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奥巴马在本周的电视演讲中，提到了关于中产阶级的定义，比如有一份收入丰厚的好工作、有房子、受过良好的教育、有保障的退休生活以及负担得起的医保。而一切归根结底取决于持久而稳定的经济增长，所以奥巴马将会继续推出经济刺激计划。

奥巴马2013年7月27日演讲

A Better Bargain for the Middle Class 为中产阶级争取更多利益译文

Hi everybody. On Wednesday, I spoke about what we need to do as a country to build a better bargain for the middle class – to make sure everyone who works hard has a chance to get ahead in the 21st century economy.

大家好。周三，我谈到了我们作为一个国家需要做什么为中产阶级讨回一点利益—确保任何努力工作的人在21世纪的经济里有机会过得好。

You see, over the past four and a half years, America has fought its way back from the worst recession of our lifetimes. We saved the auto industry, took on a broken health care system, invested in new American technologies to reverse our addiction to foreign oil, and changed a tax code too skewed in favor of the wealthiest at the expense of working families.

众所周知，在过去的四年半里，美国一直在艰苦奋斗，走出我们一生中最严重的衰退。我们挽救了汽车工业，修补了破损的医疗体系，投资于美国的新技术逆转我们对进口石油的依赖，修改了倾向于最富人群而牺牲工薪阶层的税法。

As a result, our businesses have created 7.2 million new jobs over the past 40 months. We produce more renewable energy than ever, and more natural gas than anyone. Health care costs are growing at the slowest rate in 50 years. Our deficits are falling at the fastest rate in 60 years.

结果是，我们的企业在过去的40个月里创造了7百20万新就业机会。我们比以往生产了更多的可再生能源，生产的天然气超过任何国家。医疗成本增长率创50年来最低。我们的以60年来最快的速度下降。

Thanks to the grit and resilience of the American people, we’ve cleared away the rubble of crisis and begun to lay a new foundation for stronger, more durable economic growth.

多亏了美国人民的坚忍不拔，我们扫清了危机的废墟奠定了更加强劲更加持久的经济增长的基础。

But as any middle-class family will tell you, we’re not yet where we need to be. Trends that have been eroding middle-class security for decades – technology that makes some jobs obsolete, global competition that makes others moveable, growing inequality and the policies that perpetuate it – all these things still exist, and in some ways, the recession made them worse.

但是正如任何一个中产阶级今天会告诉你的，我们做的还不到位。几十年来侵蚀中产阶级安全感的各种趋势—使一些工作过时的技术，使其他国家进步的全球竞争，日益增长的不平等和令其屡禁不止的政策—这一切都存在，经济衰退还以某些方式加重这些。

Reversing these trends must be Washington’s highest priority. It sure is mine. But over the past couple of years in particular, Washington has taken its eye off the ball. An endless parade of distractions, political posturing and phony scandals shift focus from what needs to be done. And as Washington prepares to enter another budget debate, the stakes could not be higher. The choices we make now will determine whether or not every American has a fighting chance in the 21st century.

逆转这些趋势必须是华盛顿的第一要务。它肯定是我的第一要务。但是在过去的几年里，华盛顿反而把视线转开了。无尽的游行、政治作秀、造假丑闻使我们偏离了我们需要做的。随着华盛顿准备进入另一场预算辩论，没有什么更加紧迫了。我们现在做出的决策将决定是否每一个美国人都在21世纪有机会奋斗。

If we don’t make the investments necessary to make America a magnet for good jobs – in education, and manufacturing, and research, and our transportation and information networks – we might as well hit the “pause” button while the rest of the world forges ahead in a global economy. And that ’ s certainly not going to fix what ails the middle class.

如果我们不做必要的投资使美国成为好工作的磁石—在教育、制造业、研究和我们的交通通讯网络的投资—我们可能就会按下“暂停”按钮，而世界上其他更加则在全球经济中大踏步前进。这当然不能解决中产阶级的困扰。

Here’s what will: a strategy that builds on the cornerstones of what it means to be middle class in America, and what it takes to work your way into the middle class. Good jobs that pay good wages. An education that prepares our children and our workers for the global competition they’ll face. Homeownership that’s based on a solid foundation, where buyers and lenders play by the same set of rules. Affordable health care that’s there for you when you get sick. A secure retirement even if you’re not rich. More chances for folks to earn their way into the middle class as long as they’re willing to work for it.

以下是能解决这些困扰的：建立在决定什么是美国的中产阶级的基石上的战略，它能为你开辟进入中产阶级的道路。收入可观的好工作。武装我们的孩子们和工人们应对他们面临的全球竞争的教育。基础牢固的居者有其屋，买房者和放贷者在同一规则下竞争。当你生病时可承受的医疗。你不富裕也有保靠的退休金。更多的只要努力工作就能得到的进入中产阶级的机会。

Over the next several weeks, in cities and towns across the country, I’ll continue to lay out my ideas in each of these areas. Because reversing the forces that have conspired against the middle class for decades will require more than short-term thinking; it will require a long-term American strategy, based on steady, persistent effort.

在未来的几周里，在全国各个城市和乡镇，我将继续在这些地区阐述我的观点。因为打退几十年来暗中损害中产阶级的势力需要的不是短期思维；它需要的是长期的美国战略，基于稳定的坚实的努力的战略。

I know there are members of both parties who understand what’s at stake, and I’m open to ideas from across the political spectrum, as long as they meet the test of strengthening the prospects of hard-working families. But repealing Obamacare, gutting critical investments in our future, threatening to default on the bills this country has already racked up, or shutting down the government just because I’m for keeping it open – none of those thing add up to an economic plan. None of that will take this country where it needs to go.

我知道两党都有一批人理解什么是当务之急，我将海纳百川听取任何政治派别的意见，只要它们能经得起加强勤奋工作家庭愿景的考验。但是废除“奥巴马医保”，对未来投资釜底抽薪，威胁要对国家已经积累的赤字赖账，或仅仅因为我倾向继续运行就关闭政府—这些都不能列入经济计划。这些都不能使国家实现其发展目标。

We can do this if we work together. It won’t be easy, but if we take a few bold steps – and if Washington is willing to shake off its complacency and set aside some of the slash-and-burn partisanship we’ ve seen in recent years – our economy will keep getting stronger.

如果我们齐心协力我们就能做到这些。它不是能一蹴而就的，但是如果我们采取一些大胆的举措—如果华盛顿愿意放弃他们的妄自尊大和搁置我们近年来看到的争斗性政党关系—我们的经济就能更加强劲。

And as long as I have the privilege of holding this office, I will spend every minute of every day doing everything in my power to make this economy work for working Americans again; to build that better bargain for the middle class; to make sure that the American Dream is something that’s achievable for everybody – not just today, but for decades to come.

只要我有机会在总统职位，我就会每日每时每刻在我的职权范围内尽一切努力使这个经济体再次为辛勤工作的美国人工作；为中产阶级争取更多利益；确保美国梦是每个人都能圆的梦—不仅今天，今后几十年也如此。

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

谢谢，周末愉快。