第1篇 奥巴马发表讲话悼念南非国父曼德拉逝世英语演讲稿
at his trial in 1964, nelson mandela closed his statement from the dock saying, 'i have foughtagainst white domination, and i have fought against black domination. i have cherished theideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and withequal opportunities. it is an ideal which i hope to live for and to achieve. but if needs be, it isan ideal for which i am prepared to die.'
纳尔逊·曼德拉在1964年接受审判时在被告席上结束他的陈述时说:“我曾为反对白人统治而斗争,也曾为反对黑人统治而斗争。我一直珍藏着一个民主、自由的社会理想,让所有人都生活在一个和谐共处、机会均等的社会中。我希望为这个理想而生并将其付诸实现。但是,如果需要,我也愿为这样一个理想献出生命。”
and nelson mandela lived for that ideal, and he made it real. he achieved more than could bee_pected of any man. today, he has gone home. and we have lost one of the most influential,courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on thisearth. he no longer belongs to us -- he belongs to the ages.
纳尔逊·曼德拉为这个理想而生,并将其变成现实。他的成就超出了我们能够寄望于任何一个人去取得的。今天,他安息了。而我们失去了一位我们任何一个人能在这个地球上与之共渡时光的人中,最有影响力、最有勇气、最无比善良的一位。他不再属于我们——他属于一个时代。
through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom ofothers, madiba transformed south africa -- and moved all of us. his journey from a prisonerto a president embodied the promise that human beings -- and countries -- can change for thebetter. his commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set ane_ample that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personallives. and the fact that he did it all with grace and good humor, and an ability toacknowledge his own imperfections, only makes the man that much more remarkable. as heonce said, 'i am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.'
曼德拉以其强烈的尊严和为了他人的自由不惜牺牲自己的自由的不折的意志,改变了南非的面貌,并感动了我们所有人。他从一名囚徒变成一位总统的历程体现了全人类——以及各个国家——都能变得更美好的希望。他移交权力并同那些关押他的人和解的承诺,树立了一个全人类都应当追求的典范,不论是在国家生活中,还是在我们的个人生活中。而他在做到这一切时还能保持风度和幽默,以及承认自己的不足的能力,这使他更加卓尔不群。他曾说过:“我不是一个圣人,除非你们认为圣人是一个不断努力的罪人。”
i am one of the countless millions who drew inspiration from nelson mandela's life. my veryfirst political action, the first thing i ever did that involved an issue or a policy or politics, was aprotest against apartheid. i studied his words and his writings. the day that he was releasedfrom prison gave me a sense of what human beings can do when they’re guided by their hopesand not by their fears. and like so many around the globe, i cannot fully imagine my own lifewithout the e_ample that nelson mandela set, and so long as i live i will do what i can to learnfrom him.
在被纳尔逊·曼德拉的经历所激励的亿万人中,我是其中一员。我的第一次政治行动——我所做的与一项议题或政策或政治有关的第一件事——就是抗议种族歧视。 我认真研读了他的话和他的著作。他走出监狱的那一天,我认识到人类能够在自己的希望——而不是恐惧——引领下所能成就的事业。正如全球各地许许多多的人一 样,我无法充分想象没有纳尔逊·曼德拉的榜样我的生活会是怎样。在我的有生之年,我将尽最大努力向他学习。
to graça machel and his family, michelle and i e_tend our deepest sympathy and gratitudefor sharing this e_traordinary man with us. his life’s work meant long days away from thosewho loved him the most. and i only hope that the time spent with him these last few weeksbrought peace and comfort to his family.
米歇尔和我谨向格拉萨·马歇尔和曼德拉的家人致以最深沉的慰唁,并感谢他们与我们分享这位不平凡的人。他的毕生努力意味着长年累月远离最爱他的人们。我真切地希望与他共同度过的最后这几个星期为他的家人带来了平静与安慰。
to the people of south africa, we draw strength from the e_ample of renewal,andreconciliation, and resilience that you made real. a free south africa at peace with itself --that’s an e_ample to the world, and that’s madiba’s legacy to the nation he loved.
对南非人民,我们要说,你们通过重生、和解与坚毅树立的榜样给了我们力量。一个自由、和平的南非——这是世界的榜样,这是“马迪巴”(曼德拉的家族名)为他所热爱的国家留下的遗产。
we will not likely see the likes of nelson mandela again. so it falls to us as best we can toforward the e_ample that he set: to make decisions guided not by hate, but by love; to neverdiscount the difference that one person can make; to strive for a future that is worthy of hissacrifice.
我们可能难以再见到像纳尔逊·曼德拉这样的伟人。因此,我们的责任是尽我们所能把他树立的榜样传承下去:基于爱——而不是恨——来作决定;永远不要低估一个人所能带来的变化;努力建设一个无愧于他的牺牲的未来。
for now, let us pause and give thanks for the fact that nelson mandela lived -- a man who tookhistory in his hands, and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice. may god bless hismemory and keep him in peace.
现在,让我们停下来,为纳尔逊·曼德拉曾经活着而表达我们的感激之情——他用双手握住历史,把道德宇宙的长虹折向正义。愿上帝保佑他的记忆,使他安息。
第2篇 英语演讲稿——奥巴马就职演讲
barack obama’s inaugural address
my fellow citizens:
i stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. i thank president bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
forty-four americans have now taken the presidential oath. the words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. at these moments, america has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
so it has been. so it must be with this generation of americans.
that we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
these are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that america’s decline is inevitable, and that the ne_t generation must lower its sights.
today i say to you that the challenges we face are real. they are serious and they are many. they will not be met easily or in a short span of time. but know this, america - they will be met.
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第3篇 奥巴马就通用汽车公司重组一事英语演讲稿
remarks by the president on general motors restructuring
grand foyer
june 1, 2022
just over two months ago, i spoke with you in this same spot about the challenges facing our auto industry, and i laid out what needed to be done to save two of america's most storied automakers ——general motors and chrysler. these companies were facing a crisis decades in the making, and having relied on loans from the previous administration, were asking for more。
from the beginning, i made it clear that i would not put any more ta_ dollars on the line if it meant perpetuating the bad business decisions that had led these companies to seek help in the first place. i refused to let these companies become permanent wards of the state, kept afloat on an endless supply of ta_payer money. in other words, i refused to kick the can down the road。
but i also recognized the importance of a viable auto industry to the well-being of families and communities across our industrial midwest and across the united states. in the midst of a deep recession and financial crisis, the collapse of these companies would have been devastating for countless americans, and done enormous damage to our economy —— beyond the auto industry. it was also clear that if gm and chrysler remade and retooled themselves for the 21st century, it would be good for american workers, good for american manufacturing, and good for america's economy。
i decided, then, that if gm and chrysler and their stakeholders were willing to sacrifice for their companies survival and success; if they were willing to take the difficult, but necessary steps to restructure, and make themselves stronger, leaner, and more competitive, then the united states government would stand behind them。
the original restructuring plans submitted by gm and chrysler earlier this year did not call for the sweeping changes these companies needed to survive —— and i couldn't in good conscience proceed on that basis. so we gave them a chance to develop a stronger plan that would put them on a path toward long-term viability. the 60 days gm had to submit its revised plans have now elapsed, and i want to say a few words about where we are and what steps will be taken going forward. but before i do, i want to give you an update on where things stand with chrysler。
when my administration took office and began going over chrysler's books, the future of this great american car company was uncertain. in fact, it was not clear whether it had any future at all. but after consulting with my auto task force, industry e_perts, and financial advisors, and after asking many tough questions, i became convinced that if chrysler were willing to undergo a restructuring and if it were able to form a partnership with a viable global car company, then chrysler could get a new lease on life。
well, that more promising scenario has now come to pass. today, after taking a number of painful steps, and moving through a quick, efficient, and fair bankruptcy process, a new, stronger chrysler is poised to complete its alliance with fiat. just 31 days after chrysler's chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, a court has approved the chrysler-fiat alliance, paving the way for a new chrysler to emerge from bankruptcy in the ne_t few days。
what happens ne_t is in the hands of their e_ecutives, managers, and workers ——as it is for any private company. but what the completion of this alliance means is that tens of thousands of jobs that would have been lost if chrysler had liquidated will now be saved, and that consumers have no reason at all to worry about a restructuring—— even one as painful as what chrysler underwent。
and keep in mind —— many e_perts said that a quick, surgical bankruptcy was impossible. they were wrong. others predicted that chrysler's decision to enter bankruptcy would lead to an immediate collapse in consumer confidence that would send car sales over a cliff. they were wrong, as well. in fact, chrysler sold more cars in may than it did in april, in part because consumers were comforted by our e_traordinary commitment to stand behind a quick bankruptcy process. all in all, it's a dramatic —— an outcome dramatically better than what appeared likely when this process began。
美国总统就通用汽车公司重组一事发表演讲
大会堂前厅
2022年6月1日
就在两个多月前,就在此处,我与诸位探讨了美国汽车业所面临的挑战,我列出了拯救美国两大著名汽车制造商——通用汽车公司和克莱斯勒公司所应采取的措施。这两家公司面临着过去几十年中孕育已久的危机,他们依赖往届政府的贷款,现在又要求政府提供更多帮助。
从一开始我就明确表示,我将不会投入更多的税收,否则就意味着将失败的经营决策继续下去,而这种经营决策已经导致上述两家公司首先提出援助要求。我不会任凭这些公司成为国家永久的负担,靠纳税人的源源不断提供血汗钱而生存。换言之,我不会再采用权宜之计了。
但我也承认,在以工业为主的中西部地区乃至全美,一个能独立生存的汽车企业关乎家庭及社会的福祉。在经济严重衰退和金融危机时期,这些公司的倒闭对无数美国人来说无疑是一种灾难,会对全国经济造成巨大影响——且远不止是汽车工业。如果通用汽车公司和克莱斯勒公司能在21世纪自行重组再造,毫无疑问,这将有益于美国的工人、制造业以及美国的整体经济。
因此,我决定,如果通用汽车公司和克莱斯勒公司及其利益相关者愿意为公司的生存和成功作出牺牲,愿意直面困难,通过采取必要的重组措施使公司变得更为强大、精悍、更富竞争力,那么,美国政府就会支持它们。
今年年初,通用汽车公司和克莱斯勒公司最初提交的重组计划中并未提出企业生存必需的全面改革计划,因此我不能愧对良心在这种条件下给予支持,我给了它们一个机会——制定一项更强有力的计划,并走上长期保持生存能力的道路。然而,通用汽车公司提交修改计划的60天期限已经过去,我要对我们的现状和未来采取的措施发表看法。但是在这之前,我想讲一下克莱斯勒的最新进展。
本届政府执政后就开始彻查克莱斯勒的账目,发现这个美国汽车业的巨头前途未卜。事实上,它是否还有前途都不得而知。但是经过咨询白宫汽车行动小组、行业专家和财政顾问,并就诸多难题进行探讨后,我开始相信如果克莱斯勒愿意重组,能与一家具备生存能力的全球化汽车企业建立伙伴关系,那么它将会重获新生。
更多充满希望的剧情正在上演。今天,在经历了一系列痛苦的环节以及快速、高效和公平的破产程序后,一个全新且更具实力的克莱斯勒完成了与菲亚特的结盟。仅在克莱斯勒依据《破产法》第11章规定申请破产的31天后,法院批准了克莱斯勒-菲亚特的结盟,为克莱斯勒在未来几年中重塑自我并从破产中崛起铺平了道路。
接下来,公司的命运就掌控在公司的高层、经理和员工的手中了,这和任何其他私营企业并无二致。但结盟的完成意味着因克莱斯勒公司清偿债务会失去的数万个工作岗位,将得以保留,消费者也无须对重组有丝毫担忧,即使这种重组和克莱斯勒所经历的一切同样令人痛苦。
值得关注的是,许多专家曾认为外科手术式的快速破产方式不可行,然而,他们错了。另一些人预计克莱斯勒公司的破产决定将会导致消费者信心会顷刻瓦解,使汽车销量一落千丈,他们也错了。事实上,克莱斯勒公司5月的销售业绩要好于4月,部分原因是由于我们对快速破产程序做出了特别承诺,安抚了消费者。总而言之,与程序启动时相比,效果极为明显。
第4篇 奥巴马总统在安赛乐米塔尔集团克利夫兰钢铁厂英语演讲稿
the president: hello, ohio! (applause.) it is good to be backin cleveland. the last timei was herewas about a year ago, in the final days of the campaign. i know how much you misshearing how iapprove this message every night on your tv. (laughter.) i will say it is niceto behere when the only real battle for ohio is the browns-bengals game thissunday. (applause.)he’s got the browns shirt right here, brownscap. (laughter.)
i want to thank scotty for thatterrific introduction. give him a biground of applause. (applause.) he is a natural. i want to thank your ceo, lakshmi mittal, forinvesting in americaand the cleveland area. we appreciate him. (applause.) and i want to thankall of you forhaving me here today.
along with me, there are a coupleof people i just want to acknowledge. first of all,america’s secretary of energy, ernie moniz, is here. right there. (applause.) andcongresswomanmarcy kaptur is here. give marcy a biground of applause. (applause.) fightingfor working people every day.
and earlier this afternoon i hada chance to see your mayor, frank jackson; your countye_ecutive, edfitzgerald. and even though they’re nothere, i want to thank them for the greatwork they’re doing on behalf ofworking people throughout the region. (applause.)
and then, finally, i want tothank mark and gary for showing me one of the biggest steelplants inamerica. and they told me that folks areproud to have been making steel right here fora century -- 100 years -- righthere. (applause.) and they e_plained that, today, the steelyoumake in cleveland is some of the strongest you’ll find anywhere in theworld. it’s one of themost productiveplants in the world. best workers in theworld. (applause.)
and what’s remarkable is, whenyou think about it, go back to where this plant was just afew years ago. the economy was in free fall, auto industryon the brink of collapse. and thatmeantdemand for steel had dried up. the blastfurnaces went quiet. about 1,200steelworkerspunched out for what might have been the last time. and that all came at the end of a decadewhenthe middle class was already working harder and harder just to get by, andnearly one inthree american manufacturing jobs had vanished -- a lot of themgoing overseas. and that couldhavedevastated this community for good.
but we rolled up our sleeves, wemade some tough choices. we rescued andretooled theamerican auto industry; it saved more than a million jobs. we bet on american ingenuity andamericanworkers. (applause.) and assembly lines started humming again, andautomakersstarted to make cars again. and just a few months after this plant shutdown, your plantmanager got the call: fire those furnaces back up, get those workers back on the job. and overthe last four years, you’ve madeyourselves one of the most productive steel mills not just inamerica, but inthe world. in the world. (applause.)
so you retooled to make thestronger steel that goes into newer, better american cars andtrucks. you created new partnerships with schools andcommunity colleges to make sure thatfolks who work here have the high-techskills they need for the high-tech jobs -- because i waslooking around thisfactory, and there’s a whole bunch of computer stuff going on.
one of your engineers -- and iwant to make sure i get margaret’s name right here --margaret krolikowski. did i get that right, margaret? (applause.) where’s margaret? whereisshe? there is she is, back there. so i’m going to quote you -- i’m going toquote you. here’swhat margaretsaid: “when we came back, we wanted tomake sure we were in a position wherewe never shut down again.” never shut down again. and that means making sure that workershereare constantly upgrading their skills and investments being made in thestate-of-the-arttechnology.
and it was interesting, when iwas meeting a number of the folks who were giving me thetour -- folks who havebeen here 30 years, 40 years -- but obviously the plant has changed, andsoduring that period they’ve had to upgrade their skills. and that’s what’s happened. and thestory of this plant is the story ofamerica over the last five years. wehaven’t just beenrecovering from a crisis. what we’ve been trying to do is rebuild a new foundation for growthandprosperity to protect ourselves from future crises. and because of the grit and resilienceandoptimism of the american people, we’re seeing comeback stories like yours allacrossamerica.
over the last 44 months, ourbusinesses have created 7.8 million new jobs. last month,another 200,000 americans went back to work. (applause.) and a lot of those jobs are inmanufacturing. so now we’ve got more work to do to get thoseengines of the economy churningeven faster. but because we’ve been willing to do some hard things, not just kick thecan downthe road, factories are reopening their doors, businesses are hiringnew workers, companies thatwere shipping jobs overseas, they’re starting totalk about bringing those jobs back to america.we’re starting to see that.
and let me give you an e_ample,because we were talking about this -- mr. mittal and otherswere talking aboutwhat’s different now. take a look atwhat we’ve done with american energy.for years, folks have talked about reducing our dependence on foreignoil -- but we didn’t reallydo it. andwe were just importing more and more oil, sending more and more moneyoverseas.gas prices keep on going upand up and up. we finally decided wewere going to do somethingabout it.
so we invested in new americantechnologies to reverse our addiction to foreign oil,double wind power, doublesolar power, produce more oil, produce more natural gas, and do itall in a waythat is actually bringing down some of our pollution, making our entireeconomymore energy-efficient. today, we generatemore renewable energy than ever.weproduce more natural gas than anybody in the world. just yesterday, we learned that for thefirsttime since 1995, the united states of america produces more of our own oil hereat homethan we buy from other countries. first time since 1995. (applause.) and that’s a big deal.that’s what america has done these past fiveyears.
and that is a huge competitiveadvantage for us. part of the reasoncompanies now want tomove -- we were just talking about it -- this plant, ifit’s located in germany, energy costs aredouble, maybe triple; same injapan. so this gives us a big edge. but this is also important: wereached the milestone not just because we’reproducing more energy, but also we’re wastingless energy. and this plant is a good e_ample of it. we set new fuel standards that doublethedistance our cars and trucks go on a gallon of gas by the middle of the ne_tdecade. thatsaves the average driver,everybody here, more than $8,000 at the pump over the life of a newcar. you like that? (applause.) we launched initiatives to put people to work upgrading ourhomes, andour businesses, and our factories so we’re wasting less energy. all that savesbusinesses money on theirenergy bills. your plant is one of thehundreds to answer that call.and if you’resaving money on energy costs, that means you can invest in equipment, investinworkers, hire more people, produce more products.
and here’s another thing: between more clean energy, less wastedenergy, the carbonpollution that’s helping to warm the planet, that actuallystarts going down. and that’s goodnewsfor anybody who cares about leaving a planet to our kids that is as beautifulas the one wegot from our parents and our grandparents. (applause.) so it’s a win-win. our economykeepsgrowing, creating new jobs, which means that strengthening our energysecurity and increasingenergy efficiency doesn’t have to be a choice betweenthe environment and the economy --we can do both.
so we’ve tackled the way we useenergy. that’s making america morecompetitive in order toattract good jobs. we’ve also tackled our deficits. a lot of people have been concerned aboutdeficits. since i took office, we cut them inhalf. that makes america more attractivewhen itcomes to business investment decisions.
and we’ve tackled a broken healthcare system. obviously, we’re not doneyet. (applause.)obviously, we’re not done yet. but over the last three years, health carecosts have grown at theslowest pace on record. and this is a great place to work thanks to a great steelworkersunionand cooperation between management and labor. (applause.) but just keep in mindthatif businesses’ health care costs are growing at about one-third the ratethat they were a decadeago, that makes america a more affordable place to dobusiness, and it also means that theinvestors here, if they’re putting lessmoney into health care costs, they can put more money interms of hiring moreworkers and making sure that they’re getting good pay.
so that’s what all these toughdecisions are about: reversing theforces that have hurt themiddle class for a long, long time, and building aneconomy where anybody, if you work hard,you can get ahead. that’s what plants like this have always beenabout. it’s not that it’seasywork. but it means if you work hard, you’vegot a chance to buy a home, you’ve got achance to retire, you’ve got a chanceto send your kids to school, you have a chance to maybetake a little vacationonce in a while. that’s what peoplestrive for. and that’s what will makethe21st century an american century, just like the last century was.
but i didn’t run for president togo back to where we were. i want us togo forward. i want usto go towards thefuture. (applause.) i want us to get us to where we need tobe. i want tosolve problems, not justput them off. i want to solveproblems. and we’ve got to do moretocreate more good, middle-class jobs like the ones folks have here.
that means we’ve got to doeverything we can to prepare our children and our workers forthe competitionthat they’re going to face. we should bedoing everything we can to help putsome sort of advanced education withinreach for more young people. noteverybody has got togo to a four-year college, but just looking at theequipment around here, you’ve got to have alittle bit of advancedtraining. it may come through acommunity college or it may come througha technical school, but we’ve got tomake sure you can get that education, your kids can getthat education withoutgoing broke -- without going broke, without going into debt. (applause.)so we’re working on that.
another thing we should beworking on: fi_ing a broken immigrationsystem. (applause.)when you think about this whole region, a lotof folks forget, but almost everybody who workedin that plant 100 years agocame from someplace else. and so we’vegot now a new generation ofhopeful, striving immigrants; we’ve got to makesure that they come legally and that we dowhat we need to secure our borders,but we’ve also got to make sure that we’re providing themopportunity just likeyour parents, grandparents, great-grandparents received when theyarrived atthis plant. and that’s important. (applause.) and, by the way, it will help oureconomy grow because then they’repaying ta_es and helping to invest and build here inamerica.
we should do everything we can torevitalize american manufacturing. manufacturing is --that’s the hub of our economy. when our manufacturing base is strong, theentire economy isstrong. a lot ofservice jobs depend on servicing manufacturing jobs. and, typically,manufacturing jobs pay alittle bit better. so that’s been apath, a ticket to the middle class.sowhen we make steel and cars, make them here in america, that helps. like i said, the workmay be hard but itgives you enough money to buy a home and raise a kid, retire and send yourkidsto school.
and those kinds of jobs also tellus something else. it’s not just howmuch you get in yourpaycheck, it’s also a sense of, “i’m making something andi’m helping to build this country.”ithelps establish a sense of -- that we’re invested in this country. (applause.) it tells us whatwe’re worth as a community. one of your coworkers, mike longa -- where’smike?
audience member: back here.
the president: is he back here? that’s mike right there. mike grew up here. his momand dad worked at this plant. this plant helped put mike and four brothersand/or sistersthrough college. and oncethis plant started growing again, mike got his chance to be asteelworker here,and provide for his own two young kids. so it’s a generational thing, and iwant to keep that going.
in my state of the union address,i talked about how we created america’s firstmanufacturing innovationinstitute right here in ohio. marcykaptur has been a big proponentof this, because she knows how importantmanufacturing is. i want to create moreof them --places where businesses are working with universities and they’repartnering to figure out whatare the new manufacturing techniques that keep usat the cutting edge so that china orgermany don’t get ahead of us in terms ofthe equipment that’s being invested. wewant to beat the cutting edge, so what we’re producing is always the beststeel, it’s always the best cars.butthat requires research and investment.
and your senator, sherrod brown,helped us to create that first manufacturing hub inyoungstown. and he’s now leading a bipartisan effort --(applause) -- he’s now leading abipartisan effort with senator blunt ofmissouri to move more of these manufacturinginnovation hubs all across thecountry. and congress should passsherrod’s bill. we should bedoingeverything we can to guarantee the ne_t revolution in manufacturing happensright herein cuyahoga, happens right here in ohio, happens right here inamerica. (applause.)
and let me make one lastpoint. we have to do everything we canto make sure everyamerican has access to quality, affordable health care,period. (applause.) you may have readwe had some problems lastmonth with websites. i’m not happy aboutthat. and then i had apress conferencetoday and i said, you know what, we fumbled the ball in terms of the rollout.
but we always knew this was goingto be hard. there’s a reason why folkshad tried to do itfor 100 years and hadn’t done it. and it’s complicated. there are a lot of players involved. thestatus quo is entrenched. and so, yes, there’s no question the rollouton the affordable careact was much tougher than we e_pected. but i want everybody here to understand, i amgoingto see this through. (applause.) i want millions of americans to make surethat they’re notgoing broke when they get sick and they can go to a doctorwhen their kids get sick. and we’renotapologizing for that. we are going toget this done. (applause.)
so we’re going to get the websiteworking the way it’s supposed to. theplans are already outthere that are affordable and people can get ta_credits. we’re going to help folks whoseoldplans have been canceled by the insurers -- many of them weren’t very good-- and we’re goingto make sure that they can get newer, better options.
but we’re not going to go back tothe old system, because the old system was broken. andevery year, thousands of americans wouldget dropped from coverage or denied their medicalhistory or e_posed tofinancial ruin. you guys are lucky thatyou work at a company with astrong union that gives you good healthbenefits. (applause.) but you know friends and familymembers whodon’t have it, and you know what it’s like when they get sick. you know how scaryit is for them when theyget sick. or some of them have healthinsurance -- they think they do --and they get sick, and suddenly theinsurance company says, oh, i’m sorry, you owe $50,000.that’s not covered. or they jack up your premium so you can’tafford it because you had somesort of pree_isting condition. that happens every day.
so we’re not going to let thathappen. we’re not going to let folks whopay their premiumson time get jerked around. and we’re not going to walk away from the 40 million americanswithouthealth insurance. (applause.) we are not going to gut this law. we will fi_ what needsto be fi_ed, but we’regoing to make the affordable care act work. and those who say they’reopposed to it and can’t offer a solution, we’llpush back. (applause.)
i got to give your governor alittle bit of credit. john kasich, alongwith a lot of statelegislators who are here today, they e_panded medicaidunder the affordable care act. andthinkabout that. just that one step means asmany as 275,000 ohioans are going to have healthinsurance. and it doesn’t depend on a website. that’s already happening because oftheaffordable care act. (applause.)
and i think it’s fair to say thatthe governor didn’t do it because he just loves me so much. (laughter.) we don’t agree on much, but he saw, well, this makes sense -- why wouldn’twe dothis? why wouldn’t we make surethat hundreds of thousands of people right here in ohio havesomesecurity? it was the right thing todo. and, by the way, if every republicangovernor didwhat kasich did here rather than play politics about it, you’dhave another 5.4 million americanswho could get access to health care ne_tyear, regardless of what happens with the website.that’s their decision not to do it. and it’s the wrong decision. they’ve got to go ahead andsign folks up.
so the bottom line is sometimeswe just have to set aside the politics and focus on what’sgood forpeople. what’s good to grow our middleclass? what’s going to help keep planslike thisgrowing? what’s going to makesure we’re putting more people back to work? what’s going toreally make a difference in terms of our kids getting agreat education?
and, look, we’ve done itbefore. that’s the good news. the good news is that america is --look, wemake mistakes. we have ourdifferences. our politics get screwed upsometimes.websites don’t worksometimes. (laughter.) but we just keep going. we didn’t become thegreatest nation on earthby accident. we did it because we didwhat it took to make sure ourfamilies could succeed, make sure our businessescould succeed, make sure our communitiescould succeed. and if you don’t believe me, listen to one ofyour coworkers.
so sherrod brown, earlier thisyear, brought a special guest along with him to the state ofthe union address-- one of your coworkers, cookie hall. where’s cookie? is cookie here?
audience member: no, she’s back at the hall.
the president: she’s back at the hall working. (laughter.) well, let me say somethingnice about her behind her back. (laughter.) so cookie said, one of -- let me make sure i canfind this. she said -- that night she said, “if i get achance to meet president obama, i’ll tellhim my greatest pride is in our 2022production record at cleveland works. we’rethe mostproductive steelworkers in the world.” (applause.) more than a ton ofsteel produced for everysingle one of the workers at this plant. that’s pretty good. that’s pretty good. (applause.)
so all of you are an e_ample ofwhat we do when we put our minds to it. this plant wasclosed for a while. we go through hard times. and alot of our friends are still going throughhard times. but when we work at it, we know we can get toa better place, and we can restoresome security to a middle class that wasforged in plants just like this one, and keep givingladders of opportunity forfolks who were willing to work hard to get into the middle class.that’s what i’m about. that’s what this plant is about. i’m proud to be with you.
and as long as i have the honorof being your president, i’m going to be waking up everysingle day thinkingabout how i can keep on helping folks like the ones who work in thisplant. (applause.)
god bless you. thank you. god bless you, and god bless the united states of america.thank you.
第5篇 奥巴马总统就美国经济和外交政策发布会演讲稿
good afternoon, everybody. happy friday. i thought i’d take somequestions, but first, let me say a few words about the economy.
this morning, we learned that our economy created over 200,000 new jobs in july. that’s ontop of about 300,000 new jobs in june. so we are now in a si_-month streak with at least200,000 new jobs each month. that’s the first time that has happened since 1997. over thepast year, we’ve added more jobs than any year since 2022. and all told, our businesses havecreated 9.9 million new jobs over the past 53 months. that’s the longest streak of privatesector job creation in our history.
and as we saw on wednesday, the economy grew at a strong pace in the spring. companies areinvesting. consumers are spending. american manufacturing, energy, technology, autos -- allare booming. and thanks to the decisions that we’ve made, and the grit and resilience of theamerican people, we’ve recovered faster and come farther from the recession than almost anyother advanced country on earth.
so the good news is the economy clearly is getting stronger. things are getting better. ourengines are revving a little bit louder. and the decisions that we make right now can sustainand keep that growth and momentum going.
unfortunately, there are a series of steps that we could be taking to maintain momentum, andperhaps even accelerate it; there are steps that we could be taking that would result in morejob growth, higher wages, higher incomes, more relief for middle-class families. and so far, atleast, in congress, we have not seen them willing or able to take those steps.
i’ve been pushing for common-sense ideas like rebuilding our infrastructure in ways that aresustained over many years and support millions of good jobs and help businesses compete.i’ve been advocating on behalf of raising the minimum wage, making it easier for working folksto pay off their student loans; fair pay, paid leave. all these policies have two things incommon: all of them would help working families feel more stable and secure, and all of themso far have been blocked or ignored by republicans in congress. that’s why myadministration keeps taking whatever actions we can take on our own to help working families.
now, it’s good that congress was able to pass legislation to strengthen the va. and i want tothank the chairmen and ranking members who were involved in that. it’s good that congresswas able to at least fund transportation projects for a few more months before leaving town --although it falls far short of the kind of infrastructure effort that we need that would actuallyaccelerate the economy. but for the most part, the big-ticket items, the things that wouldreally make a difference in the lives of middle-class families, those things just are not gettingdone.
let’s just take a recent e_ample: immigration. we all agree that there’s a problem that needsto be solved in a portion of our southern border. and we even agree on most of the solutions.but instead of working together -- instead of focusing on the 80 percent where there isagreement between democrats and republicans, between the administration and congress --house republicans, as we speak, are trying to pass the most e_treme and unworkable versionsof a bill that they already know is going nowhere, that can’t pass the senate and that if it wereto pass the senate i would veto. they know it.
they’re not even trying to actually solve the problem. this is a message bill that they couldn’tquite pull off yesterday, so they made it a little more e_treme so maybe they can pass it today-- just so they can check a bo_ before they’re leaving town for a month. and this is on an issuethat they all insisted had to be a top priority.
now, our efforts administratively so far have helped to slow the tide of child migrants trying tocome to our country. but without additional resources and help from congress, we’re just notgoing to have the resources we need to fully solve the problem. that means while they’re outon vacation i’m going to have to make some tough choices to meet the challenge -- with orwithout congress.
and yesterday, even though they’ve been sitting on a bipartisan immigration bill for over ayear, house republicans suggested that since they don’t e_pect to actually pass a bill that i cansign, that i actually should go ahead and act on my own to solve the problem. keep in mindthat just a few days earlier, they voted to sue me for acting on my own. and then when theycouldn’t pass a bill yesterday, they put out a statement suggesting i should act on my ownbecause they couldn’t pass a bill.
第6篇 奥巴马开学演讲稿
开学在即,很多地方已经陆陆续续开学了,面对新学期新气象,校长领导也已经做好演讲的准备了,一起来看看奥巴马为学子的演讲稿吧。
hello, everybody! thank you. thank you. thank you, everybody. all right, everybody go ahead and have a seat. how is everybody doing today? (applause.) how about tim spicer? (applause.) i am here with students at wakefield high school in arlington, virginia. and we've got students tuning in from all across america, from kindergarten through 12th grade. and i am just so glad that all could join us today. and i want to thank wakefield for being such an outstanding host. give yourselves a big round of applause. (applause.)
i know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. and for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous. i imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now -- (applause) -- with just one more year to go. and no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you could've stayed in bed just a little bit longer this morning.
i know that feeling. when i was young, my family lived overseas. i lived in indonesia for a few years. and my mother, she didn't have the money to send me where all the american kids went to school, but she thought it was important for me to keep up with an american education. so she decided to teach me e_tra lessons herself, monday through friday. but because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning.
now, as you might imagine, i wasn't too happy about getting up that early. and a lot of times, i'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. but whenever i'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and she'd say, 'this is no picnic for me either, buster.' (laughter.)
so i know that some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. but i'm here today because i have something important to discuss with you. i'm here because i want to talk with you about your education and what's e_pected of all of you in this new school year.
now, i've given a lot of speeches about education. and i've talked about responsibility a lot.
i've talked about teachers' responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn.
i've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and you get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the tv or with the _bo_.
i've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, and supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working, where students aren't getting the opportunities that they deserve.
but at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in the world -- and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools, unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put in the hard work it takes to succeed. that's what i want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.
i want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself. every single one of you has something that you're good at. every single one of you has something to offer. and you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. that's the opportunity an education can provide.
maybe you could be a great writer -- maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper -- but you might not know it until you write that english paper -- that english class paper that's assigned to you. maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor -- maybe even good enough to come up with the ne_t iphone or the new medicine or vaccine -- but you might not know it until you do your project for your science class. maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a supreme court justice -- but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
and no matter what you want to do with your life, i guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. you want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? you want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? you're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. you cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job. you've got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.
and this isn't just important for your own life and your own future. what you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. the future of america depends on you. what you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
第7篇 奥巴马总统每周电台英语演讲稿
hi, everybody. this week, america came together tosalute our veterans – to e_press our appreciationto all who served so that we might live free. but ourgratitude should e_tend beyond what our veteranshave done for us in the past. it should remind us ofour responsibilities to serve them as well as theyhave served us. it should compel us to keep ourveterans central to the ongoing work of this nation.
in recent years, we've made historic investments toboost the va budget, e_pand veterans' benefits,and improve care for our wounded warriors. we've now slashed the disability claims backlog bynearly 90 percent from its peak. we're reducing the outrage of veterans' homelessness andwe've helped tens of thousands of veterans get off the streets. the veterans' unemploymentrate is down to 3.9 percent – even lower than the national average.
of course, we're not satisfied. we've still got more work to do – and i've directed myadministration to keep doing everything it can to fulfill our promise to our veterans. but thisisn't just a job for government alone. we all have a role to play. less than one percent ofamericans are serving in uniform. so it's true most americans don't always see andappreciate the incredible skills and assets that our veterans can offer. but every americanshould know that our veterans are some of the most talented, capable people in the world.they've mastered skills and technologies and leadership roles that are impossible to teach offthe battlefield. they know how to get stuff done.
and as our veterans will tell you themselves, they're not finished serving their country. they'reteachers and doctors, engineers and entrepreneurs, social workers and community leaders.they serve in statehouses across the country and in congress. as i tell small business ownersand ceos on a regular basis, if you want to get the job done, hire a vet. every sector, everyindustry, every community in this country can benefit from the incredible talents of ourveterans.
our troops and veterans give us their very best. that's what a soldier named captain florentgroberg proved. three years ago, on patrol in afghanistan, flo saw a suicide bomber comingtoward his unit. without hesitating, flo grabbed him by his vest and helped push him to theground. when the bomb went off, flo was badly injured, and four of his comrades were killed.but many more were saved because of flo's sacrifice. flo represents the very best of america –and this week, i was proud to present him with the medal of honor for his actions.
veterans like flo, they deserve our undying gratitude. they deserve the chance to keepserving the country they risked everything to defend. and so we must come together to keepgiving them that chance, not just on veterans day, but on every single day of the year. maygod bless all those who serve and all who have given their lives for our country. and may godbless the united states of america.
第8篇 2022奥巴马演讲稿()
谢谢,非常感谢大家。拜登副总统、首席大法官先生、国会议员们、尊敬的各位嘉宾、亲爱的公民们。(mr. obama: thank you. thank you so much. vice president biden, mr. chief justice, members of the united states congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:)
每一次我们集会庆祝总统就职都是在见证美国宪法的持久力量。我们都是在肯定美国民主的承诺。我们重申,将这个国家紧密联系在一起的不是我们的肤色,也不是我们信仰的教条,更不是我们名的来源。让我们与众不同,让我们成为美国人的是我们对于一种理念的恪守。200多年前,这一理念在宣言中被清晰阐述:(each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our constitution. we affirm the promise of our democracy. we recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. what makes us e_ceptional –what makes us american – is our allegiance to an idea, articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago:)
“我们认为下述真理是不言而喻的,人人生而平等。造物主赋予他们若干不可剥夺的权利,包括生存、自由和追求幸福的权利。”(“we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”)
今天,我们继续着这一未竟的征程,架起这些理念与我们时代现实之间的桥梁。因为历史告诉我们,即便这些真理是不言而喻的,它们也从来不会自动生效。因为虽然自由是上帝赋予的礼物,但仍需要世间的子民去捍卫。1776年,美国的爱国先驱们不是只为了推翻国王的暴政而战,也不是为赢得少数人的特权,建立暴民的统治。先驱们留给我们一个共和国,一个民有、民治、民享的政府。他们委托每一代美国人捍卫我们的建国信条。(today we continue a never-ending journey, to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. for history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they have never been self-e_ecuting; that while freedom is a gift from god, it must be secured by his people here on earth. the patriots of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges of a few or the rule of a mob. they gave to us a republic, a government of, and by, and for the people, entrusting each generation to keep safe our founding creed.)
在过去的200多年里,我们做到了。(for more than two hundred years, we have.)
从奴役的血腥枷锁和刀剑的血光厮杀中我们懂得了,建立在自由与平等原则之上的联邦不能永远维持半奴隶和半自由的状态。我们赢得了新生,誓言共同前进。(through blood drawn by lash and blood drawn by sword, we learned that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half-slave and half-free. we made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together.)
我们共同努力,建立起现代的经济体系。架设铁路与高速公路,加速了旅行和商业交流。建立学校与大学,培训我们的工人。(together, we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce; schools and colleges to train our workers。)
我们一起发现,自由市场的繁荣只能建立在保障竞争与公平竞争的原则之上。(together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play.)
我们共同决定让这个伟大的国家远离危险,保护她的人民不受生命威胁和不幸的侵扰。(together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life’s worst hazards and misfortune.)
一路走来,我们从未放弃对集权的质疑。我们同样不屈服于这一谎言:一切的社会弊端都能够只靠政府来解决。我们对积极向上与奋发进取的赞扬,我们对努力工作与个人责任的坚持,这些都是美国精神的基本要义。(through it all, we have never relinquished our skepticism of central authority, nor have we succumbed to the fiction that all society’s ills can be cured through government alone. our celebration of initiative and enterprise; our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, these are constants in our character.)
我们也理解,时代在变化,我们同样需要变革。对建国精神的忠诚,需要我们肩负起新的责任,迎接新的挑战。保护我们的个人自由,最终需要所有人的共同努力。 因为美国人不能再独力迎接当今世界的挑战,正如美国士兵们不能再像先辈一样,用步枪和民兵同敌人(法西斯主义与共产主义)作战。一个人无法培训所有的数学与科学老师,我们需要他们为了未来去教育孩子们。一个人无法建设道路、铺设网络、建立实验室来为国内带来新的工作岗位和商业机会。现在,与以往任何时候相比,我们都更需要团结合作。作为一个国家,一个民族团结起来。
(but we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges;that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action. for the american people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than american soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. no single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation,and one people.)
这一代美国人经历了危机的考验,经济危机坚定了我们的决心,证明了我们的恢复力。长达十年的战争正在结束,经济的复苏已经开始。美国的可能性是无限的,因为我们拥有当今没有边界的世界所需要的所有品质:年轻与活力、多样性与开放、无穷的冒险精神以及创造的天赋才能。我亲爱的同胞们,我们正是为此刻而生,我们更要在此刻团结一致,抓住当下的机会。(this generation of americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience. a decade of war is now ending. an economic recovery has begun. america’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive;diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention.my fellow americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together.)
因为我们,美国人民,清楚如果只有不断萎缩的少数人群体获得成功,而大多数人不能成功,我们的国家就无法成功。我们相信,美国的繁荣必须建立在不断上升的中产阶级的宽阔臂膀之上,我们知道美国的繁荣只有这样才能实现。只有当每个人都能找到工作中的自立与自豪时才能实现。只有当诚实劳动获得的薪水足够让家庭摆脱困苦的悬崖时才能实现。我们忠诚于我们的事业,保证让一个出生于最贫穷环境中的小女孩都能知道,她有同其他所有人一样的成功机会。因为她是一个美国人,她是自由的、平等的。她的自由平等不仅由上帝来见证,更由我们亲手保护。(for we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. we believe that america’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. we know that america thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship. we are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an american, she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of god but also in our own.)
我们知道,我们已然陈旧的程序不足以满足时代的需要。我们必须应用新理念和新技术重塑我们的政府,改进我们的税法,改革我们的学校,让我们的公民拥有他们所需要的技能,更加努力地工作,学更多的知识,向更高处发展。这意味着变革,我们的目标是:国家可以奖励每个美国人的努力和果断。这是现在需要的。这将给我们的信条赋予真正的意义。(we understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time. we must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our ta_ code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder, learn more, and reach higher. but while the means will change, our purpose endures: a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single american. that is what this moment requires. that is what will give real meaning to our creed.)
我们,人民,仍然认为,每个公民都应当获得基本的安全和尊严。我们必须做出艰难抉择,降低医疗成本,缩减赤规模。但我们拒绝在照顾建设国家的这一代和投资即将建设国家的下一代间做出选择。因为我们记得过去的教训:老年人的夕阳时光在贫困中度过,家有残障儿童的父母无处求助。我们相信,在这个国家,自由不只是那些幸运儿的专属,或者说幸福只属于少数人。我们知道,不管我们怎样负责任地生活,我们任何人在任何时候都可能面临失业、突发疾病或住房被可怕的飓风摧毁的风险。 我们通过医疗保险、联邦医疗补助计划、社会保障项目向每个人做出承诺,这些不会让我们的创造力衰竭,而是会让我们更强大。这些不会让我们成为充满不劳而获者的国度,这些让我们敢于承担风险,让国家伟大。(we, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. we must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. but we reject the belief that america must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. for we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty, and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn. we do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. we recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us, at any time, may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm. the commitments we make to each other – through medicare, and medicaid, and social security – these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us. they do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great.)
奥巴马周末电视演讲稿译文
奥巴马周末电视演讲稿译文
hi, everybody. about a year ago, i promised that __ would be a breakthrough year for america. and this week, we got more evidence to back that up.
in december, our businesses created 240,000 new jobs. the unemployment rate fell to 5.6%. that means that __ was the strongest year for job growth since the 1990s. in __, unemployment fell faster than it has in three decades.
over a 58-month streak, our businesses have created 11.2 million new jobs. after a decade of decline, american manufacturing is in its best stretch of job growth since the „90s. america is now the world‟s number one producer of oil and gas, helping to save drivers about a buck-ten a gallon at the pump over this time last year. thanks to the affordable care act, about 10 million americans have gained health insurance in the past year alone. we have cut our deficits by about two-thirds. and after 13 long years, our war in afghanistan has come to a responsible end, and more of our brave troops have come home.
大家好。大约一年前,我预料__年将是美国有所突破的一年。本周,我们得到了很多证据支持。
在12月份,我们的企业创造了240,000个就业岗位。失业率降低到5.6%。这意味着__年是自1990年代以来就业增长最强劲的一年。在__年,失业率以30年来最快的速度下降。
经过58个月的冲刺,我们的企业创造了1千1百20万个新就业岗位。经过__年的下滑后,美国的制造业目前正处于自90年代以来就业增长的最佳时期。美国现在是世界上头号石油和天然气生产国,这使驾驶人们自去年这个时候以来每加仑节约1美元10美分。多亏了可承受的医保法案,仅在去年就有近1千万美国人获得医保。我们已经减少了大约三分之二的赤。经过13个漫长的岁月,我们的阿富汗战争合理收官,更多英勇的军人回国。
it has been si_ years since the crisis. those years have demanded hard work and sacrifice on everybody‟s part. so as a country, we have every right to be proud of what we‟ve got to show for it. america‟s resurgence is real. and now that we‟ve got some calmer waters, if we all do our part, if we all pitch in, we can make sure that tide starts lifting all boats again. we can make sure that the middle class is the engine that powers america‟s prosperity for decades to come.
that‟ll be the focus of my state of the union address in a couple weeks – building on the progress we‟ve made. but i figured, why wait – let‟s get started right now.
危机爆发已经六年了。这些年要求每个人勤奋工作作出牺牲。所以作为一个国家,我们有资格为我们的表现感到自豪。美国的复苏是实实在在的。现在我们已经柳暗花明了,但是如果我们都尽自己的努力、都全力以赴,我们就会再次形成众人拾柴火焰高的局面。我们确保在未来的几十年里中产阶级仍然是美国繁荣的引擎。
这是我几周后的国情咨文报告的重点--百尺竿头更进一步。但是我想,为什么等待--让我们从现在做起。
on wednesday, i visited a ford plant outside of detroit – because the american auto industry and its home state are redefining the word “comeback.” on thursday, i traveled to arizona, a state that was hit among the hardest by the housing crisis, to announce a new plan that will put hundreds of dollars in new homeowners‟ pockets, and help more new families buy their first home. and, i‟m speaking with you today from pellissippi state community college in tennessee, a state making big strides in education, to unveil my new plan to make two years of community college free for every responsible student. i‟m also here to establish a new hub that will attract more good-paying, high-tech manufacturing jobs to our shores.
周三,我访问了底特律郊外的福特工厂--因为美国汽车工业和它的故乡正在重新定义“回归”一词。周四,我访问了亚利桑那州,一个房市危机受害最严重的州之一,宣布一个计划把成百上千的美元放入新家庭的口袋里,帮助更多新家庭买首套住房。我今天正在在教育取得了巨大的进步田纳西州的pellissippi州立社区大学和你们谈话,宣布我的让每个负责任的学生可以免费就读两年制社区大学的新计划。我在这里还建立一个把高收入高技术就业岗位吸引到我们的海岸的新枢纽。
making homeownership easier. bringing a higher education within reach. creating more good jobs that pay good wages. these are just some of the ways we can help every american get ahead in the new economy. and there‟s more to come. because america is coming back. and i want to go full speed ahead.
thanks, everybody, and have a great weekend.
让成家立业更加容易。让高等教育可以承受。创造更多高收入的好工作岗位。这些仅仅是几个帮助每个美国人在新经济中致富的途径。还有很多。因为美国正在回归。我要全速前进。
谢谢岗位,周末快乐。
奥巴马获胜演说演讲稿(中英文)
奥巴马获胜演说演讲稿(中英文)
barack obama’s victory speech: change has come to america
if there is anyone out there who still doubts that america is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
如果,还有人怀疑美国是一切皆有可能的国度,还有人怀疑国父们的梦想在我们的时代是否还存在,还有人怀疑我们的民主所拥有的力量,那么今晚,你听到了回答。
it’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
是那些今天在学校和教堂排着长队、数不胜数的选民做出了回答;是那些为了投票等待了三四个小时的人们做出了回答。他们中的很多人,是有生以来第一次投票,因为他们相信,这次真的不同――他们的声音会让这次不同。
it’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, democrat and republican, black, white, hispanic, asian, native american, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.
we are, and always will be, the united states of america.
这个回答来自青年、老人、穷人、富人、民主党、共和党人、黑皮肤、白皮肤、拉美人、亚裔、印第安人、同性恋和非同性恋者、残疾人和健全者。美国告诉世界,我们从来就不是一半红、一半蓝(译者:分别代表民主党和共和党。),我们是——美利坚合众国。
it’s the answer that led those who’ve been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
很多人,在长久以往的耳濡目染中愤世嫉俗、担忧、怀疑。但今天他们做出了回答。他们的双手扭转了历史,让历史转向充满希望的新的一天。
it’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to america.
我们等待了很久。但今夜,因为我们今天的努力、因为这次选举,在这决定性的时刻,美国终于迎来了转变。
a little bit earlier this evening, i received an e_traordinarily gracious call from sen. mccain.
sen. mccain fought long and hard in this campaign. and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. he has endured sacrifices for america that most of us cannot begin to imagine. we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.
i congratulate him; i congratulate gov. palin for all that they’ve achieved. and i look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.
我刚刚收到麦凯恩参议员打来的电话,他非常诚挚。在这次漫长的竞选中,他付出了艰苦的努力。而为这个他所爱的国家,他付出得更多、时间也更长。他忍受过的牺牲,是我们很多美国人无法想象的。这位勇敢而无私的领袖的付出会让我们的国家更强大。对麦凯恩参议员和佩林州长所取得的成绩,我这里也表示钦佩。我期待在接下来的几个月中,与他们一道重拾美国的承诺。
i want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of scranton and rode with on the train home to delaware, the vice president-elect of the united states, joe biden.
我要感谢我的竞选伙伴。他发自内心地投入竞选,他的声音代表了那些在他成长的斯克兰顿街生活的人们的声音,代表那些和他一道乘火车上下班的特拉华州人民的声音。现在他将是美国的副总统,他就是乔·拜登。
and i would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation’s ne_t first lady michelle obama.
sasha and malia i love you both more than you can imagine. and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the new white house.
and while she’s no longer with us, i know my grandmother’s watching, along with the family that made me who i am. i miss them tonight. i know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
to my sister maya, my sister alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you’ve given me. i am grateful to them.
如果不是我过去十六年间最亲密的朋友、我的家庭的基石和我一生的至爱给予的支持,今晚我不会站在这里。那就是我们国家的下任第一夫人,米歇尔·奥巴马。还有我的女儿,萨沙和玛丽亚。我是如此爱你们。我们会带着你们刚赢得的小狗一起搬进白宫。而我的外祖母,虽然此刻他已经离我们而去,但我知道她在看着呢——和带给我生命、定义了我人生的家人们一道。今夜,我想念他们。我知道我欠他们的难以偿还。
奥巴马悼念曼德拉逝世中英文演讲稿
at his trial in 1964, nelson mandela closed his statement from the dock saying, 'i have fought against white domination, and i have fought against black domination. i have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. it is an ideal which i hope to live for and to achieve. but if needs be, it is an ideal for which i am prepared to die.'
and nelson mandela lived for that ideal, and he made it real. he achieved more than could be e_pected of any man. today, he has gone home. and we have lost one of the most influential, courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth. he no longer belongs to us -- he belongs to the ages.
through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, madiba transformed south africa -- and moved all of us. his journey from a prisoner to a president embodied the promise that human beings -- and countries -- can change for the better. his commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set an e_ample that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives. and the fact that he did it all with grace and good humor, and an ability to acknowledge his own imperfections, only makes the man that much more remarkable. as he once said, 'i am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.'
i am one of the countless millions who drew inspiration from nelson mandela's life. my very first political action, the first thing i ever did that involved an issue or a policy or politics, was a protest against apartheid. i studied his words and his writings. the day that he was released from prison gave me a sense of what human beings can do when they’re guided by their hopes and not by their fears. and like so many around the globe, i cannot fully imagine my own life without the e_ample that nelson mandela set, and so long as i live i will do what i can to learn from him.
to graça machel and his family, michelle and i e_tend our deepest sympathy and gratitude for sharing this e_traordinary man with us. his life’s work meant long days away from those who loved him the most. and i only hope that the time spent with him these last few weeks brought peace and comfort to his family.
to the people of south africa, we draw strength from the e_ample of renewal, andreconciliation, and resilience that you made real. a free south africa at peace with itself -- that’s an e_ample to the world, and that’s madiba’s legacy to the nation he loved.
we will not likely see the likes of nelson mandela again. so it falls to us as best we can to forward the e_ample that he set: to make decisions guided not by hate, but by love; to never discount the difference that one person can make; to strive for a future that is worthy of his sacrifice.
for now, let us pause and give thanks for the fact that nelson mandela lived -- a man who took history in his hands, and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice. may god bless his memory and keep him in peace.
第9篇 奥巴马总统、第一夫人米歇尔·奥巴马2022年圣诞节英语演讲稿
the president: hello everybody, and happy holidays.
the first lady: we know how busy this time of year is for everyone, so we’re not going totake much of your time.
but we did want to take a moment to wish you all a merry christmas, from our family to yours.
the president: this is a season for millions of americans to be together with family, tocontinue long-held holiday traditions, and to show our gratitude to those we love. and alongthe way, some of us might even watch a little basketball or eat some christmas cookies, too.
the first lady: here at the white house, over the past few weeks, we’ve had about 70,000people from all across the country come visit us and look at our holiday decorations.
this year’s theme was “gather around: stories of the season.”
and in every room of the house, we tried to tell a story about who we are as americans and howwe celebrate the holidays together.
and we made certain to highlight some of the most powerful stories we know—the stories ofour outstanding troops, veterans, and military families and their service and sacrifice for ourcountry.
the president: our e_traordinary men and women in uniform are serving so that therest of us can enjoy the blessings we cherish during the holidays. but that means many of ourtroops are far from home and far from family. they’re spending some e_tra time on the phonewith their loved ones back home. or they’re setting up video chats so they can watch as thepresents are opened. so today, we want all of our troops to know that you’re in our thoughtsand prayers this holiday season.
and here’s the good news: for many of our troops and newest veterans, this might be the firsttime in years that they’ve been with their families on christmas. in fact, with the iraq war overand the transition in afghanistan, fewer of our men and women in uniform are deployed inharm’s way than at any time in the last decade.
the first lady: and that’s something we all can be thankful for.
and with more and more of our troops back here at home, now it’s our turn to serve—it’s ourturn to step up and show our gratitude for the military families who have given us so much.
and that’s why jill biden and i started our joining forces initiative—to rally all americans tosupport our military families in ways large and small.
and again and again, we have been overwhelmed by the response we’ve gotten as folks fromacross the country have found new ways to give back to these families through their schools,businesses, and houses of worship.
the president: that’s the same spirit of giving that connects all of us during the holidays.so many people all across the country are helping out at soup kitchens, buying gifts for childrenin need, or organizing food or clothing drives for their neighbors. for families like ours, thatservice is a chance to celebrate the birth of christ and live out what he taught us – to love ourneighbors as we would ourselves; to feed the hungry and look after the sick; to be our brother’skeeper and our sister’s keeper. and for all of us as americans, regardless of our faith, those arevalues that can drive us to be better parents and friends, better neighbors and better citizens.
the first lady: so as we look to the new year, let’s pledge ourselves to living out thosevalues by reaching out and lifting up those in our communities who could use a hand up.
the president: so merry christmas, everyone. and from the two of us, as well as malia,sasha, grandma, bo…
the first lady: and sunny, the newest obama.
the president: we wish you all a blessed and safe holiday season.
the first lady: happy holidays everybody, and god bless.
第10篇 2022年奥巴马总统竞选演讲稿
four years ago as i had the privilege to travel all across the country and meet americans from all walks of life. i decided nobody else should have to endure the heartbreak of a broken health care system. no one in the wealthiest nation on earth should go because they get sick. nobody should have to tell their daughters or sons the decisions they can and cannot make for themselves are constrained because of some politicians in washington.
四年前我有幸周游了全国,遇到了各行各业的人们。我下定了决心不让任何人由于医疗保健系统的不健全而心碎,不让这个世界上最富有的的国家的任何人因为疾病而穷困潦倒。不让任何人需要告诉自己的子女,他们能做什么,不能做什么,会由华盛顿的某些政客而左右。
and thanks to you, we’ve made a difference in people’s lives. thanks to you. there are folks that i meet today who have gotten care and their cancer’s been caught. and they’ve got treatment. and they are living full lives and it happened because of you.
感谢你们,人们的生活才有了更多不同。感谢你们,让今天的我遇到的很多人得到了关怀,得到了治疗。他们能够继续完整地生活,这些都离不开你们。
we've come too far to turn back now. we've got too much work to do to implement health care. we've got too much work to do to create good jobs. we've got too many teachers that we've got to hire. we've got too many schools that we've got to rebuild. we've got too many students who still need affordable higher education.
我们已经经历了那么多,现在不该回头。要落实医疗改革,要创造就业机会,我们还有太多要做。有太多老师等着我们去征集,有太多学校需要我们去重建,有太多学生需要让他们负担得起的大学。
there's more homegrown energy to generate. there are more troops that we've got to bring home. there are more doors of opportunity we've got to open to anybody who is willing to work hard and walk through those doors. we've got to keep building an economy. or no matter what you look like or where you come from, you can make it here if you try. and you can leave something behind for the ne_t generation. that's what at stake right now in colorado. that's why i'm running for president of the united states of america. that's why i'm asking for your vote.
有太多本土能源要去生产,有更多的军队需要回归祖国,有更多的机会之门需要我们去打开,让那些愿意努力工作的人们有机会成功。我们要继续发展经济。做到无论你是何种肤色,来自何方,只要你努力就可以成功。你就可以为下一代创造更好的条件。这是我们在科罗拉多州要争夺的。这是为什么我要竞选美国总统。这是为什么我希望你们投票给我。
i still believe in you. and if you still believe in me, and if you're willing to stand with me, and knock on some doors with me, and make some phone calls with me, and talk to your neighbors and friends about what's at stake, we will win this election. we will finish what we started. and we'll remind the world why america is the greatest nation on earth.
我依旧相信你们。如果你们依旧相信我,如果你们愿意支持我,和我一起去叩门拜访,和我一起打电话,告诉你的邻居和朋友们,我们在争取什么,那我们就能在这场竞选中获得胜利。我们就会像上次那样赢得最终胜利。
god bless you and god bless the united states of america.
上帝护佑你,上帝护佑美利坚合众国。
第11篇 奥巴马胜选演讲稿全文
中新网11月7日电 据美国媒体报道,成功连任美国总统的奥巴马当地时间7日凌晨发表了胜选演讲,对支持者表示感谢。
当地时间7日凌晨,美国总统大选初步结果出炉,美国总统奥巴马获得超过270张选举人票,成功连任。最新的开票结果显示,奥巴马获得了303张选举人票,共和党总统候选人罗姆尼获得203张。目前仅剩佛州与阿拉斯加州未计票完毕。
北京时间接近7日下午2点的时候,罗姆尼在波士顿竞选总部发表了简短讲话,承认败选。他说给奥巴马打了电话,向奥巴马、其支持者与竞选阵营表示祝贺,尤其向奥巴马、第一夫人与他们的女儿表示祝贺。他说,祈祷奥巴马在今后4年中,成功带领美国前进。
以下为奥巴马演讲全文:
谢谢,非常感谢。今晚,是在一个殖民地赢得它自主权200多年之后,我们来到这里,不断前行,这主要是因为你们坚信这个国家能够实现永恒的希望,实现移民想的梦想,我们是一个大家庭,我们共同以一个国家,一个民族奋斗。
我要感谢每位参加这次选举的人,不管你是从第一天就投票了,还是一直等待了很长的时间才投的票。当然了,我们要解决这个排队投票的问题。不管你是自己上门投的票,还是打电话投的票,不管你是投了给我,还是投给罗姆尼,你的声音都被大家听到了,并且你对我?_易龀隽四承└谋洌崭瘴腋弈纺嵬说缁埃易:厮谡飧黾枘炎烤恼揭鄣敝兴〉玫氖だ?/p>
我们这场战役是十分激烈,但是这正是因为我们深爱着这个国家,并且我们十分在意他的未来。从罗姆尼整个家庭,孙子辈,孩子辈,整个家庭都献给了美国,这种精神我们将永远铭记。未来这几周我也希望和罗姆尼一起来讨论怎么样使我们的国家不断前进。我要感谢我的朋友,我的搭档,这是我四年来最好的搭档,也是美国历史上最好的副总统john baidn(音,校对)如果没有他,今天我就不会站在这里,如果没有20年前跟我结婚的妻子,今天我就不会站在这里。我要跟大家说,妻子,我比以前更加爱你,我更加自豪,因为我看到全国人民也十分热爱你这位第一夫人,我感到十分自豪。
对我的女儿,两位女儿,你们一天天在成长,你们成为了两位向你们的妈妈一样的淑女、美丽,有才华,我也为你们感到骄傲,但是目前我觉得给你们养一条宠物狗就够了。我还要感谢我的竞选团队和志愿者,他们是历史上最棒的。他们是最好的,最棒的,而且是史上最棒的。有些人是第一次来听我的演说,范文写作有些人四年前就听了我的获胜演说,但是每个人对我来讲都是我的一分子,不管你做了什么,不管你去了哪里,你一定会记得我们今天晚上所创的历史,你会一生都感激今天晚上的时刻,而且你们会一直记得有一个心怀感激的总统,我要感谢你们所做的每一件事情,正是因为有了你们,我才会一路坚持下来。我对此将永远感谢,不管你做的什么,你们所做的一切我都心怀感激,并且永远鸣谢。
我知道这些政治的竞选,可能有的时候看起来很愚蠢,而且我们也听到很多人跟我们讲政治有的时候十分愚蠢,可能他只是利益的追求和冲突,但是如果你们真的有机会去机会和竞选活动上和人们谈论一些问题,或者你看到一些竞选团队,非常辛勤工作的志愿者们,你们的印象会有所改观,因为你们能听到这些年轻的组织者他们的决心,你能够看到他们在面临这个机会的时候,是有多大的决心。你还会听到群众,还有志愿者,他们上门挨家挨户的进行竞选。你也会听到我们深深的爱国情绪在针对的成员的爱国情绪,因为我们相信那些曾经为我们国家抛头颅撒洒血的军队,他们不应该在工作上遇到任何问题,这就是为什么我们要进行大选。
这并不是一件小事实,这是至关重要的事。举足轻重的事,我们国家的民主,我们3亿人民的民主的情绪可能十分复杂,可能十分混乱,每个人可能都有自己的观点,每个人都有自己深深的信仰,但是在我们经过艰难时刻的时候,当我们做出艰难的抉择时,我们很自然会有冲突,会有情感的表达。但是我认为它不应当影响我们今晚的表现,我们有的争论是民主的象征,酷猫写作范文网而且我们不应当忘记在世界上很多别的国家,他们都正在为自由言论,自由讨论民主这样的权利所奋斗,所努力。
尽管我们有许多不同,我们中的大部分对美国的未来都有共同的希望,我们希望我们的孩子能够上最好的学校,接受最好的教育,我们希望整个国家能够延续我们的遗产,促进科技的发展,就业的发展和商业的发展。我们希望孩子们不是负债累累,而是面对高质量的国家,他们不会受到恐怖力量的威胁。我们希望传递安全有尊严的国家,并且受别人尊重的国家,这个国家是由最强的军事力量所定义,并且最安全定义的过程。与此同时我们也希望自己的国家,有信心,并且能够不断推动每个人的自由、繁荣和发展,我们相信美国的慷慨,美国的宽容、包容,美国的自由和开放,我们将伸开双手迎接移民的美国人民,我们会欢迎他们的子孙后代来到美国。我们相信在芝加哥任何一个孩子都可以看到他的希望,在北卡州那些想要成为科学家和医生的学生,想要成为工程师,甚至是总统的学生,这是我们共同要争取的未来,这是我们共同分享的愿景,这也是我们前进的方向。
我们有的时候会对于怎么样向前进有非常强烈的分歧,200年来,大家知道我们的进步一直不是直线的,也不是一帆风顺,我们伴随着很多分歧和不同,我们随着有很好的希望和梦想,但是很多时候我们要付出艰苦卓绝的努力才可以达到目标,我们也需要进行妥协才可以使国家前进。范文top100但是我们的共识是我们的起点,现在经济正处于复苏期间,我们的十年的战争也已经结束了,我们的竞选也已经将告尾声,不管我没有当选,我听到了你们的声音,你们使我成为最好的。
今晚,你投给的不是政治,而是我们的行动。但是因为大家,我们才能关注你们的工作,而不是我们的工作,而在未来的几个月当中,我会期待和我们两党的领导人一起来共同寻求那些我们只有共同努力才能解决的矛盾的问题,比如说我们的?_ǎ颐堑囊泼瘢颐堑墓ぷ鳎褂形颐嵌越谑偷囊览嫡庑┪侍猓叶蓟嵫扒蟾髦纸饩鲋馈5钦獠灰馕蹲拍忝堑墓ぷ骶徒崾耍颐撬械墓瘢械耐牵忝遣皇撬低读似本颓崴闪四忝堑娜挝窬兔挥辛耍忝且欢ㄒ饰首约海皇敲拦芪忝亲鍪裁矗俏夷芪拦鍪裁矗颐且凶晕抑卫恚晕以际馐俏颐堑脑颍彩俏颐墙ü睦砟睢?/p>
我们这个国家是世界上最富有的国家,但是这并不是让我们每个人更富有,虽然我们的军队十分强大,但是我们的个人并不强大,思想汇报专题我们的大学、我们的文化,虽然是全球最优秀的,但是却并不是说我们就是全球最优秀的。是因为我们是一个多民族的国家,多样性的国家,但是在这样多样性的国家当中我们有共同的愿景和共识,并且我们的子孙后代会给他们更多的公民和自由,我们的子女后代必将获得更多的尊严,更多的爱护和尊敬。而且相信子孙后代只有他们正直,他们爱国,辛勤劳动才会使我们的美国变得更为强大。
我今天晚上充满了希望,因为我看到我们这些美国劳动人民的精神,还看到了那些商业人士你们所做的工作,提供了很多工作机会,而且我还看到那些失业的人民得到了帮助,我看到战士们,他们再次征兵,而且我还看到战士们他们仍然守卫着我们的国家,因为他们也知道我们在支持着他们。我还看到新泽西纽约每个政党的领导人,都开始抛开他们的旗舰,来探讨怎么从桑迪中重建我们的家园。我们还看到俄亥俄州一个父亲说他有一个八岁的女儿,她的肺病使他的家庭一贫如洗,他们之前并没有得到医疗保障的保护,但是几个月之前他开始得到了医疗保险,这对他们来讲是非常好的消息。
我和这位父亲,还有他的女儿都见面了,他对于群众说,他对大家说,当他说的时候,在场所有的父母都落泪了,因为我们知道,他的女儿也可能是我们的女儿,我们都希望自己的孩子未来充满光芒,这是每个父母的希望,这是我身为总统引以为豪的。今晚尽管我们经历了这么多的困难,尽管我们经历了这么多的挫折,我对于未来却格外充满希望,我对于未来格外充满希望,对于美国格外充满希望,我希望大家延续这种希望,我这里讲的并不是盲目的乐观,指的是我们对未来的挑战,忽视未来的挑战,我也不是说的天真或者理想化的乐观的情绪,我真正的希望,不管我们遇到多少的挫折,多少的困难,只有我们内心坚定的希望,才是我们保持不断努力、不断斗争,不断勇往直前的力量来源。
我相信我们我们能在取得成就的基础上取得新的机会,为美国的中产阶级提供新的希望,我相信我们能够继续延续我们的建国者的承诺,不管你来自哪里,不管你的肤色是什么,不管你是黑人、白人,亚裔人,任何种族,不管你是______还是非______,不管你是贫困的还是富裕的,你可以在美国做你想做的一切,我们可以共同迎来这样的未来,因为我们对未来是充满了希望,我们有雄心壮志,我们赢得的不仅仅是这一个选举,而且是一个未来,是美国的未来,我们会一起赢得这场战役。而且上帝会引导我们走向这条道路,并且我们相信,我们会成为世界上最伟大的国家,谢谢你们,上帝保佑美国!
(本文来源:中国新闻网 )
这篇内容讲的是关于我们、我们的、美国、国家、希望、你们、他们、但是等方面的内容,希望对网友有用。
第12篇 奥巴马总统在2022年《华尔街日报》ceo理事会年会英语演讲稿
the president: thank you so much. (applause.) everybody, please have a seat. thankyou.
well, it is wonderful to be here,and i always look forward to an opportunity to speak tosome of our topbusinesses across the country who are hiring people, investing inamerica,making the economy run. and many of youi’ve had a chance to interact with before. asyou know, oftentimes when i do something like this, i want to spendmore time answeringquestions and having a conversation than giving any formalremarks. let me just provide alittlebit of an introduction.
obviously, over the last coupleof months, most of the o_ygen in this town has beenconsumed with two things --one, the government shutdown and the possibility of default thatwas ultimatelyresolved; and the second has been the rollout of the affordable care act andthefact that my website is not working the way it’s supposed to. and it’s entirely legitimate thatthose havebeen issues of great concern.
the impact of the shutdown andthe threat of default i think not only did some significantdamage to theeconomy at a time when we didn’t need self-inflicted wounds, but it also spoketosome of the larger problems we’ve seen here in washington, and the sense ofdysfunction andthe seeming incapacity of both parties in congress to worktogether to advance an agendathat’s going to help us grow.
with respect to the affordablecare act, i think people are legitimately concerned becausewe have a majorproblem with health care in this country -- 41 million people withouthealthinsurance, a lot of people underinsured. and once again, how we fi_ a health care systemthat’s been broken fortoo many people for too long i think ends up speaking to how muchconfidence wehave in government and whether we still have the capacity, collectively, tobringabout changes that are going to be good for our economy, good for ourbusinesses, good for theamerican people.
i do want to say, though, thatbeyond the headlines, we have made real progress in theeconomy, and sometimesthat hasn’t gotten enough attention. some of the tough decisions thatwe made early on have paid off --decisions that helped us not only recover from a crisis, butbegin to lay astronger foundation for future growth.
we refocused on manufacturinge_ports, and today, our businesses sell more goods andservices made in americathan ever before around the world. aftera decade of shedding jobs,our manufacturing sector has now added about half amillion new jobs, and it’s led by anamerican auto industry that has comeroaring back after decades of decline.
we decided to reverse ourdependence on foreign oil, and today, we generate morerenewable energy thanever before and more natural gas than anybody in the world. and for thefirst time in nearly 20 years,america now produces more of our own oil than we buy from othercountries.
when i took office, we invested afraction of what other countries did in wirelessinfrastructure, and today, it’sup nearly 50 percent, helping companies unleash jobs,innovation and a boomingapp economy that’s created more than 500,000 jobs. when i tookoffice, only 5 percent of theworld’s smartphones ran on american operating systems. today,more than 80 percent do.
and it’s not just in thehigh-tech economy that we’re seeing progress. for e_ample,american farmers are on pace to have one of their bestyears in decades, and they haveconsistently been able to e_port more, makemore profits and help restore rural economiesthan when we came into office.
and, yes, we decided to take on abroken health care system. and even though the rollout ofthe new health caremarketplace has been rough, to say the least, about half a millionamericansare now poised to gain health care coverage beginning january 1st. that’s after onlya month of sign-up. we also have seen health care costs growingat the slowest rate in 50 years.employer-based health costs are growing at about one-third of the rateof a decade ago, andthat has an impact on your bottom line.
and after years oftrillion-dollar deficits, we reined in spending, wound down two wars, andbeganto change a ta_ code that i believe was too skewed towards the wealthiest amongus atthe e_pense of the middle class. and since i took office, we have now cut our deficits by morethan half.
add it all up, and businesseslike yours have created 7.8 million new jobs over the past 44months. we’ve gone farther and recovered faster thanmost other advanced nations. and so inalot of ways, america is poised for a breakout. we are in a good position to compete aroundthe world in the 21stcentury.
the question is, are we going torealize that potential? and that meansthat we’ve still gotsome more work to do. our stock markets and corporate profits are soaring, but we’ve gottomake sure that this remains a country where everyone who works hard can getahead. andthat means we’ve still got toaddress long-term unemployment. we stillhave to addressstagnant wages and stagnant incomes.
and frankly, we’ve got to stopgoverning by crisis here in this town. because if it weren’t forwashington’s dysfunction, i think all of usagree we’d be a lot further along. theshutdown andthe threat of default harmed our jobs market, they cost oureconomy about $5 billion, andeconomists predict it will slow our gdp growththis quarter -- and it didn’t need to happen. itwas self-inflicted. we shouldnot be injuring ourselves every few months. we should be investingin ourselves. and in a sensible world, that starts with a budget that cuts what we don’tneed,closes wasteful loopholes, and helps us afford to invest in the thingsthat we know will helpbusinesses like yours and the economy as a whole --education, infrastructure, basic researchand development.
we would have a grand bargain formiddle-class jobs that combines ta_ reform with afinancing mechanism that letsus create jobs, rebuilding infrastructure that your businessesdepend on, butwe haven’t gotten as much take-up from the other side as we’d like to see sofar.we have the opportunity forbipartisan authority to negotiate the best trade deals possible sobusinessesand workers can take advantage of new markets that are opening up aroundtheworld. we haven’t seen the kind oftake-up from the other side that we’d like to see so far.
we’ve got the opportunity to fi_a broken immigration system that strengthens oureconomy and our nationalsecurity. the good news here is thesenate has already passed abipartisan bill that economists say would grow oureconomy by $1.4 trillion and shrink ourdeficits by nearly a trillion over thene_t two decades. you wouldn’t turn downa deal that good,and congress shouldn’t either. so i’m hoping that speaker boehner and thehouse ofrepresentatives can still work with us to get that done.
and we need to be going all outto prepare our kids and our workers for the demands of a21st-centuryeconomy. i’ve proposed giving everychild an early start at success by making high-quality preschool available toevery four-year-old in america. we knowthat you get more bangfor the buck when it comes to early childhood educationthan just about anything else, andyou’ve got great e_amples around thecountry, oftentimes in red states, that are doing just that.we need to make that same investment.
we’re working to bring down thecosts of a college degree so more young people can get ahigher education. and one thing that i’m very e_cited about --and this has been a goode_ample of a public-private partnership -- is the ideaof redesigning our high schools to makesure that more young people gethands-on training and develop the skills that they need,particularly in math,science and engineering, that businesses are looking for. and in fact, todaywe’re announcing acompetitive grant program that will encourage more high schools topartner withcolleges and local businesses to better prepare our kids for college or acareer. andin december, i’ll bebringing together college presidents and other leaders to figure out waystohelp more low-income students attend and to succeed in college.
so just to sum up, my basicmessage is this: we know what thechallenges are. we knowwhat thesolutions are. some of them are tough,but what’s holding us back is not a lack of goodpolicy ideas or even what usedto be considered good bipartisan policy ideas. we just have tobreak through the stubborn cycle of crisis politics andstart working together. moreobstruction,more brinkmanship won’t help anybody. it doesn’t help folks politically. my understanding isnobody in this town isdoing particularly well at the moment when it comes to the opinions oftheamerican people, but it certainly doesn’t help anybody economically.
on many of the issues, i thinkyou and i would agree, and i want you to know that i’mrooting for yoursuccess, and i look forward to making sure that we are able in theremainingthree years that i’m president to work together to not only improve thebusinessclimate, but also improve the prospects for americans all across thecountry who have beentreading water, feel like they’re losing ground, arean_ious about the future and their children’sfutures, but i think are stillhopeful and still possess that fundamental american optimism. ifthey see leadership working across theboard on their behalf, then i’m confident that we canmake enormous progress.
so with that, why don’t we getjerry up here and i’ll start answering his questions. i hope headds some input. (laughter.) if he starts asking me about whathappened to the kansas citychiefs, i’m not sure i’ll have a good answer forthat one. (applause.)
well, thank you, mr. president. let me start by thanking you officially forjoining us today. ithink you probablysee a lot of familiar faces out there, most friendly, most of them. and i wouldalso note that you’re gettinghere a little late. congressman paulryan is coming later. he isgoing to gethere a little early. so if you guysoverlap a little bit, maybe we can just get someproblems solved righthere. what do you think?
the president: let’s do it. (laughter.) let’s do it.
it’s your chance. we have talked amongst ourselves or tried tosort of take the sense of theroom. so i’mgoing to try to reflect some of the conversations that have been going on hereinthe questions i’m going to ask you. you’ll not be stunned that i’m going to ask you abouthealth care first.
you indicated there and you’veindicated publicly quite clearly that the rollout has beendifficult. what do you think you’ve learned from thise_perience about the government’s abilityto do this sort of thing, about thelaw itself, or about your own administration?
the president: well, there are a couple of things. number one is that this has been abigproblem for a very long time and so it was always going to be challenging notjust to pass alaw, but also to implement it. there’s a reason why, despite a century of talking about it,nobody hadbeen able to successfully try to deal with some of the underlying problems inthehealth care system.
the good news is that many of theelements of the affordable care act are already in placeand are workinge_actly the way they’re supposed to. somaking sure that consumers who haveemployer-based health insurance are gettinga better deal and that are protected from some ofthe fine print that left themin the lurch when they actually got sick -- that’s in place. makingsure that young people under the ageof 26 can stay on their parents’ plan -- that’s helped 3million childrenalready. that’s making adifference. helping seniors to getbetter prescriptiondrug prices -- that’s already helped millions of seniorsand billions of dollars in savings. rebatesfor people who see insurance companies who are not spendingenough on actual care, more onadministrative costs or profits, they’re gettingrebates. they may not know it’s theaffordablecare act that’s giving them rebates, but it’s happening. so there were a number of things thatwerealready in place over the last three years that got implemented effectively.
the other thing that hasn’t beentalked about a lot is cost. there was a lot of skepticismwhen we passed theaffordable care act that we were going to be giving a lot of people care butweweren’t doing anything about the underlying costs. and, in fact, over the last three years,we’veseen health care costs grow at the slowest pace in 50 years. and that affects the bottomlines ofeverybody here.
and there are a lot of smartdelivery system reforms that slowly across the system are beingimplemented andthey’re making a big difference. andthat’s saving us money. that’s why, bytheway, some of the projections that in terms of what the affordable care actwould do to deficitshave actually proved even better than we had originallye_pected.
what i have learned, though, withrespect to setting up these marketplaces -- which areessentially mechanismswhere people who are currently in the individual market or don’t havehealthinsurance at all can join together, shop, and insurance companies will competefor theirbusiness -- setting those things up is very challenging justmechanically.
the good news is that choice andcompetition has actually worked and insurers came in withbids that were evenlower than people e_pected -- about 16 percent lower than had originallybeenprojected.
the challenge has been justmaking sure that consumers are actually able to get on awebsite, see thosechoices, and shop. and i think that weprobably underestimated thecomple_ities of building out a website that neededto work the way it should.
there is a larger problem that iprobably -- speak personally, but also as theadministration -- could haveidentified earlier, and that is the way the federal government doesprocurementand does it is just generally not very efficient. in fact, there’s probably no biggergapbetween the private sector and the public sector than it.
and we’ve seen that in, fore_ample, the va and the department of defense trying to dealwith electronicmedical records for our servicemen as they move into civilian life. most of thatstuff is still done on paper. we’ve spent billions of dollars -- i’m notsaying “we” as in myadministration, i mean we’ve now had about a decade ofe_perimentation, spent billions ofdollars and it’s still not working the wayit should.
so what we probably needed to doon the front end was to blow up how we procure for it,especially on a systemthis complicated. we did not do thatsuccessfully. now, we are gettingitfi_ed, but it would have been better to do it on the front end rather than theback end.
and the last point i’ll make isthat in terms of e_pectation setting, there’s no doubt that inan environmentin which we had to fight tooth and nail to get this passed, it ended upbeingpassed on a partisan basis -- not for lack of trying, because i met with anawful lot ofrepublicans to try to get them to go along -- but because therewas just ideological resistanceto the idea of dealing with the uninsured andpeople with pree_isting conditions. there was aprice to that, and it was that what was already going to behard was operating within a verydifficult political environment. and we should have anticipated that thatwould create arockier rollout than if democrats and republicans were bothinvested in success.
one of the problems we’ve had isone side of capitol hill is invested in failure, and thatmakes, i think, thekind of iterative process of fi_ing glitches as they come up and fine-tuningthe law more challenging. but i’moptimistic that we can get it fi_ed.
well, that’s the question i was going toask ne_t. is it possible you’ve lostenough time hereand enough potential customers in the e_changes that you’renot going to reach the criticalmass of signups that you need to make themarketplace work? is that a danger thatyou have toworry about right now?
the president: well, it’s something that we have to payattention to. but keep in mindthat thismodel of marketplaces was based on what was done in massachusetts, andthee_perience in massachusetts was that in the first month, 153 or 163 people signedup out ofan ultimate 36,000. it wasless than 1 percent signed up in that first month -- partly becausebuyinginsurance is a complicated process for a lot of people. when they have more choices, itmeans thatthey’re going to take more time.
there’s no doubt that we’ve lostsome time, but the website is getting better each week. bythe end of this month, it will befunctioning for the majority of people who are using it. they’llbe able to shop, see what theirchoices are. the prices are good. the prices are not changingduring the openenrollment period that goes out until march. and so i think that we’re going tohave time to catch up.
what’s also been e_pressed as aconcern is the mi_ of people that sign up. so we mightend up having millions of people sign up; they’re happy withtheir new coverage, but we’ve gotmore people who are older, more likely to getsick than younger and healthier. we’vegot tomonitor that carefully. we alwaysanticipated, though, that younger folks would be the last folksin, justbecause -- it’s been a while since you and i were young -- but as i recall, youdon’t thinkthat you’re going to get sick at that time.
so, look, i am confident that themodel that we’ve built, which works off of the e_istingprivate insurancesystem, is one that will succeed. we aregoing to have to, a, fi_ the website soeverybody feels confident aboutthat. we’re going to have to obviouslyre-market and re-brand,and that will be challenging in this politicalenvironment.
but keep in mind, in the firstmonth we also had 12 million people visit the site. thedemand is there. there are 41 million people who don’t havehealth insurance. the folks intheindividual market, many of them are going to get a much better deal in themarketplaces.and so we’ve just got tokeep on improving the customer e_perience and make sure that we’refending offefforts not to fi_ the problem -- because if somebody wants to help us fi_ it,i’m allgame, but fending off efforts to completely undermine it.
let me turn to the economy, the broadereconomy, probably the predominant concern ofpeople in this room. we seem to be stuck in an economic growthpattern of okay, but not greatgrowth. your friend, larry summers, was here earlier today and said essentiallythe problem orone of the problems is that the system can’t do two things atonce. it can’t cut deficits andspurgrowth. it needs to do one or the otherright now. it needs to spur growth,should not worryso much about deficits. do you agree? and if you doagree, how do you make that happen?
the president: actually, larry and i, and most of myeconomic team -- in fact, all of myeconomic team -- have consistentlymaintained that there is a way to reconcile the concernsabout debt anddeficits with the concerns about growth.
what we know is, is that ourfiscal problems are not short-term deficits. our discretionarybudget, that portion of the federal budget that isn’tdefense or social security or medicare ormedicaid, the entitlement programs,is at its smallest level in my lifetime, probably since dwighteisenhower. we are not lavishly spending on a whole bunchof social programs out there. andin many ways, a lot of these programs havebecome more efficient and pretty effective.
defense, we spent a lot from 2022to 2022, but generally we are stabilizing. and thepentagon, working with me, have come up with plans that allow usto meet our security needswhile still bringing down some of the costs ofdefense, particularly after having ended the war iniraq and on the brink ofending the war in afghanistan.
so when we talk about our deficitand debt problems, it is almost entirely health care costs.you eliminate the delta, the differencebetween what we spend on health care and what everyother country -- advancedindustrialized nation spends on health care, and that’s our long-termdebt. and if we’re able to bend the costcurve, we help solve the problem.
now, one way to do that is justto make health care cheaper overall. that’s i think the bestway to do it, and that’s what we’ve been doingthrough some of the measures in the affordablecare act. there are some other provisions that we couldtake that would maintain ourcommitment to seniors, medicare, social security,the disabled, and medicaid, while stillreducing very modestly the costs ofthose programs.
if we do those things, thatsolves our real fiscal problem, and we could take some of thatmoney, a verymodest portion on the front end, and invest in infrastructure that putspeopleback to work, improve our research and development.
so the idea would be do somethings in the short term that focus on growth; do some thingsin the long termthat deal with the long-term debt. that’swhat my budget reflects. that’s whatamultiple series of negotiations with john boehner talked about, the so-calledgrand bargain. wecouldn’t quite getthere in the end, mainly because republicans had a great deal of difficultywiththe idea of putting in more revenue to balance out some of the changesthat were made onentitlements.
i would guess a lot of people in this roomwould say another way to make some of thosethings happen would be to fi_ thecorporate ta_ code that everybody agrees is a mess. you’vegot some companies that pay way toomuch compared to their international competitors; somecompanies don’t pay atall. it’s not a good system. it’s not anefficient system, everybody agrees,but it doesn’t ever seem to change. can you make it change? and can you do something aboutrepatriationof u.s. assets overseas?
the president: well, here is the good news, is that both myadministration andrepublicans have talked about corporate ta_ reform. and paul ryan, who is going to becoming afterme, said he’s interested in corporate ta_ reform. and we’ve reached out to himand we’ve saidlet’s get to work. we put forward a veryspecific set of proposals that would lowerthe corporate ta_ rate, broaden thebase, close some loopholes. and in termsof internationalcompanies and competitiveness, what we’ve said is rather thana whole bunch of tangled lawsthat incentivize folks to keep money overseas,let’s have a modest but clear global minimumta_, get rid of some of the hugefluctuations that people e_perience. itwill save companiesmoney, make them more competitive and, in terms oftransitioning to that system, actuallyallow some people to bring back moneyand, in a one-time way, help us finance infrastructureand some other projectsthat need to get done.
i don’t e_pect republicans toadopt e_actly the proposal that we’ve put forward. butthere’s not that much separation betweenwhat democrats are talking about -- i know chairmanma_ baucus put outsomething today, the chairman of the finance committee -- what davecamp overin the house has talked about. thisshould be bridgeable.
the one thing i would caution is-- and i’ve said this to the business roundtable and othercorporate leaderswho i’ve talked to -- people like the idea of corporate ta_ reform intheory.in practice, if you want to makethe corporate ta_ reform deficit-neutral, then you actuallyhave to close someloopholes. and people like the idea of asimpler ta_ system until it’s theirparticular loophole that’s about to getclosed.
and what we can’t afford to do isto keep all the loopholes that are currently in place andlower the corporateta_ rate. we would then blow anotherhole in the deficit that would have tobe filled. and what i’m not willing to do is to havehigher rates on the middle class in order topay for that.
some of the ceos here had a working groupearlier today, the mission of which was toaddress the question of how do youstay competitive. interestingly, atleast to me, their firstpriority -- first priority -- was this: immigration reform. the u.s. needs immigration reformto retaintalented workers educated in the u.s. and attract talent to the u.s. immigrationreform could provide an instantjolt to the u.s. economy which we need.
i know you agree with thatstatement, but it’s hard to see that happening right now. you’vegot the senate off on one track -- it’spassed a comprehensive bill the house won’t even agreeto take up. democrats want to do comprehensivereform. republicans want to do step-by-stepreform. it’s a poisonous politicalatmosphere. can you make it happen?
the president: i am actually optimistic that we’re going toget this done. i am acongenitaloptimist. i would have to be -- i’m named barack obama and i ran forpresident. (laughter.)
and won.
the president: and won twice. (laughter.)
so, look, keep in mind, first ofall, that what the ceos here said is absolutely right. this isa boost to our economy. everywhere i go, i meet with entrepreneursand ceos who say, i’vegot these terrific folks, they just graduated fromcaltech or mit or stanford, they’re ready to dobusiness here, some of themhave these amazing new ideas that we think we can commercialize-- but they’rebeing dragged back to their home countries, not because they want to gobutbecause the immigration system doesn’t work.
the good news is that the senatebill was a bipartisan bill and we know what thecomponent parts of thisare. we’ve got to have strong bordersecurity. we’ve got to havebetterenforcement of e_isting laws. we’ve gotto make sure that we have a legal immigrationsystem that doesn’t cause peopleto sit in the queue for 5 years, 10 years, 15 years -- in somecases, 20years. we should want to immediately sayto young people who we’ve helped toeducate in this country, you want to stay,we want you here.
and we do have to deal with about11 million folks who are in this country, most of themjust seekingopportunity; they did break the law by coming here or overstaying their visa,andthey’ve got to earn their way out of the shadows -- pay a fine, learnenglish, get to the back ofthe line, pay their back ta_es -- but giving them amechanism whereby they can get right by oursociety. and that’s reflected in the senate bill.
now, i actually think that thereare a number of house republicans -- including paul ryan, ithink, if you askhim about it -- who agree with that. they’re suspicious of comprehensivebills, but if they want to chop thatthing up into five pieces, as long as all five pieces get done, idon’t carewhat it looks like as long as it’s actually delivering on those core valuesthat we talkabout.
but democrats have been pretty suspiciousthat all five pieces won’t get done.
the president: and that’s the problem. i mean, the key is -- what we don’t want todois simply carve out one piece of it -- let’s say agricultural jobs, which are important, but iseasier,frankly, or the high-skilled jobs that many in your audience here wouldimmediately wantto do -- but leave behind some of the tougher stuff that stillneeds to get done. we’re not goingtohave a situation in which 11 million people are still living in the shadows andpotentiallygetting deported on an ongoing basis.
so we’re going to have to do itall. in my conversations with therepublicans, i actually thinkthe divide is not that wide. so what we just have to do is find a pathwaywhere republicans inthe house, in particular, feel comfortable enough aboutprocess that they can go ahead andmeet us.
this, by the way, jerry, i thinkis a good e_ample of something that’s been striking meabout our politics for awhile. when you go to other countries, the political divisions are so muchmorestark and wider. here in america, thedifference between democrats and republicans, we’refighting inside the 40-yardline, maybe in --
you’ve fooled most people on that in thelast few months, i’d say. (laughter.)
the president: well, no, no. i would distinguish between the rhetoric and the tacticsversus theideological differences. i mean, in most countries you’ve got -- people call measocialist sometimes, but, no, you’ve got to meet real socialists.(laughter.) you’ll have a sense ofwhata socialist is. (laughter.)
i’m talking about lowering thecorporate ta_ rate. my health carereform is based on theprivate marketplace. the stock market is looking pretty good last time i checked. and it is truethat i’m concerned aboutgrowing inequality in our system, but nobody questions theefficacy of marketeconomies in terms of producing wealth and innovation and keepinguscompetitive.
on the flip side, mostrepublicans, even the tea party -- one of my favorite signs during thecampaignwas folks hoisting a sign, “government, keep your hands off my medicare.” (laughter.)think about that. (laughter.) i mean, ideologically, they did not like the idea of thefederalgovernment, and yet they felt very protective about the basic social safety netthat hadbeen structured.
so my simple point is this: if we can get beyond the tactical advantagesthat partiesperceive in painting folks as e_treme and trying to keep an eyealways on the ne_t election,and for a while at least, just focus on governing,then there is probably 70 percent overlap on awhole range of issues. a lot of republicans want to getinfrastructure done, just like i do. alot ofthem believe in basic research, just like i do. a lot of them want to reform entitlementstomake sure that they’re affordable for the ne_t generation; so do i. a lot of them say theywant to reform our ta_system; so do i.
there are going to be differenceson the details, and those details matter and i’ll fight veryhard forthem. but we shouldn’t think thatsomehow the reason we’ve got these problems isbecause our policy differencesare so great.
well, the details are obviously importantenough to shut down the government just a coupleof weeks ago. and everybody knows we’re headed back towardshowdowns again -- january,budget; february, debt ceiling. jack lew was here earlier, your treasurysecretary, and said hethought maybe the system crossed a threshold in octoberand has realized it doesn’t want to goback and do that again. are you confident it’s not going to go backand do that again? and bythe way, theoecd, the organization of economic cooperation and development, suggestedtodaythat the u.s. just get rid of the debt ceiling entirely. would you be in favor of that?
the president: i think that the way our system is set up islike a loaded gun, and oncepeople thought we can get leverage on policydisputes by threatening default, that was ane_traordinarily dangerousprecedent. and that’s a principle that ihad to adhere to, not just forme but for the ne_t president -- that you’re notgoing to be able to threaten the entire u.s. orworld economy simply becauseyou disagree with me about a health care bill.
i’d like to believe that therepublicans recognize that was not a good strategy, and we’reprobably betteroff with a system in which that threat is not there on a perpetual basis. i donot foresee what we saw in october beingrepeated in january. but the broaderpoint is one thati think all of us have to take to heart. we have to be able to disagree on policyissues withoutresorting to the kinds of e_treme tactics that end up hurtingall of us.
and that’s been my maindisagreement with a lot of my republican friends. and frankly, theamerican people agree withthat. they don’t e_pect us to march inlockstep. there’s a reasonwhy we’ve gottwo parties in this country. they doe_pect that we are constantly thinking abouthow are we making sure they canfind a job that pays well, that their kids can go to college andafford it,that we are growing and competitive, that we are dealing with our fiscalposition in asensible way. and if wekeep them in mind consistently, then i think we’re going to besuccessful.
one thing -- you’ve got someinternational ceos here, and i think they’ll confirm this --when i travel, what’sstriking to me is people around the world think we’ve got a really goodhand.you just take the e_ample of energy. they say america is poised to change ourgeopolitics entirely because ofthe advances we’ve made in oil production and natural gasproduction. it means manufacturing here is much moreattractive than it used to be. that’sahuge competitive advantage.
we’ve got the most productiveworkers just about in the world, and our workers havebecome more and moreproductive, and a lot of companies look at that and say we wish we hadworkerswho were able to operate the way these folks do.
our university systems, ourresearch infrastructure -- all those things are the envy of theworld. and one of the great things about america --sometimes we get worried that we’re losingtraction and the sky is falling, andback in the ‘80s, japan was about to take over, and thenchina, and obviouslybefore that, the soviet union -- and we usually come out okay because wechangeand we adapt. i just want everybody toremember that we’re in a very strong position tocompete as long as ourpolitical system functions. it doesn’thave to be outstanding. this issort oflike winston churchill, two cheers for democracy. and it’s always going to be messy. butit’s got to function better than it has.
i’m in the red zone on the clock here, butlet me -- i do want to ask a question aboutinternational affairs. you’ve mentioned the world and the u.s.position in it. there’s thepossibilitythis week of an agreement with iran, a preliminary, limited agreement in whichtheywould free some of their nuclear activities in return for some relief onsanctions. your israelifriends havebeen arguing, along with some of your friends as well as your foes in congress,thatif you give the iranian regime any relief on sanctions, the sanctionsregime will fall apart;countries that don’t want to be there in the firstplace will head for the e_its; it will all comeapart -- and that’s the dangerof what you’re negotiating right now.
i know you talked to somesenators about this very topic today. isthere going to be a deal?and why canyou ease sanctions without having them fall apart?
the president: well, just by way of background, when i cameinto office, we had a tradeembargo; the u.s. had done some thingsunilaterally. we did not have a strong,enforceableinternational mechanism to really put the squeeze on iran aroundits nuclear program, despitethe fact that it had violated a range of u.n. andnonproliferation treaty requirements.
so we built, we constructed, withthe help of congress, the strongest sanctions regimeever. and it has put a bite on the iranianeconomy. they have seen a 5 percentcontraction thelast year in their economy. it’s projected to be another contraction this year. and in partbecause the sanctions have beenso effective, we were able to get iran to seriously come to thetable and lookat how are they going to give assurances to the international communitythatthey are, in fact, not pursuing a nuclear weapons program.
i don’t know if we’ll be able toclose a deal this week or ne_t week. wehave been very firmwith the iranians even on the interim deal about what wee_pect. and some of the reportingoutthere has been somewhat inaccurate, understandably, because the p5-plus-1, themembersof the -- permanent members of the security council in addition to --and germany as well --have kept the negotiations fairly tight.
but the essence of the deal wouldbe that they would halt advances on their nuclearprogram; they would roll backsome elements that get them closer to what we call breakoutcapacity, wherethey can run for -- a weapon before the international community has a chancetoreact; that they would subject themselves to more vigorous inspections eventhan the onesthat are currently there, in some cases, daily inspections.
in return, what we would do wouldbe to open up the spigot a little bit for a very modestamount of relief thatis entirely subject to reinstatement if, in fact, they violated any part ofthisearly agreement. and it wouldpurchase a period of time -- let’s say, si_ months -- during whichwe could seeif they could get to the end state of a position where we, the israelis,theinternational community could say with confidence iran is not pursuing anuclear weapon.
now, part of the reason i haveconfidence that the sanctions don’t fall apart is because we’renot doinganything around the most powerful sanctions. the oil sanctions, the bankingsanctions, the financial servicessanctions -- those are the ones that have really taken a bigchunk out of theiranian economy. so oil production andoil sales out of iran have dropped bymore than half since these sanctions wereput in place. they’ve got over $100billion of oilrevenue that is sitting outside of their country. the rial, their currency, hasdroppedprecipitously. and all those sanctionsand the architecture for them don’t go anywhere.
essentially, what we do is weallow them to access a small portion of these assets that arefrozen. keep in mind, though, that because the oiland banking sanctions stay in place, they willactually still be losing moneyeven during this si_-month period relative to the amount of oilsales they hadback in 2022.
so what we are suggesting both tothe israelis, to members of congress here, to theinternational community, butalso to the iranians, is, let’s look, let’s test the proposition thatover thene_t si_ months we can resolve this in a diplomatic fashion, while maintainingtheessential sanctions architecture, and, as president of the united states,me maintaining alloptions to prevent them from getting nuclear weapons. i think that is a test that isworthconducting.
and my hope and e_pectation isnot that we’re going to solve all of this just this week inthis interim phase,but rather that we’re purchasing ourselves some time to see how serioustheiranian regime might be in re-entering membership in the world community andtakingthe yoke of these sanctions off the backs of their economy.
well, mr. president, with that, let me justthank you again for joining us. iappreciate it verymuch. (applause.)
the president: i enjoyed it. thank you very much. (applause)
第13篇 奥巴马演讲稿:我们为什么要上学
时间:__年9月8日
地点:弗吉尼亚州,阿林顿市
嗨,大家好!你们今天过得怎么样?我现在和弗吉尼亚州阿林顿郡韦克菲尔德高中的学生们在一起,全国各地也有从幼儿园到高三的众多学生们通过电视关注这里,我很高兴你们能共同分享这一时刻。
我知道,对你们中的许多人来说,今天是开学的第一天,你们中的有一些刚刚进入幼儿园或升上初高中,对你们来说,这是在新学校的第一天,因此,假如你们感到有些紧张,那也是很正常的。我想也会有许多毕业班的学生们正自信满满地准备最后一年的冲刺。不过,我想无论你有多大、在读哪个年级,许多人都打心底里希望现在还在放暑假,以及今天不用那么早起床。我可以理解这份心情。
小时候,我们家在印度尼西亚住过几年,而我妈妈没钱送我去其他美国孩子们上学的地方去读书,因此她决定自己给我上课——时间是每周一到周五的凌晨4点半。显然,我不怎么喜欢那么早就爬起来,很多时候,我就这么在厨房的桌子前睡着了。每当我埋怨的时候,我妈总会用同一副表情看着我说:“小鬼,你以为教你我就很轻松?” 所以,我可以理解你们中的许多人对于开学还需要时间来调整和适应,但今天我站在这里,是为了和你们谈一些重要的事情。我要和你们谈一谈你们每个人的教育,以及在新的学年里,你们应当做些什么。
知名人士11我做过许多关于教育的讲话,也常常用到“责任”这个词。我谈到过教师们有责任激励和启迪你们,督促你们学习。我谈到过家长们有责任看管你们认真学习、完成作业,不要成天只会看电视或打游戏机。
我也很多次谈到过政府有责任设定高标准严要求、协助老师和校长们的工作,改变在有些学校里学生得不到应有的学习机会的现状。但哪怕这一切都达到最好,哪怕我们有最尽职的教师、最好的家长、和最优秀的学校,假如你们不去履行自己的责任的话,那么这一切努力都会白费。——除非你每天准时去上学、除非你认真地听老师讲课、除非你把父母、长辈和其他大人们说的话放在心上、除非你肯付出成功所必需的努力,否则这一切都会失去意义。而这就是我今天讲话的主题:对于自己的教育,你们中每一个人的责任。
首先,我想谈谈你们对于自己有什么责任。 你们中的每一个人都会有自己擅长的东西,每一个人都是有用之材,而发现自己的才能是什么,就是你们要对自己担起的责任。教育给你们提供了发现自己才能的机会。或许你能写出优美的文字——甚至有一天能让那些文字出现在书籍和报刊上——但假如不在英语课上经常练习写作,你不会发现自己有这样的天赋;或许你能成为一个发明家、创造家——甚至设计出像今天的iphone一样流行的产品,或研制出新的药物与疫苗——但假如不在自然科学课程上做上几次实验,你不会知道自己有这样的天赋;或许你能成为一名议员或最高法院法官,但假如你不去加入什么学生会或参加几次辩论赛,你也不会发现自己的才能。而且,我可以向你保证,不管你将来想要做什么,你都需要相应的教育。
知名人士11——你想当名医生、当名教师或当名警官?你想成为护士、成为建筑设计师、律师或军人?无论你选择哪一种职业,良好的教育都必不可少,这世上不存在不把书念完就能拿到好工作的美梦,任何工作,都需要你的汗水、训练与学习。不仅仅对于你们个人的未来有重要意义,你们的教育如何也会对这个国家、乃至世界的未来产生重要影响。今天你们在学校中学习的内容,将会决定我们整个国家在未来迎接重大挑战时的表现。
你们需要在数理科学课程上学习的知识和技能,去治疗癌症、艾滋那样的疾病,和解决我们面临的能源问题与环境问题;你们需要在历史社科课程上培养出的观察力与判断力,来减轻和消除无家可归与贫困、犯罪问题和各种歧视,让这个国家变得更加公平和自由;你们需要在各类课程中逐渐累积和发展出来的创新意识和思维,去创业和建立新的公司与企业,来制造就业机会和推动经济的增长。我们需要你们中的每一个人都培养和发展自己的天赋、技能和才智,来解决我们所面对的最困难的问题。
假如你不这么做——假如你放弃学习——那么你不仅是放弃了自己,也是放弃了你的国家。当然,我明白,读好书并不总是件容易的事。我知道你们中的许多人在生活中面临着各种各样的问题,很难把精力集中在专心读书之上。我知道你们的感受。我父亲在我两岁时就离开了家庭,是母亲一人将我们拉扯大,有时她付不起帐单,有时我们得不到其他孩子们都有的东西,有时我会想,假如父亲在该多好,有时我会感到孤独无助,与周围的环境格格不入。因此我并不总是能专心学习,我做过许多自己觉得丢脸的事情,也惹出过许多不该惹的麻烦,我的生活岌岌可危,随时可能急转直下。但我很幸运。我在许多事上都得到了重来的机会,我得到了去大学读法学院、实现自己梦想的机会。
知名人士11我的妻子——现在得叫她第一夫人米歇尔·奥巴马了——也有着相似的人生故事,她的父母都没读过大学,也没有什么财产,但他们和她都辛勤工作,好让她有机会去这个国家最优秀的学校读书。
你们中有些人可能没有这些有利条件,或许你的生活中没有能为你提供帮助和支持的长辈,或许你的某个家长没有工作、经济拮据,或许你住的社区不那么安全,或许你认识一些会对你产生不良影响的朋友,等等。但归根结底,你的生活状况——你的长相、出身、经济条件、家庭氛围——都不是疏忽学业和态度恶劣的借口,这些不是你去跟老师顶嘴、逃课、或是辍学的借口,这些不是你不好好读书的借口。
你的未来,并不取决于你现在的生活有多好或多坏。没有人为你编排好你的命运,在美国,你的命运由你自己书写,你的未来由你自己掌握。而在这片土地上的每个地方,千千万万和你一样的年轻人正是这样在书写着自己的命运。
例如德克萨斯州罗马市的贾斯敏·佩雷兹。刚进学校时,她根本不会说英语,她住的地方几乎没人上过大学,她的父母也没有受过高等教育,但她努力学习,取得了优异的成绩,靠奖学金进入了布朗大学,如今正在攻读公共卫生专业的博士学位。
我还想起了加利福尼亚州洛斯拉图斯市的安多尼·舒尔兹,他从三岁起就开始与脑癌病魔做斗争,他熬过了一次次治疗与手术——其中一次影响了他的记忆,因此他得花出比常人多几百个小时的时间来完成学业,但他从不曾落下自己的功课。这个秋天,他要开始在大学读书了。
又比如在我的家乡,伊利诺斯州芝加哥市,身为孤儿的香特尔·史蒂夫换过多次收养家庭,从小在治安很差的地区长大,但她努力争取到了在当地保健站工作的机会、发起了一个让青少年远离犯罪团伙的项目,很快,她也将以优异的成绩从中学毕业,去大学深造。贾斯敏、安多尼和香特尔与你们并没有什么不同。
和你们一样,他们也在生活中遭遇各种各样的困难与问题,但他们拒绝放弃,他们选择为自己的教育担起责任、给自己定下奋斗的目标。我希望你们中的每一个人,都能做得到这些。因此,在今天,我号召你们每一个人都为自己的教育定下一个目标——并在之后,尽自己的一切努力去实现它。
知名人士11你的目标可以很简单,像是完成作业、认真听讲或每天阅读——或许你打算参加一些课外活动,或在社区做些志愿工作;或许你决定为那些因为长相或出身等等原因而受嘲弄或欺负的孩子做主、维护他们的权益,因为你和我一样,认为每个孩子都应该能有一个安全的学习环境;或许你认为该学着更好的照顾自己,来为将来的学习做准备……
当然,除此之外,我希望你们都多多洗手、感到身体不舒服的时候要多在家休息,免得大家在秋冬感冒高发季节都得流感。不管你决定做什么,我都希望你能坚持到底,希望你能真的下定决心。我知道有些时候,电视上播放的节目会让你产生这样那样的错觉,似乎你不需要付出多大的努力就能腰缠万贯、功成名就——你会认为只要会唱rap、会打篮球或参加个什么真人秀节目就能坐享其成,但现实是,你几乎没有可能走上其中任何一条道路。因为,成功是件难事。
你不可能对要读的每门课程都兴趣盎然,你不可能和每名带课教师都相处顺利,你也不可能每次都遇上看起来和现实生活有关的作业。而且,并不是每件事,你都能在头一次尝试时获得成功。但那没有关系。因为在这个世界上,最最成功的人们往往也经历过最多的失败。
j.k.罗琳的第一本《哈利·波特》被出版商拒绝了十二次才最终出版;迈克尔·乔丹上高中时被学校的篮球队刷了下来,在他的职业生涯里,他输了几百场比赛、投失过几千次射篮,知道他是怎么说的吗?“我一生不停地失败、失败再失败,这就是我现在成功的原因。”
他们的成功,源于他们明白人不能让失败左右自己——而是要从中吸取经验。从失败中,你可以明白下一次自己可以做出怎样的改变;假如你惹了什么麻烦,那并不说明你就是个捣蛋贵,而是在提醒你,在将来要对自己有更严格的要求;假如你考了个低分,那并不说明你就比别人笨,而是在告诉你,自己得在学习上花更多的时间。没有哪一个人一生出来就擅长做什么事情的,只有努力才能培养出技能。
任何人都不是在第一次接触一项体育运动时就成为校队的代表,任何人都不是在第一次唱一首歌时就找准每一个音,一切都需要熟能生巧。对于学业也是一样,你或许要反复运算才能解出一道数学题的正确答案,你或许需要读一段文字好几遍才能理解它的意思,你或许得把论文改上好几次才能符合提交的标准。这都是很正常的。不要害怕提问。不要不敢向他人求助。——我每天都在这么做。求助并不是软弱的表现,恰恰相反,它说明你有勇气承认自己的不足、并愿意去学习新的知识。所以,有不懂时,就向大人们求助吧——找个你信得过的对象,例如父母、长辈、老师、教练或辅导员——让他们帮助你向目标前进。
知名人士11你要记住,哪怕你表现不好、哪怕你失去信心、哪怕你觉得身边的人都已经放弃了你——永远不要自己放弃自己。因为当你放弃自己的时候,你也放弃了自己的国家。
美国不是一个人们遭遇困难就轻易放弃的国度,在这个国家,人们坚持到底、人们加倍努力,为了他们所热爱的国度,每一个人都尽着自己最大的努力,不会给自己留任何余地。
250年前,有一群和你们一样的学生,他们之后奋起努力、用一场革命最终造就了这个国家;75年前,有一群和你们一样的学生,他们之后战胜了大萧条、赢得了二战;就在20年前,和你们一样的学生们,他们后来创立了google、twitter和facebook,改变了我们人与人之间沟通的方式。因此,今天我想要问你们,你们会做出什么样的贡献?你们将解决什么样的难题?你们能发现什么样的事物?二十、五十或百年之后,假如那时的美国总统也来做一次开学演讲的话,他会怎样描述你们对这个国家所做的一切?你们的家长、你们的老师和我,每一个人都在尽最大的努力,确保你们都能得到应有的教育来回答这些问题。
例如我正在努力为你们提供更安全的教室、更多的书籍、更先进的设施与计算机。但你们也要担起自己的责任。因此我要求你们在今年能够认真起来,我要求你们尽心地去做自己着手的每一件事,我要求你们每一个人都有所成就。请不要让我们失望——不要让你的家人、你的国家和你自己失望。你们要成为我们骄傲,我知道,你们一定可以做到。谢谢大家,上帝保佑你们,上帝保佑美国。
第14篇 奥巴马总统在白宫玫瑰园就《平价医疗法案》英语演讲稿
the president: everybody, have a seat.
ms. baker: hello. my name is janice baker. i havethe privilege to say that i'm the firstperson in the state of delaware to enrollfor health insurance through the new marketplace. (applause.) like many consumers out there, it took me a number of frustratingattempts beforei could apply for and select my plan. i kept trying because i needed access to thenew healthcare options.
i had applied to three privateinsurance companies only to be rejected due to pree_istinghealthconditions. i am too young for medicare,but i'm too old not to have some health issues. iwas able to find a policy i am thrilled with, saving $150 a month, andmuch lower deductiblesthan my previous policy that i held through my smallbusiness.
i'm here today to encourage otherpeople like me who needs access to quality, affordableinsurance, and to tellthem to have patience with such a new system. without this ability toget this insurance, iknow that a single hospital stay could have bankrupted me and mybusiness.
thank you all. and i am now honored to introduce thepresident of the united states. (applause.)
the president: great job.
ms. baker: thank you. thank you.
the president: thank you. (applause.) thank you,everybody. well, thank you, janice.and thanks to everybody here for coming onthis beautiful day. welcome to the whitehouse.
about three weeks ago, as thefederal government shut down, the affordable care act'shealth insurancemarketplaces opened for business across the country. well, we've now gottenthe government backopen for the american people, and today i want to talk about how we'regoing toget the marketplaces running at full steam, as well. and i'm joined today by folks whohave eitherbenefited from the affordable care act already, or who are helping theirfellowcitizens learn about what this law means for them and how they can get covered.
of course, you've probably heardthat healthcare.gov –- the new website where people canapply for healthinsurance, and browse and buy affordable plans in most states –- hasn'tworkedas smoothly as it was supposed to work. and the number of people who have visitedthe site has beenoverwhelming, which has aggravated some of these underlying problems.
despite all that, thousands ofpeople are signing up and saving money as we speak. manyamericans with a pree_isting condition,like janice, are discovering that they can finally gethealth insurance likeeverybody else.
so today, i want to speak toevery american who's looking to get affordable healthinsurance. i want you to know what's available to youand why it may be a good deal for you.and for those who've had some problems with the website, i want to tellyou what we're doingto make it work better and how you can sign up to getcovered in other ways.
but before i do that, let meremind everybody that the affordable care act is not just awebsite. it's much more. for the vast majority of americans -- for 85percent of americanswho already have health insurance through your employer ormedicare or medicaid -– you don'tneed to sign up for coverage through awebsite at all. you've already gotcoverage. what theaffordable care actdoes for you is to provide you with new benefits and protections that havebeenin place for some time. you may not knowit, but you're already benefiting from theseprovisions in the law.
for e_ample, because of theaffordable care act, young people like jasmine jennings, andjessica ugalde,and ezra salop, all of whom are here today, they've been able to stay ontheirparents' plans until they're 26. millions of other young people are currently benefiting fromthat part ofthe law. (applause.) another part of the affordable care act isproviding seniors withdeeper discounts on their prescription medicine. billions of dollars have been saved byseniorsalready. that's part of thelaw. it's already in place. it's happening right now.
already, because of theaffordable care act, preventive care like mammograms and birthcontrol are freethrough your employers. that's part ofthis law. (applause.) so there are a widerange of consumerprotections and benefits that you already have if you've got healthinsurance.you may not have noticedthem, but you've got them, and they're not going anywhere. andthey're not dependent on a website.
here's another thing that theaffordable care act does. in stateswhere governors andlegislatures have wisely allowed it, the affordable careact provides the opportunity for manyamericans to get covered under medicaidfor the first time. so in oregon, fore_ample, that'shelped cut the number of uninsured people by 10 percent just inthe last three weeks. thinkaboutthat. that's 56,000 more americans whonow have health care. (applause.) that doesn'tdepend on a website.
now, if you're one of the 15percent of americans who don't have health insurance -- eitherbecause you can'tafford it or because your employer doesn't offer it, or because you're asmallbusinessperson and you have to go out on the individual market and buy it onyour ownand it's just too e_pensive -- october 1st was an important date. that's when we opened thenew marketplaceswhere people without health insurance, or who can't afford healthinsurance, orwho aren't part of a group plan, can finally start getting affordable coverage.
and the idea is simple. by enrolling in what we're calling thesemarketplaces, you becomepart of a big group plan -- as if you were working fora big employer -- a statewide group planthat spreads risk between sick peopleand healthy people, between young and old, and thenbargains on your behalf forthe best deal on health care. what we'vedone is essentially create acompetition where there wasn't competitionbefore. we created these big groupplans, and nowinsurers are really interested in getting your business. and so insurers have created new healthcareplans with more choices to be made available through these marketplaces.
and as a result of this choiceand this competition, prices have come down. when you addthe new ta_ credits that many people are eligible forthrough the law, then the prices comedown even further. so one study shows that through new optionscreated by the affordable careact, nearly 6 in 10 uninsured americans willfind that they can get covered for less than $100 amonth. think about that. (applause.)
through the marketplaces, you canget health insurance for what may be the equivalentof your cell phone bill oryour cable bill, and that's a good deal.
so the fact is the product of theaffordable care act for people without health insurance isquality healthinsurance that's affordable. and thatproduct is working. it's reallygood. and itturns out there's a massivedemand for it. so far, the nationalwebsite, healthcare.gov, has beenvisited nearly 20 million times. twenty million times. (applause.) and there's great demand atthe state level as well, because there are abunch of states that are running their ownmarketplaces.
we know that nearly one-third ofthe people applying in connecticut and maryland, fore_ample, are under 35years old. they understand that they canget a good deal at low costs,have the security of health care, and this is notjust for old folks like me -- that everybodyneeds good quality healthinsurance. and all told, more than halfa million consumers across thecountry have successfully submitted applicationsthrough federal and state marketplaces. andmany of those applications aren't just for individuals, it's fortheir entire families. so evenmorepeople are already looking to potentially take advantage of the high quality,affordableinsurance that is provided through the affordable care act.
so let me just recap here. the product is good. the health insurance that's being providedisgood. it's high quality and it'saffordable. people can save money,significant money, bygetting insurance that's being provided through thesemarketplaces. and we know thatthedemand is there. people are rushing tosee what's available. and those who havealready hada chance to enroll are thrilled with the result. every day, people who were stuck withsky-highpremiums because of pree_isting conditions are getting affordableinsurance for the first time, orfinding, like janice did, that they're savinga lot of money. every day, women arefinally buyingcoverage that doesn't charge them higher premiums than men forthe same care. (applause.)every day, people are discovering that newhealth insurance plans have to cover maternitycare, mental health care, freepreventive care.
so you just heard janice's story-- she owns her own small business. sherecently became thefirst woman to enroll in coverage through delaware'se_change. and it's true, it took her afewtries, but it was worth it after being turned down for insurance threetimes due to minorpree_isting conditions. so now she'll be covered, she'll save 150 bucks a month, and shewon'thave to worry that one illness or accident will cost her her business that she'sworked sohard to build.
and janice is not alone. i recently received a letter from a womannamed jessica sanford inwashington state. and here's what she wrote: “i ama single mom, no child support, self-employed, and i haven't had insurance for15 years because it's too e_pensive. myson hasadhd and requires regular doctor visits and his meds alone cost $250per month. i have had anongoingtendinitis problem due to my line of work that i haven't had treated. now, finally, weget to have coverage becauseof the aca for $169 per month. i wascrying the other day when isigned up. somuch stress lifted.”
now, that is not untypical for alot of folks like jessica who have been struggling withouthealthinsurance. that's what the affordablecare act is all about. the point is, theessence of thelaw -- the health insurance that's available to people -- isworking just fine. in somecases,actually, it's e_ceeding e_pectations -- the prices are lower than we e_pected,the choice isgreater than we e_pected.
but the problem has been that the website that'ssupposed to make it easy to apply for andpurchase the insurance is not workingthe way it should for everybody. andthere's nosugarcoating it. the websitehas been too slow, people have been getting stuck during theapplicationprocess. and i think it's fair to saythat nobody is more frustrated by that than i am -- precisely because theproduct is good, i want the cash registers to work. i want the checkoutlines to be smooth. so i want people to be able to get this greatproduct. and there's no e_cusefor theproblems, and these problems are getting fi_ed.
but while we're working out the kinks in thesystem, i want everybody to understand thenature of the problem. first of all, even with all the problems athealthcare.gov, the website isstill working for a lot of people -- just not asquick or efficient or consistent as we want. andalthough many of these folks have found that they had to wait longerthan they wanted, oncethey complete the process they're very happy with thedeal that's available to them, just likejanice's.
second, i want everybody toremember that we're only three weeks into a si_-month openenrollment period,when you can buy these new plans. (applause.) keep in mind theinsurancedoesn't start until january 1st; that's the earliest that theinsurance can kick in. no one whodecidesto purchase a plan has to pay their first premium until december 15th. and unlike theday after thanksgiving salesfor the latest playstation or flat-screen tvs, the insurance plansdon't runout. they're not going to sell out. they'll be available through the marketplace-- (applause) -- throughout the open enrollment period. the prices that insurers have set willnotchange. so everybody who wants insurancethrough the marketplace will get insurance,period. (applause.) everybody who wants insurance through the marketplace will getinsurance.
third, we are doing everything wecan possibly do to get the websites working better, faster,sooner. we've got people working overtime, 24/7, toboost capacity and address the problems.e_perts from some of america's top private-sector tech companies who, bythe way, have seenthings like this happen before, they want it to work. they're reaching out. they're offering tosend help. we've had some of the best it talent in theentire country join the team. andwe'rewell into a “tech surge” to fi_ the problem. and we are confident that we will get all theproblems fi_ed.
number four -- while the websitewill ultimately be the easiest way to buy insurancethrough the marketplace, itisn't the only way. and i want toemphasize this. even as weredouble ourefforts to get the site working as well as it's supposed to, we're alsoredoubling ourefforts to make sure you can still buy the same quality,affordable insurance plans availableon the marketplace the old-fashioned way-- offline, either over the phone or in person.
and, by the way, there are a lotof people who want to take advantage of this who are morecomfortable workingon the phone anyway or in person. so letme go through the specifics as tohow you can do that if you're having problemswith the website or you just prefer dealing witha person.
yesterday, we updated the website'shome page to offer more information about the otheravenues to enroll inaffordable health care until the online option works for everybody. so you'llfind information about how to talkto a specialist who can help you apply over the phone or toreceive adownloadable application you can fill out yourself and mail in.
we've also added more staff tothe call centers where you can apply for insurance over thephone. those are already -- they've beenworking. but a lot of people havedecided first to go tothe website. butkeep in mind, these call centers are already up and running. and you can getyour questions answered byreal people, 24 hours a day, in 150 different languages. the phonenumber for these call centers is1-800-318-2596. i want to repeat that --1-800-318-2596. waittimes have averagedless than one minute so far on the call centers, although i admit that thewaittimes probably might go up a little bit now that i've read the number out loudon nationaltelevision. (laughter.)
but the point is the call centersare available. you can talk to somebodydirectly and theycan walk you through the application process. and i guarantee you, if one thing is worththewait, it's the safety and security of health care that you can afford, orthe amount of moneythat you can save by buying health insurance through themarketplaces. (applause.)
once you get on the phone with atrained representative, it usually takes about 25minutes for an individual toapply for coverage, about 45 minutes for a family. once you applyfor coverage, you will becontacted by email or postal mail about your coverage status.
but you don't have to just gothrough the phone. you can also apply inperson with the helpof local navigators -– these are people specially trainedto help you sign up for health care, andthey e_ist all across the country, oryou can go to community health centers and hospitals. justvisit localhelp.healthcare.gov to findout where in your area you can get help and apply forinsurance in person.
and finally, if you've alreadytried to apply through the website and you've been stucksomewhere along theway, do not worry. in the coming weeks,we will contact you directly,personally, with a concrete recommendation forhow you can complete your application,shop for coverage, pick a plan thatmeets your needs, and get covered once and for all.
so here's the bottom line. the product, the health insurance isgood. the prices are good.it is a good deal. people don't just want it; they're showing upto buy it. nobody is madder thanmeabout the fact that the website isn't working as well as it should, which meansit's going toget fi_ed. (laughter andapplause.)
第15篇 奥巴马纪念911十周年英语演讲稿
in just two weeks, we’ll come together, as a nation, to mark the 10th anniversary of the september 11th attacks. we’ll remember the innocent lives we lost. we’ll stand with the families who loved them. we’ll honor the heroic first responders who rushed to the scene and saved so many. and we’ll pay tribute to our troops and military families, and all those who have served over the past ten years, to keep us safe and strong.
we’ll also recall how the worst terrorist attack in american history brought out the best in the american people. how americans lined up to give blood. how volunteers drove across the country to lend a hand. how schoolchildren donated their savings. how communities, faith groups and businesses collected food and clothing.
we were united, and the outpouring(流露) of generosity and compassion reminded us that in times of challenge, we americans move forward together, as one people.
this september 11th, michelle and i will join the commemorations at ground zero, in shanksville, and at the pentagon. but even if you can’t be in new york, pennsylvania or virginia, every american can be part of this anniversary. once again, 9/11 will be a national day of service and remembrance. and in the days and weeks ahead, folks across the country—in all 50 states—will come together, in their communities and neighborhoods, to honor the victims of 9/11 and to reaffirm the strength of our nation with acts of service and charity.
in minneapolis, volunteers will help restore a community center. in winston-salem, north carolina, they’ll hammer shingles and lay floors to give families a new home. in tallahassee, florida, they’ll assemble care packages for our troops overseas and their families here at home. in orange county, california, they’ll renovate homes for our veterans. and once again, michelle and i look forward to joining a local service project as well.
there are so many ways to get involved, and every american can do something. to learn more about the opportunities where you live, just go online and visit serve.gov. even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost; a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.
on this 10th anniversary, we still face great challenges as a nation. we’re emerging from the worst economic crisis in our lifetimes. we’re taking the fight to al qaeda, ending the war in iraq and starting to bring our troops home from afghanistan. and we’re working to rebuild the foundation of our national strength here at home.
none of this will be easy. and it can’t be the work of government alone. as we saw after 9/11, the strength of america has always been the character and compassion of our people. so as we mark this solemn anniversary, let’s summon that spirit once more. and let’s show that the sense of common purpose that we need in america doesn’t have to be a fleeting(飞逝的) moment; it can be a lasting virtue—not just on one day, but every day.
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