Iowa.今晚是我在这里做国情咨文的第八个年头，也是最后一次。我将尽量简而言之。我知道你们中有些人急着回爱荷华州（译者注：两党党内预选进行地）。
I also understand that because it's an election season, expectations for what we'll achieve this year are low.Still, Mr.Speaker, I appreciate the constructive approach you and the other leaders took at the end of last year to pass a budget and make tax cuts permanent for working families.So I hope we can work together this year on bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform, and helping people who are battling prescription drug abuse.We just might surprise the cynics again.我也理解此时正当大选之季，因此公众对我们今年成就的期望并不高。但是，议长先生，您以及其他领导人去年年末通过了建设性的预算决议，使得工薪家庭减税计划能够长久实施下去，我对此深表感激。因此我衷心希望今年两党能够在一些重要事务上同心协作，比如，推行刑事司法改革，帮助那些与处方药滥用行为抗争的人们。我们很可能会让质疑者们再次大吃一惊。
But tonight, I want to go easy on the traditional list of proposals for the year ahead.Don't worry, I've got plenty, from helping students learn to write computer code to personalizing medical treatments for patients.And I'll keep pushing for progress on the work that still needs doing.Fixing a broken immigration system.Protecting our kids from gun violence.Equal pay for equal work, paid leave, raising the minimum wage.All these things still matter to hardworking families;they are still the right thing to do;and I will not let up until they get done.但在今晚，我打算少谈些像往年那样的发展计划。别担心，我还是有很多计划要谈，比如，帮助学生学习编写计算机代码，以及对病人进行个性化治疗。我将继续推动这些未竟事业的进步。完善有漏洞的移民体系。保护我们的孩子们免遭枪械暴力。继续推行同工同酬及带薪休假，并提高最低工资水平。所有的这一切对于努力工作的家庭们来说依然至关重要；这些仍是我们要做的对的事情。我绝不会放松这些工作，直至他们完成为止。
But for my final address to this chamber, I don't want to talk just about the next year.I want to focus on the next five years, ten years, and beyond.但这是我最后一次在此发表讲话，我不想只谈论来年的事宜。我想关注今后的五年、十年，甚至更久远的事情。
I want to focus on our future.我更关注我们的未来。
We live in a time of extraordinary change – change that's reshaping the way we live, the way we work, our planet and our place in the world.It's change that promises amazing medical breakthroughs, but also economic disruptions that strain working families.It promises education for girls in the most remote villages, but also connects terrorists plotting an ocean away.It's change that can broaden opportunity, or widen inequality.And whether we like it or not, the pace of this change will only accelerate.我们生活在一个充满巨变的时代，这场巨变改变了我们的生活、工作方式，改变了我们的星球和我们在世界上的地位。这种巨变预示着医学将出现重大突破，也会带来困扰着工薪家庭的经济动荡。它为生活在边远山区的女孩们带去教育的希望，却也使远距重洋的恐怖分子得以串通一气策划阴谋。这场巨变能够带来机遇，也会扩大不公。无论我们喜欢与否，这场巨变的进度只会越来越快。
America has been through big changes before – wars and depression, the influx of immigrants, workers fighting for a fair deal, and movements to expand civil rights.Each time, there have been those who told us to fear the future;who claimed we could slam the brakes on change, promising to restore past glory if we just got some group or idea that was threatening America under control.And each time, we overcame those fears.We did not, in the words of Lincoln, adhere to the “dogmas of the quiet past.” Instead we thought anew, and acted anew.We made change work for us, always extending America's promise outward, to the next frontier, to more and more people.And because we did – because we saw opportunity where others saw only peril – we emerged stronger and better than before.美国曾经历过种种巨变——战争，萧条，移民涌入，工人运动，以及民权运动。每一次，总有人告诉我们要畏惧未来。每当美国受到某些组织或者言论威胁，将要失控，这些人就告诉我们要停止变革，并承诺恢复往日的辉煌。但每一次，我们都能够克服恐惧。用林肯的话来说，我们并未遵循“平静的过去时代的信条”。相反地，我们能够用新的思维思考，以新的方式行事。我们巧妙地利用变化，始终将美国的潜力扩展至更广阔的前沿，惠及更多的民众。正缘于此——因为他人眼中的风险在我们看来是机遇——我们变得比以前更强更好。
What was true then can be true now.Our unique strengths as a nation – our optimism and work ethic, our spirit of discovery and innovation, our diversity and commitment to the rule of law – these things give us everything we need to ensure prosperity and security for generations to come.过去的真理，现在亦未曾改变。我们的乐观主义与职业道德，我们的发现与创新精神，我们种族多样化和法治信条，这些都是我们作为一个国家所拥有的独一无二的优点，使我们具备了世代繁荣昌盛、国泰民安的一切条件。
In fact, it's that spirit that made the progress of these past seven years possible.It's how we recovered from the worst economic crisis in generations.It's how we reformed our health care system, and reinvented our energy sector;how we delivered more care and benefits to our troops and veterans, and how we secured the freedom in every state to marry the person we love.事实上，正因有了这种精神力量，我们过去七年才可能取得进步。它使我们得以从几代以来最严重的经济危机中恢复；是我们改革医疗体系、改造能源部门的动力；保证了我们给予军人和老兵更多关心和福利。也正因为此，我们能够让每个州的人都获得了与所爱的人结婚的自由。
But such progress is not inevitable.It is the result of choices we make together.And we face such choices right now.Will we respond to the changes of our time with fear, turning inward as a nation, and turning against each other as a people? Or will we face the future with confidence in who we are, what we stand for, and the incredible things we can do together?
但是，这些进步并不是注定会发生的，而是我们共同选择的结果。我们当下正面临着这样的选择。面对时代的变化，我们是将以恐惧对之，闭门造车，各自为战？还是自我肯定，坚持立场，相信我们能共创奇迹？
So let's talk about the future, and four big questions that we as a country have to answer – regardless of who the next President is, or who controls the next Congress.让我们先来谈谈未来，以及美国需要回答的四个大问题——无论下一届美国总统是谁，无论哪个党派掌控国会。
First, how do we give everyone a fair shot at opportunity and security in this new economy?
首先，我们如何在新经济中给每个人公平的机会和保障？
Second, how do we make technology work for us, and not against us – especially when it comes to solving urgent challenges like climate change?
第二，我们如何让技术为我们服务，而不是与我们对抗——尤其是面临气候变化这样急需应对的挑战的时候？
Third, how do we keep America safe and lead the world without becoming its policeman?
第三，我们如何保障美国的安全，同时，在不充当世界警察的前提下，引领整个世界？
And finally, how can we make our politics reflect what's best in us, and not what's worst?
最后，我们如何制定政策，使其反映出美国的好，而不是美国的恶？
Let me start with the economy, and a basic fact: the United States of America, right now, has the strongest, most durable economy in the world.We're in the middle of the longest streak of private-sector job creation in history.More than 14 million new jobs;the strongest two years of job growth since the '90s;an unemployment rate cut in half.Our auto industry just had its best year ever.Manufacturing has created nearly 900,000 new jobs in the past six years.And we've done all this while cutting our deficits by almost three-quarters.我先说说经济，基本的事实是这样的：现在，在全球范围内，美国经济是最为强大且坚固的。纵观历史，我们现在处于私营部门连续创造就业机会最长的一段时期中。我们创造了逾1400万个新的就业岗位；这是自20世纪90年代以来就业增长最为强劲的两年；失业率下降了一半。汽车行业也创造了最辉煌的一年。在过去的六年里，制造业创造了将近90万个新的就业岗位。而且，我们在取得这些成绩的同时，还将赤字减少了近四分之三.Anyone claiming that America's economy is in decline is peddling fiction.What is true – and the reason that a lot of Americans feel anxious – is that the economy has been changing in profound ways, changes that started long before the Great Recession hit and haven't let up.Today, technology doesn't just replace jobs on the assembly line, but any job where work can be automated.Companies in a global economy can locate anywhere, and face tougher competition.As a result, workers have less leverage for a raise.Companies have less loyalty to their communities.And more and more wealth and income is concentrated at the very top.任何声称美国经济正在衰落的说法都是在传播虚构事实。实际情况——同时也是许多美国人感到焦虑的原因——是美国经济正在经历巨大变革，而且这变革早在大萧条发生之前就已经开始，到现在还没有结束。今天，能够被高科技取代的工作岗位并不仅限于生产线，还包括任何可以实现自动化的岗位。在经济全球化中，公司可以落户于世界任何地方，也会面临更加激烈的竞争。其结果是，雇员要求加薪的筹码变少。公司对其所在群体的忠诚度更低。同时，越来越多的财富和收入积聚到社会顶层阶级手中。
All these trends have squeezed workers, even when they have jobs;even when the economy is growing.It's made it harder for a hardworking family to pull itself out of poverty, harder for young people to start on their careers, and tougher for workers to retire when they want to.And although none of these trends are unique to America, they do offend our uniquely American belief that everybody who works hard should get a fair shot.这些变化趋势挤压了雇员的生存空间，即使他们拥有工作，即使美国经济一直在增长。工薪家庭想要通过努力工作，摆脱贫困，年轻人想要开创自己的事业，雇员想要适时退休，都已经不太容易。虽然面临这些变革的不只有美国，但是这些的确违背了独有的美国式信念，那就是，任何努力工作的人都应当得到公平待遇。
For the past seven years, our goal has been a growing economy that works better for everybody.We've made progress.But we need to make more.And despite all the political arguments we've had these past few years, there are some areas where Americans broadly agree.在过去的七年中，我们的目标一直都是，保持经济增长，以造福每一个人。我们已经取得了一些进步。但是，我们需要继续努力。尽管在过去的一些年中，我们有过许多政治上的争论，但是在一些领域，我们取得了普遍的共识。
We agree that real opportunity requires every American to get the education and training they need to land a good-paying job.The bipartisan reform of No Child Left Behind was an important start, and together, we've increased early childhood education, lifted high school graduation rates to new highs, and boosted graduates in fields like engineering.In the coming years, we should build on that progress, by providing Pre-K for all, offering every student the hands-on computer science and math classes that make them job-ready on day one, and we should recruit and support more great teachers for our kids.我们一致认为，真正的机会在于每一个美国人都能获得能够必要的教育及培训，让他们能够胜任一份收入理想的工作。“不让一个孩子掉队”的两党改革政策，就是一个重要的开端，同时，我们加强了儿童早期教育，进一步提高了高中毕业率，使工程学等专业毕业生得以增长。未来，我们要以这些成绩为基础，通过普及全民早教，让所有学生都接受计算机实践和数学课程培训，为他们将来步入职场做好准备。同时，我们要为孩子们招录更多优秀的教师，并给予这些教师更好的待遇。
And we have to make college affordable for every American.Because no hardworking student should be stuck in the red.We've already reduced student loan payments to ten percent of a borrower's income.Now, we've actually got to cut the cost of college.Providing two years of community college at no cost for every responsible student is one of the best ways to do that, and I'm going to keep fighting to get that started this year.同时，我们要让每个美国人都能上得起大学。因为，勤奋的学生不应该因为贫困被挡在校门之外。我们已经将助学贷款的还款额降至借款人收入的10%。接下来，我们需要降低大学费用。两年制的社区大学将为每一位有责任感的学生提供免费教育，这是降低大学费用最理想的方式之一。我会不断努力让这个方案在今年启动。
Of course, a great education isn't all we need in this new economy.We also need benefits and protections that provide a basic measure of security.After all, it's not much of a stretch to say that some of the only people in America who are going to work the same job, in the same place, with a health and retirement package, for 30 years, are sitting in this chamber.For everyone else, especially folks in their forties and fifties, saving for retirement or bouncing back from job loss has gotten a lot tougher.Americans understand that at some point in their careers, they may have to retool and retrain.But they shouldn't lose what they've already worked so hard to build.当然，在新经济中，我们所需要的不仅仅是优质的教育。我们还需要能够提供基本生活保障的福利和保护措施。如果说在座的各位，是美国为数不多的能够在同一个地方从事同一份工作30年，还能获得健康和养老保障的人，也不算夸张。而对于其他人，特别是四五十岁的美国人来说，为退休后的生存点钱或是在失业后重振旗鼓，已经越来越困难。大家都认识到，在他们职业生涯的某个时刻，他们不得不重新接受培训，重新学习技能。但是，他们不应当失去他们这么多年辛勤工作所获得的东西。
That's why Social Security and Medicare are more important than ever;we shouldn't weaken them, we should strengthen them.And for Americans short of retirement, basic benefits should be just as mobile as everything else is today.That's what the Affordable Care Act is all about.It's about filling the gaps in employer-based care so that when we lose a job, or go back to school, or start that new business, we'll still have coverage.Nearly eighteen million have gained coverage so far.Health care inflation has slowed.And our businesses have created jobs every single month since it became law.这也是社会保障及医疗保险制度在今天尤为重要的原因；它们不该被弱化，而应进一步加强。对于退休年龄较晚的美国人，基本福利应与当今的其他事物一样尽可能移动化。这就是《平价医疗法案》的意义所在，这个法案旨在填补基于雇主的医疗保险系统的空缺，我们失业、返校求学或创业时，依然能享受医疗保障。目前为止，已有近1800万人受益。医疗费用通胀也有所缓解。自法案实施起，我们的企业每个月都能创造新的工作岗位。
Now, I'm guessing we won't agree on health care anytime soon.But there should be other ways both parties can improve economic security.Say a hardworking American loses his job – we shouldn't just make sure he can get unemployment insurance;we should make sure that program encourages him to retrain for a business that's ready to hire him.If that new job doesn't pay as much, there should be a system of wage insurance in place so that he can still pay his bills.And even if he's going from job to job, he should still be able to save for retirement and take his savings with him.That's the way we make the new economy work better for everyone.我想我们在短期内还无法就医疗保险制度达成共识。但两党可以在改进经济保障制度的问题上采取一些新的措施。假设一位辛勤工作的美国人丢了工作，我们不该仅仅确保他能获得失业保险，而应确保这个制度能够支持他接受再培训以胜任新的工作。如果这份新工作的报酬不如上一份工作，那么就该有薪酬保障制度保证他能养活自己。即使他一直在换工作，也还能为退休储蓄并能支配自己的积蓄。这就是我们让大家更好地受益于新经济的方式。
I also know Speaker Ryan has talked about his interest in tackling poverty.America is about giving everybody willing to work a hand up, and I'd welcome a serious discussion about strategies we can all support, like expanding tax cuts for low-income workers without kids.我知道国会众议院发言人保罗 瑞恩提到过他对解决贫困问题的看法。美国是一个会给每个愿意工作的人机会的国家，我欢迎大家提出可行性战略，如为无子女低收入人群减税的方案。
But there are other areas where it's been more difficult to find agreement over the last seven years – namely what role the government should play in making sure the system's not rigged in favor of the wealthiest and biggest corporations.And here, the American people have a choice to make.但在过去七年里还有其他难以达成一致的领域，比如，政府应该扮演怎样的角色，才能保证制度不向最富有的财团和大公司倾斜。在此，美国人民需要做出选择。
I believe a thriving private sector is the lifeblood of our economy.I think there are outdated regulations that need to be changed, and there's red tape that needs to be cut.But after years of record corporate profits, working families won't get more opportunity or bigger paychecks by letting big banks or big oil or hedge funds make their own rules at the expense of everyone else;or by allowing attacks on collective bargaining to go unanswered.Food Stamp recipients didn't cause the financial crisis;recklessness on Wall Street did.Immigrants aren't the reason wages haven't gone up enough;those decisions are made in the boardrooms that too often put quarterly earnings over long-term returns.It's sure not the average family watching tonight that avoids paying taxes through offshore accounts.In this new economy, workers and start-ups and small businesses need more of a voice, not less.The rules should work for them.And this year I plan to lift up the many businesses who've figured out that doing right by their workers ends up being good for their shareholders, their customers, and their communities, so that we can spread those best practices across America.蓬勃发展的私营经济是我们国家经济的命脉。我认为，其有些过时的规则需要改变，有些繁文缛节需要摒弃。在企业连续多年利润破纪录之后，如果让大银行、石油巨头或对冲基金制定只对自己有利的规则，或者允许对集体谈判的攻击置之不理，工薪阶层就无法获得更多机会和更多薪水。引发经济危机的不是那些领食物券的人，而是华尔街那些鲁莽行事的人。移民人口不是阻碍薪酬上涨的原因；那些决议是由董事会的人提出的，他们经常将季度分红看得比长期回报还重。可以肯定的是，正在看我演讲的普通家庭不会通过离岸账户避税。在新经济的形势下，工人、新兴企业和小型企业需要更多发言权。规则应该使他们受益。今年，我计划激励那些善待工人的企业，这些企业明白只有善待工人才能让股东、顾客和所在群体最终受益，这样我们才能在全美推行这种良策。
In fact, many of our best corporate citizens are also our most creative.This brings me to the second big question we have to answer as a country: how do we reignite that spirit of innovation to meet our biggest challenges?
事实上，我们有许多优秀的企业公民都是极富创造力的。这也是美国要回答的第二个大问题：如何重燃创新精神，迎接重大挑战？
Sixty years ago, when the Russians beat us into space, we didn't deny Sputnik was up there.We didn't argue about the science, or shrink our research and development budget.We built a space program almost overnight, and twelve years later, we were walking on the moon.六十年前，俄罗斯人发射人造卫星，在太空领域领先于我们，这点我们并未否认。我们没有就科学水平进行争论，或缩减我们的研发预算。我们在很短的时间内制定了太空计划，十二年后，我们已经能在月球上行走。
That spirit of discovery is in our DNA.We're Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers and George Washington Carver.We're Grace Hopper and Katherine Johnson and Sally Ride.We're every immigrant and entrepreneur from Boston to Austin to Silicon Valley racing to shape a better world.And over the past seven years, we've nurtured that spirit.探索精神存在于我们的基因里。我们是托马斯 爱迪生、怀特兄弟、乔治 华盛顿 卡弗。我们是葛丽丝 霍普、凯瑟琳 约翰逊、莎莉 莱德。我们是从波士顿到奥斯丁再到硅谷的移民和企业家，我们力求建设更美好的世界。过去七年里，我们一直在培养这种精神。
We've protected an open internet, and taken bold new steps to get more students and low-income Americans online.We've launched next-generation manufacturing hubs, and online tools that give an entrepreneur everything he or she needs to start a business in a single day.我们保护了开放的互联网，我们迈出了大胆的一大步，让更多学生和低收入者加入互联网这个大家庭。我们已经开始建设新一代制造业中心，我们的网络工具让企业家在一天内就能获得创立一个企业所需的一切。
But we can do so much more.Last year, Vice President Biden said that with a new moonshot, America can cure cancer.Last month, he worked with this Congress to give scientists at the National Institutes of Health the strongest resources they've had in over a decade.Tonight, I'm announcing a new national effort to get it done.And because he's gone to the mat for all of us, on so many issues over the past forty years, I'm putting Joe in charge of Mission Control.For the loved ones we've all lost, for the family we can still save, let's make America the country that cures cancer once and for all.但是，我们能做的还不止这些。去年，副总统拜登曾说，要把治愈癌症作为一项新的登月计划去实现。上个月，他与国会通力合作，为国立卫生研究院的科学家们提供了大量资源，这是10多年来科学家们获得的最强有力的资源支持。今晚我宣布，我们将举全国之力促成这项新计划。在过去的40年里，乔为我们在众多问题上竭尽心力，因此，我任命他主管这一抗癌计划。为了我们已逝去的亲人，为了我们还能拯救的家庭，我们应该携手，让美国成为一个彻底攻克癌症的国家。
Medical research is critical.We need the same level of commitment when it comes to developing clean energy sources.医学研究是重中之重。在发展清洁能源的问题上，我们同样需要全力以赴。
Look, if anybody still wants to dispute the science around climate change, have at it.You'll be pretty lonely, because you'll be debating our military, most of America's business leaders, the majority of the American people, almost the entire scientific community, and 200 nations around the world who agree it's a problem and intend to solve it.如果你还要质疑我们针对气候变化进行的科学研究，你可以试试。你会发现自己孤立无援，因为站在你对面的是我们的军方、绝大多数美国商业领袖、大多数美国民众、几乎整个科学界，以及全世界200个国家，这些国家都意识到了问题的严重性，想要着手解决它。
But even if the planet wasn't at stake;even if 2014 wasn't the warmest year on record – until 2015 turned out even hotter – why would we want to pass up the chance for American businesses to produce and sell the energy of the future?
就算我们的星球还没到岌岌可危的地步，2014年也并非史上最热的一年（因为2015年更热），我们为什么要放弃让美国企业生产并销售未来能源的大好机会呢？
Seven years ago, we made the single biggest investment in clean energy in our history.Here are the results.In fields from Iowa to Texas, wind power is now cheaper than dirtier, conventional power.On rooftops from Arizona to New York, solar is saving Americans tens of millions of dollars a year on their energy bills, and employs more Americans than coal – in jobs that pay better than average.We're taking steps to give homeowners the freedom to generate and store their own energy – something environmentalists and Tea Partiers have teamed up to support.Meanwhile, we've cut our imports of foreign oil by nearly sixty percent, and cut carbon pollution more than any other country on Earth.七年前，我们在清洁能源领域进行了美国历史上最大规模的一次投资。成果如下：从爱荷华州到德克萨斯州，现在风能比污染环境的传统能源价格低廉。从亚利桑那州到纽约州，每年太阳能为美国民众减少了上千万美元的能源支出，同时创造了多于煤炭行业的就业机会，并且这些就业的收入高于平均水平。我们正在逐步采取措施，让每家每户都可以生产并储存自己的能源——环保主义者和茶党人士正为此事通力合作，为家庭自产能源提供支持。同时，我们的石油进口量下降了近60%，减少的碳排放量居全球第一。
Gas under two bucks a gallon ain't bad, either.2美元1加仑的油价也不算贵。
Now we've got to accelerate the transition away from dirty energy.Rather than subsidize the past, we should invest in the future –
especially in communities that rely on fossil fuels.That's why I'm going to push to change the way we manage our oil and coal resources, so that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our planet.That way, we put money back into those communities and put tens of thousands of Americans to work building a 21st century transportation system.现在我们不得不加速实现从污染能源向清洁能源的过渡。我们不应该补贴过去，而是应该投资未来——尤其是在依赖化石燃料的社区。这就是我为什么要敦促改变石油和煤炭资源管理方式的原因，只有这样才能更好地反映纳税人为此支付的税款以及地球为此付出的代价。通过这种方式，我们把钱重新投入到这些社区，让成千上万的美国人一起构建21世纪的交通运输系统。
None of this will happen overnight, and yes, there are plenty of entrenched interests who want to protect the status quo.But the jobs we'll create, the money we'll save, and the planet we'll preserve – that's the kind of future our kids and grandkids deserve.所有这一切都不是一蹴而就的。诚然，还有许多既得利益者想要维持现状。但是，改变现状能让我们创造新的就业，节省更多资金，我们的星球也得到了保护——这种未来才是我们应该留给后代子孙的。
Climate change is just one of many issues where our security is linked to the rest of the world.And that's why the third big question we have to answer is how to keep America safe and strong without either isolating ourselves or trying to nation-build everywhere there's a problem.在众多问题上，我们的安全与世界紧密相关，气候变化只是其一。因此，我们需要回答的第三个大问题是：怎样在不被孤立、不充当世界警察的情况下，保持美国的安全和强大？
I told you earlier all the talk of America's economic decline is political hot air.Well, so is all the rhetoric you hear about our enemies getting stronger and America getting weaker.The United States of America is the most powerful nation on Earth.Period.It's not even close.We spend more on our military than the next eight nations combined.Our troops are the finest fighting force in the history of the world.No nation dares to attack us or our allies because they know that's the path to ruin.Surveys show our standing around the world is higher than when I was elected to this office, and when it comes to every important international issue, people of the world do not look to Beijing or Moscow to lead – they call us.刚才我说了，所有认为美国经济衰退的言论都是政治性的大话。所有你听到的关于美国的敌人越来越强大、而美国却越发虚弱的言论，都是逞口舌之能。美利坚合众国是世界上最强大的国家。无需其他任何废话。而且我们还会一直强大下去。我们的军费投入比排在我们后面的八个国家的总和还多。我们的部队是世界历史上最精锐的战斗力量。没有任何国家敢攻击美国或者美国的盟国，因为他们知道那是自取灭亡。有调查显示，目前美国的国际地位高于我当选总统之初。当重大国际问题出现时，世界人民不会指望中国或俄罗斯来领头解决，他们会找我们。
As someone who begins every day with an intelligence briefing, I know this is a dangerous time.But that's not because of diminished American strength or some looming superpower.In today's world, we're threatened less by evil empires and more by failing states.The Middle East is going through a transformation that will play out for a generation, rooted in conflicts that date back millennia.Economic headwinds blow from a Chinese economy in transition.Even as their economy contracts, Russia is pouring resources to prop up Ukraine and Syria – states they see slipping away from their orbit.And the international system we built after World War II is now struggling to keep pace with this new reality.我每天的工作从听取情报简报开始，因此我知道现在是一个危险时期。但这并不是因为美国力量的削弱，或者某个超级大国的崛起。在当今世界，与其说邪恶独裁国对我们构成威胁，不如说经济衰退国对我们的影响更大。中东正在经历一场将持续二三十年的大变革，其发生的根源可追溯至一千年前的冲突。中国经济的转型正在对我们产生冲击。尽管面临自身经济衰退，俄罗斯依旧投入大量资源到乌克兰和叙利亚——这两个正脱离正常轨道的国家。二战以后我们建立的国际体系如今难以适应新形势的需要。
It's up to us to help remake that system.And that means we have to set priorities.我们有责任重建国际体系。而这意味着，我们必须对事务进行优先排序。
Priority number one is protecting the American people and going after terrorist networks.Both al Qaeda and now ISIL pose a direct threat to our people, because in today's world, even a handful of terrorists who place no value on human life, including their own, can do a lot of damage.They use the Internet to poison the minds of individuals inside our country;they undermine our allies.美国政府的首要任务是保护美国人民，打击恐怖主义网络。基地组织和“伊斯兰国”都直接威胁到美国人民的安全——在当今世界，哪怕只有一小撮无视他人和自己生命的恐怖分子，也会造成巨大危害。他们利用网络毒害美国境内人们的思想；他们破坏我们和盟友的关系。
But as we focus on destroying ISIL, over-the-top claims that this is World War III just play into their hands.Masses of fighters on the back of pickup trucks and twisted souls plotting in apartments or garages pose an enormous danger to civilians and must be stopped.But they do not threaten our national existence.That's the story ISIL wants to tell;that's the kind of propaganda they use to recruit.We don't need to build them up to show that we're serious, nor do we need to push away vital allies in this fight by echoing the lie that ISIL is representative of one of the world's largest religions.We just need to call them what they are – killers and fanatics who have to be rooted out, hunted down, and destroyed.但当我们集中精力消灭“伊斯兰国”时，却有人言过其实地说这是第三次世界大战。这种说法正中某些人下怀。许多武装分子登上皮卡车，灵魂扭曲的人在公寓或车库里谋划着生命着——这些都对平民构成巨大威胁，必须予以制止。但恐怖分子并没有威胁到美国的“国家存在”。这就是“伊斯兰国”想要透露出来的信息；这是他们招募恐怖分子时的宣传伎俩。我们不能先壮大他们然后显示我们可以来真的；也不能中了“伊斯兰国代表世界最大宗教之一”的圈套，导致在这场斗争中重要盟友离我们远去。我们要认清他们的真面目——他们就是杀手、疯子，必须予以追踪、缉捕并摧毁。
That's exactly what we are doing.For more than a year, America has led a coalition of more than 60 countries to cut off ISIL's financing, disrupt their plots, stop the flow of terrorist fighters, and stamp out their vicious ideology.With nearly 10,000 air strikes, we are taking out their leadership, their oil, their training camps, and their weapons.We are training, arming, and supporting forces who are steadily reclaiming territory in Iraq and Syria.而这恰恰是我们正在做的事情。过去一年多，美国领导着60多个国家的联盟，切断“伊斯兰国”的资金来源，发掘他们的阴谋诡计，阻止武装分子的人员流动，消除他们邪恶意识形态的影响。我们发动了近万次空袭，除掉他们的恐怖头目，破坏他们的石油供给，捣毁他们的训练营和武器。我们为正在逐步夺回伊拉克和叙利亚领土的武装力量提供培训、武器装备和其他支持。
If this Congress is serious about winning this war, and wants to send a message to our troops and the world, you should finally authorize the use of military force against ISIL.Take a vote.But the American people should know that with or without Congressional action, ISIL will learn the same lessons as terrorists before them.If you doubt America's commitment – or mine – to see that justice is done, ask Osama bin Laden.Ask the leader of al Qaeda in Yemen, who was taken out last year, or the perpetrator of the Benghazi attacks, who sits in a prison cell.When you come after Americans, we go after you.It may take time, but we have long memories, and our reach has no limit.如果本届国会真的希望赢得这场战争，同时向我们的军队和整个世界传达反恐决心，你们就应该授权军事力量介入对抗“伊斯兰国”。可以投票表决。但美国人民应当知道，无论国会是否行动，伊斯兰国也必将和以往的恐怖分子一样，得到应有的惩罚。如果你们怀疑美国或是我个人伸张正义的决心，不妨问问奥萨马 本 拉登。问问去年被击毙的也门基地组织头目，或者已成阶下囚的班加西事件主谋。如果你和美国过不去，美国绝不会放过你。这可能需要一些时间，但我们的记忆力很好，我们的打击没有时限。
Our foreign policy must be focused on the threat from ISIL and al Qaeda, but it can't stop there.For even without ISIL, instability will continue for decades in many parts of the world – in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in parts of Central America, Africa and Asia.Some of these places may become safe havens for new terrorist networks;others will fall victim to ethnic conflict, or famine, feeding the next wave of refugees.The world will look to us to help solve these problems, and our answer needs to be more than tough talk or calls to carpet bomb civilians.That may work as a TV sound bite, but it doesn't pass muster on the world stage.我们的外交政策焦点是“伊斯兰国”和基地组织的威胁，但并不仅限于此。因为即使没有“伊斯兰国”，未来几十年里，全球许多地区（包括中东、阿富汗和巴基斯坦、中美洲部分地区、非洲和亚洲）仍将动荡不安。它们中的有些地方有可能变成新的恐怖主义温床；有些则会深陷民族冲突或大饥荒，滋生新一轮难民潮。世界人民会指望我们去解决这些问题，我们的回应不能只是嘴上功夫：不断使用强硬的措辞，做给平民们看。这种回应可能在电视新闻上起点作用，但世界人民感受不到切实的鼓舞。
We also can't try to take over and rebuild every country that falls into crisis.That's not leadership;that's a recipe for quagmire, spilling American blood and treasure that ultimately weakens us.It's the lesson of Vietnam, of Iraq – and we should have learned it by now.我们也不能接管和重建每个陷入危机的国家。那不是领导力，那样只会将我们拖入泥潭，白白浪费美国人民的热血和财富，最终削弱我们自己。这是越战和伊战给我们的教训——我们早该铭记在心。
Fortunately, there's a smarter approach, a patient and disciplined strategy that uses every element of our national power.It says America will always act, alone if necessary, to protect our people and our allies;but on issues of global concern, we will mobilize the world to work with us, and make sure other countries pull their own weight.幸运的是，我们有更明智的办法。这是一个耐心、克制的策略，能充分发挥国家的每一分力量。这个策略就是：美国一定会采取行动——必要时单独行动——以保护我们的人民和盟友；但在全球共同关注的问题上，我们会动员全世界与我们一起行动，确保其他国家也尽到自己的职责。
That's our approach to conflicts like Syria, where we're partnering with local forces and leading international efforts to help that broken society pursue a lasting peace.这就是我们应对叙利亚等冲突时采取的方法：我们与当地军队合作，领导所有国际力量，共同帮助这个千疮百孔的社会实现长久和平。
That's why we built a global coalition, with sanctions and principled diplomacy, to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.As we speak, Iran has rolled back its nuclear program, shipped out its uranium stockpile, and the world has avoided another war.这就是为什么我们要建立全球联盟，通过制裁和有原则的外交手段防止伊朗拥有核武器。现在，伊朗已放弃核项目，运出浓缩铀储备，世界避免了又一场战争的爆发。
That's how we stopped the spread of Ebola in West Africa.Our military, our doctors, and our development workers set up the platform that allowed other countries to join us in stamping out that epidemic.这也是我们在西非阻止埃博拉病毒传播时采取的方法。我们的军队、医生和研究人员先搭好平台，然后集结其他国家加入抗击埃博拉的战役。
That's how we forged a Trans-Pacific Partnership to open markets, protect workers and the environment, and advance American leadership in Asia.It cuts 18,000 taxes on products Made in America, and supports more good jobs.With TPP, China doesn't set the rules in that region, we do.You want to show our strength in this century? Approve this agreement.Give us the tools to enforce it.这还是我们建立跨太平洋伙伴关系协定（TPP）时采取的方法。该协定能打开市场、保护工人利益、保护环境，还能增强美国在亚洲的领导力。它将取消针对18000种美国制造商品征收的关税，创造更多优质就业机会。在TPP协定下，中国不再是当地贸易规则的制定者，我们才是。你们想要美国在本世纪展现它的强大国力？那么就通过这一协议。给我们执行协议的工具。
Fifty years of isolating Cuba had failed to promote democracy, setting us back in Latin America.That's why we restored diplomatic relations, opened the door to travel and commerce, and positioned ourselves to improve the lives of the Cuban people.You want to consolidate our leadership and credibility in the hemisphere? Recognize that the Cold War is over.Lift the embargo.孤立古巴的50年未能推进这一地区的民主进程，反而削弱了我们在拉丁美洲的影响力。这就是为什么我们要恢复与古巴的外交关系，开启旅游和经商之门，帮助改善古巴人民的生活。你们想要巩固我们在南半球的领导力和可信度？那么就承认冷战已经结束，解除禁运吧。
American leadership in the 21st century is not a choice between ignoring the rest of the world – except when we kill terrorists;or occupying and rebuilding whatever society is unraveling.Leadership means a wise application of military power, and rallying the world behind causes that are right.It means seeing our foreign assistance as part of our national security, not charity.When we lead nearly 200 nations to the most ambitious agreement in history to fight climate change – that helps vulnerable countries, but it also protects our children.When we help Ukraine defend its democracy, or Colombia resolve a decades-long war, that strengthens the international order we depend upon.When we help African countries feed their people and care for the sick, that prevents the next pandemic from reaching our shores.Right now, we are on track to end the scourge of HIV/AIDS, and we have the capacity to accomplish the same thing with malaria – something I'll be pushing this Congress to fund this year.21世纪，美国体现领导力的方式并非只有下面两个选择：除了打击恐怖主义，再不关心其他世界事务；抑或，占领和重建每个正在土崩瓦解的社会。领导力意味着明智地运用武力，团结全世界的力量实现伟大目标。它意味着将海外援助视为国家安全的一部分，而非施舍。当我们领导近200个国家签署史上最具雄心的气候协议时，不仅帮助了易受气候变化影响的国家，也在造福我们的后代。我们协助乌克兰捍卫民主，我们帮助哥伦比亚结束长达十年的战争——这同时也巩固了我们赖以发展的国际秩序。当我们帮非洲国家解决饥荒、抗击病疫时，我们也防止了下一场大规模疫情危及美国。目前，我们正努力消除艾滋病带来的危害，我们也有能力消灭疟疾——这也是今年我会督促本届国会资助的项目。
That's strength.That's leadership.And that kind of leadership depends on the power of our example.That is why I will keep working to shut down the prison at Guantanamo: it's expensive, it's unnecessary, and it only serves as a recruitment brochure for our enemies.这才是国力，这才是领导力。这种领导力需要美国做出表率。这就是为什么我一直致力于关闭关塔那摩监狱：这一监狱耗资巨大，没有必要，只会为我们的敌人继续招兵买马提供说辞。
That's why we need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion.This isn't a matter of political correctness.It's a matter of understanding what makes us strong.The world respects us not just for our arsenal;it respects us for our diversity and our openness and the way we respect every faith.His Holiness, Pope Francis, told this body from the very spot I stand tonight that “to imitate the hatred and violence of tyrants and murderers is the best way to take their place.” When politicians insult Muslims, when a mosque is vandalized, or a kid bullied, that doesn't make us safer.That's not telling it like it is.It's just wrong.It diminishes us in the eyes of the world.It makes it harder to achieve our goals.And it betrays who we are as a country.这就是我们不该在政治上以人种和宗教区分别人的原因。这不是政治正确性的问题，而是我们必须知道美国强大的原因。世界敬重我们并非因为我们武力强大，而是因为我们的种族多样性，因为我们的包容和对每种信仰的尊重。教宗方济各曾站在这个讲台上和在座的议员说过：“如果你像暴君和杀人犯一样充满仇恨和暴力，那你也会很快成为他们那样的人。”有的政治家侮辱穆斯林，有人肆意破坏清真寺，有孩童受到欺辱……这些都不会让我们的国家更安全。我们美国人不应该是这样的人。这种做法大错特错。它贬低了我们在世界眼中的形象，让我们更难达成目标。而且它背离了美国的国家本质。
“We the People.”
“我们合众国人民”。
Our Constitution begins with those three simple words, words we've come to recognize mean all the people, not just some;words that insist we rise and fall together.That brings me to the fourth, and maybe the most important thing I want to say tonight.我们的宪法以这三个简单的词开始，也是这三个词让我们认识到，这里指的是所有人，而不是一部分人；这三个单词坚定地认为我们应该共进退。这就是我想说的第四点，也可能是今晚我想讲的最重要的一点。
The future we want – opportunity and security for our families;a rising standard of living and a sustainable, peaceful planet for our kids – all that is within our reach.But it will only happen if we work together.It will only happen if we can have rational, constructive debates.我们期盼的未来：每个家庭都享有机遇和安全；生活水平得以提高，以及为孩子们创造一个可持续的、和平的星球，这些都是我们可以实现的。但是，要实现这些期盼，我们必须一起努力。只有经过理性、且富有建设性的辩论，这些期盼才可能实现。
It will only happen if we fix our politics.要实现这一期盼，我们必须解决政治问题。
A better politics doesn't mean we have to agree on everything.This is a big country, with different regions and attitudes and interests.That's one of our strengths, too.Our Founders distributed power between states and branches of government, and expected us to argue, just as they did, over the size and shape of government, over commerce and foreign relations, over the meaning of liberty and the imperatives of security.更好的政治形态并不意味着意见始终统一。美国是一个大国，有不同的地区，不同的看法，不同的利益。这也是我们的优势之一。开国先驱们将权力分配给各个州，各政府部门，希望我们像他们一样进行辩论，探讨政府的规模和形态，探讨贸易和外交关系，探讨自由的含义和安全的必要性。
But democracy does require basic bonds of trust between its citizens.It doesn't work if we think the people who disagree with us are all motivated by malice, or that our political opponents are unpatriotic.Democracy grinds to a halt without a willingness to compromise;or when even basic facts are contested, and we listen only to those who agree with us.Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices get attention.Most of all, democracy breaks down when the average person feels their voice doesn't matter;that the system is rigged in favor of the rich or the powerful or some narrow interest.但民主确实需要公民之间的信任纽带。如果我们认为与自己观点相左的人都心怀恶意，或者认为我们的政敌都不爱国，那民主就无法实现。如果不愿意妥协，连最基本的事实都存在争议，而我们只听那些赞同的声音，那么民主就会停滞不前。如果只有最极端的声音受到重视，那我们的公共生活就会衰落。最重要的是，当人民大众觉得自己的呼声无关紧要，而整个社会体制被有钱、有权或者个别人的利益所操控时，民主就将崩溃。
Too many Americans feel that way right now.It's one of the few regrets of my presidency – that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better.There's no doubt a president with the gifts of Lincoln or Roosevelt might have better bridged the divide, and I guarantee I'll keep trying to be better so long as I hold this office.目前，很多美国人都有这种感受。这是我总统任期内的几件憾事之一，各党派之间的积怨和猜疑并未减弱，而是变得更深。毫无疑问，如果具备林肯或罗斯福那样的才能，可能党派之间的嫌隙会调和得好一些，我保证，在我任职期间，我会不断努力，争取做到更好。
But, my fellow Americans, this cannot be my task – or any President's – alone.There are a whole lot of folks in this chamber who would like to see more cooperation, a more elevated debate in Washington, but feel trapped by the demands of getting elected.I know;you've told me.And if we want a better politics, it's not enough to just change a Congressman or a Senator or even a President;we have to change the system to reflect our better selves.但是，美国同胞们，这不仅仅是我的责任，也不仅仅是某位总统的责任。在座的当中，有不少人期盼在更多方面相互合作，期盼在华盛顿有更高层次的辩论，但却因为受到选举利益的羁绊而无法做到。我知道这种情况，听你们说过。如果我们想优化政治形态，仅换掉一个国会议员或参议员，甚至换掉一位总统是不够的，我们必须改变整个体制，来展现更好的自己。
We have to end the practice of drawing our congressional districts so that politicians can pick their voters, and not the other way around.We have to reduce the influence of money in our politics, so that a handful of families and hidden interests can't bankroll our elections – and if our existing approach to campaign finance can't pass muster in the courts, we need to work together to find a real solution.We've got to make voting easier, not harder, and modernize it for the way we live now.And over the course of this year, I intend to travel the country to push for reforms that do.我们要取消划分国会选区的做法，因为划分选区后，政客们会自己去选择选民，而不是让选民选择他们。我们必须降低金钱对政治的影响，这样就可以防止少数家族和幕后利益集团用资金影响选举。如果关于竞选资金的现行办法未能获得法院通过，我们就要共同努力，寻求真正的解决方案。我们要让投票更容易，而不是更难，我们应顺应现在的生活方式，使投票方式现代化。今年，我打算走遍全国，来推进这些改革。
But I can't do these things on my own.Changes in our political process – in not just who gets elected but how they get elected – that will only happen when the American people demand it.It will depend on you.That's what's meant by a government of, by, and for the people.但仅凭我一人之力，是无法做到这些的。政治进程的变革，不是改变谁当选，而是改变当选的方式。只有美国民众要求进行变革时，变革才会发生。这是由你们决定的。这就是“民有、民治、民享政府”的真正含义。
What I'm asking for is hard.It's easier to be cynical;to accept that change isn't possible, and politics is hopeless, and to believe that our voices and actions don't matter.But if we give up now, then we forsake a better future.Those with money and power will gain greater control over the decisions that could send a young soldier to war, or allow another economic disaster, or roll back the equal rights and voting rights that generations of Americans have fought, even died, to secure.As frustration grows, there will be voices urging us to fall back into tribes, to scapegoat fellow citizens who don't look like us, or pray like us, or vote like we do, or share the same background.我所提出的要求绝非易事。相比而言，变得愤世嫉俗，认为变革不可能发生、政治已经无药可救，并且认定自己的呼声和行动毫无意义，这些事情更容易做到。但是如果我们现在放弃，那我们也放弃了更加美好的未来。拥有金钱和权力的人会在更大程度上左右重大决定，可能是将年轻士兵送往前线，可能是批准会引起灾难的经济政策，也可能是为了维持控制权，驳回历代美国人民为之奋斗牺牲的平等权和投票权。如果这样的倒行逆施持续下去，又会有人催促我们回到部落时代，让那些与我们长相不同，信仰不同，选举方式不同，背景不同的同胞当他们的替罪羊。
We can't afford to go down that path.It won't deliver the economy we want, or the security we want, but most of all, it contradicts everything that makes us the envy of the world.我们不能选择那条道路，因为路的尽头没有我们追求的经济繁荣，没有社会安定，最重要的是，无法让我们成为如今这样令世人羡慕的国家。
So, my fellow Americans, whatever you may believe, whether you prefer one party or no party, our collective future depends on your willingness to uphold your obligations as a citizen.To vote.To speak out.To stand up for others, especially the weak, especially the vulnerable, knowing that each of us is only here because somebody, somewhere, stood up for us.To stay active in our public life so it reflects the goodness and decency and optimism that I see in the American people every single day.我的美国同胞们，无论你信仰什么，无论你支持一党制或无党制，美国的未来掌握在你们手中，需要你们自愿履行好自己作为公民的义务。你们要参与选举；你们要敢于发声；你们要为他人，尤其是弱势群体，争取权利，要清楚知道我们能在这里就是因为有人在某个地方支持着我们。你们要积极参与公共生活，让美国人民的善良、礼貌以及乐观渗透每个角落，就像我每天接触到的美国民众一样。
It won't be easy.Our brand of democracy is hard.But I can promise that a year from now, when I no longer hold this office, I'll be right there with you as a citizen – inspired by those voices of fairness and vision, of grit and good humor and kindness that have helped America travel so far.Voices that help us see ourselves not first and foremost as black or white or Asian or Latino, not as gay or straight, immigrant or native born;not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans first, bound by a common creed.Voices Dr.King believed would have the final word – voices of unarmed truth and unconditional love.这并不是一件容易的事。我们的民主道路也很艰难。但是，我能保证，一年之后，我已不再是美国总统，我将和你们一样，是一个普通的美国公民，那些曾经帮助美国前进的公平与远见之声、坚韧之声，以及幽默与和善之声，也会让我倍受鼓舞。这些声音告诉我们，每个人的身份，无论黑人还是白人，无论亚裔还是拉丁裔，无论性取向如何，无论是移民还是土生土长的美国人，无论是民主党还是共和党，我们首先都是美国人，并且有着共同的信念。用马丁 路德 金的话来总结就是：不靠武装发声的真理以及无条件的爱。
They're out there, those voices.They don't get a lot of attention, nor do they seek it, but they are busy doing the work this country needs doing.这些人，这些声音一直都在。寂静无声，不求关注，但却一直在为这个国家奔忙。
I see them everywhere I travel in this incredible country of ours.I see you.I know you're there.You're the reason why I have such incredible confidence in our future.Because I see your quiet, sturdy citizenship all the time.在美国这片热土上，我所到之处都能看到这么一群美国人的身影。我看到了你们所有人，我知道你们都是其中的一员。正因为有你们，我才能如此自信于美国的未来。因为我知道一直有着默默无闻，坚定勇敢的美国公民为美国的未来奋斗。
I see it in the worker on the assembly line who clocked extra shifts to keep his company open, and the boss who pays him higher wages to keep him on board.有一位在装配流水线上工作的工人，每天加班加点以确保公司正常运营，而他的老板也会给他加薪，让他继续坚守岗位。
I see it in the Dreamer who stays up late to finish her science project, and the teacher who comes in early because he knows she might someday cure a disease.有一个女孩有着自己的科学梦想，为完成科学项目彻夜不休，而她的老师会提前进教室给她上课，因为他知道，总有一天她会成功发现某种治疗疾病的良方。
I see it in the American who served his time, and dreams of starting over – and the business owner who gives him that second chance.The protester determined to prove that justice matters, and the young cop walking the beat, treating everybody with respect, doing the brave, quiet work of keeping us safe.有一位美国人服完刑期，想要重新开始，而有位老板给了他第二次开始人生的机会；抗议者希望彰显社会公平正义；年轻的警官在街上巡查，尊重他人，兢兢业业，默默守护我们的安全。
I see it in the soldier who gives almost everything to save his brothers, the nurse who tends to him 'til he can run a marathon, and the community that lines up to cheer him on.有个士兵为救自己同胞不惜一切，身受重伤；有位护士悉心照料他，直至他痊愈参加马拉松；而所在社区的人纷纷为他加油。
It's the son who finds the courage to come out as who he is, and the father whose love for that son overrides everything he's been taught.有这么个孩子勇敢地做自己，敢于出柜，而深爱他的父亲也会放弃自己的旧观念继续爱他。
I see it in the elderly woman who will wait in line to cast her vote as long as she has to;the new citizen who casts his for the first time;the volunteers at the polls who believe every vote should count, because each of them in different ways know how much that precious right is worth.有一位老妇人，只要自己还有选举权，她都会亲自排队去投上一票；有位美国新公民第一次高兴地投上自己的选票；选举站的志愿者深信每一票都很重要，因为他们都懂得这投票权的分量有多重。
That's the America I know.That's the country we love.Clear-eyed.Big-hearted.Optimistic that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.That's what makes me so hopeful about our future.Because of you.I believe in you.That's why I stand here confident that the State of our Union is strong.这就是我所认识的美国。这就是我们热爱着的国家。人们明辨是非，慷慨善良，并且乐观地相信，不靠武器发声的真理和无条件的爱必将主导这个世界。因此我才如此坚信美国的未来。因为有你们，我相信你们。因为美国的强大，我才能如此自信地站在这里。
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.谢谢，上帝保佑你们，上帝保佑美利坚合众国。
英文来源：medium.com
译者：刘蒙霏 陶鑫黎 史敏 孙慧 张文林 王怡 金小薇 方正
审校&编辑：马文英 陈丹妮 杜娟
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