奥巴马2015国情咨文演讲（双语全文） Obama's 2015 State of the Union Address

So what does middle-class economics require in our time?

那么，如今中产阶级经济需要的是什么呢？

First, middle-class economics means helping working families feel more secure in a world of constant change. That means helping folks afford childcare, college, health care, a home, retirement. And my budget will address each of these issues, lowering the taxes of working families and putting thousands of dollars back into their pockets each year.

首先，中产阶级经济意味着帮助劳工家庭在一个不断变化的世界中感到更安全。这意味着帮助他们支付育儿费、大学学费、医保、住宅和退休费用——我的预算案将分别应对这些问题，削减劳工家庭的税收以及每年把数千美元放回他们的口袋。

Here's one example. During World War II, when men like my grandfather went off to war, having women like my grandmother in the workforce was a national security priority -- so this country provided universal childcare. In today's economy, when having both parents in the workforce is an economic necessity for many families, we need affordable, high-quality childcare more than ever.

举一个例子。在二战时期，像我祖父一样的男子们奔赴战场，在这种情况下，让像我祖母一样的女子们去工作，就成为维护国家安全的优先选择，因此，美国实行了普遍托儿制度。在今天的经济状况下，对很多家庭而言，父母都有工作在经济上是必需的，我们比以往任何时候都更需要能够负担得起的高质量托儿服务。

It's not a nice-to-have -- it's a must-have. So it's time we stop treating childcare as a side issue, or as a women's issue, and treat it like the national economic priority that it is for all of us. And that's why my plan will make quality childcare more available and more affordable for every middle-class and low-income family with young children in America -- by creating more slots and a new tax cut of up to $3,000 per child, per year.

这不是为了好看而做，而是必须要做。现在，我们应当停止把托儿服务看做一个枝节问题或妇女问题，应当把这个问题看做人人有责的国家经济当务之急。这就是为什么我计划创造更多机会，并且每年再为每个孩子提供最多3千美元免税额度，为每个有小孩的美国中产阶级家庭和低收入家庭提供更容易得到、更容易负担的高质量托儿服务。

Here's another example. Today, we are the only advanced country on Earth that doesn't guarantee paid sick leave or paid maternity leave to our workers. Forty-three million workers have no paid sick leave -- 43 million. Think about that. And that forces too many parents to make the gut-wrenching choice between a paycheck and a sick kid at home. So I'll be taking new action to help states adopt paid leave laws of their own. And since paid sick leave won where it was on the ballot last November, let's put it to a vote right here in Washington. Send me a bill that gives every worker in America the opportunity to earn seven days of paid sick leave. It's the right thing to do. It's the right thing to do.

我再举一个例子，今天，美国是唯一一个不向我们员工保证带薪病假或产假的发达国家。4300万员工不能享受带薪病假。4300万人！想想吧，这迫使太多父母在工资和生病的孩子之间作出艰难选择。所以我将采取新措施，以帮助各州通过各自的带薪病假法案。带薪病假去年11月在数州的投票中获得通过，让我们在华盛顿就此进行投票。向我提交一份让美国的所有员工获得7天带薪病假的提案吧，这是一件正确的事情。

Of course, nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages. That's why this Congress still needs to pass a law that makes sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work. It's 2015. (Laughter.) It's time. We still need to make sure employees get the overtime they've earned. And to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this: If you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, try it. If not, vote to give millions of the hardest-working people in America a raise.

当然，最能帮助家庭维持生计的就是提高工资。这就是为什么本届国会仍需通过一项法律，以确保男女同工同酬。的确，现在是2015年了。是时候了。我们仍需确保雇员能得到加班费。对本届国会中那些仍然拒绝提高最低工资的人，我要说：如果你真的相信你能全职工作，同时在年收入低于一万五千美元的情况下支撑一个家庭，那么就请试一试。如果你做不到，就请投票赞成提高工作最辛苦的大量美国人的工资。

Now, these ideas won't make everybody rich, won't relieve every hardship. That's not the job of government. To give working families a fair shot, we still need more employers to see beyond next quarter's earnings and recognize that investing in their workforce is in their company's long-term interest. We still need laws that strengthen rather than weaken unions, and give American workers a voice.

当然，这些想法不会使所有人富有，或者缓解所有困难，这不是政府的工作。为了给工薪家庭一个公平的机会，我们需要更多的雇主不要只看到下个季度的收入报表，他们应当意识到投资于自己的员工符合美国的长远利益。我们仍需要强化而非弱化工会的法律，给美国工人发言权。

But you know, things like childcare and sick leave and equal pay; things like lower mortgage premiums and a higher minimum wage -- these ideas will make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of families. That's a fact. And that's what all of us, Republicans and Democrats alike, were sent here to do.

托儿、带薪病假、同工同酬、降低房贷、更高的最低工资，这些想法将使数百万家庭发生有意义的变化。这是一个事实。这是人们将我们所有人，共和党人和民主党人送到华盛顿来的目的。

Second, to make sure folks keep earning higher wages down the road, we have to do more to help Americans upgrade their skills. America thrived in the 20th century because we made high school free, sent a generation of GIs to college, trained the best workforce in the world. We were ahead of the curve. But other countries caught on. And in a 21st century economy that rewards knowledge like never before, we need to up our game. We need to do more.

第二，为了确保美国人能够在未来不断提高工资，我们需要进一步帮助美国人提高技能。20世纪是美国腾飞的世纪，因为我们取消了高中学费，将一代士兵送入大学，并培养了世界上最优秀的劳动力。但在21世纪，在这个比以往更加重视知识的世纪，我们需要更加努力。

By the end of this decade, two in three job openings will require some higher education -- two in three. And yet, we still live in a country where too many bright, striving Americans are priced out of the education they need. It's not fair to them, and it's sure not smart for our future. That's why I'm sending this Congress a bold new plan to lower the cost of community college -- to zero.

到这个年代末，三分之二的工作都要求一些高等教育。三分之二。而现在，在我们的国家，仍然有太多聪明的、努力奋斗的美国人无钱支付他们所需的教育。这对他们太不公平，对我们的未来也不利。正因为如此，我向国会提交了一份大胆的议案，将社区学校的学费全部减免。

Keep in mind 40 percent of our college students choose community college. Some are young and starting out. Some are older and looking for a better job. Some are veterans and single parents trying to transition back into the job market. Whoever you are, this plan is your chance to graduate ready for the new economy without a load of debt. Understand, you've got to earn it. You've got to keep your grades up and graduate on time.

我们40%的大学生选择社区大学，一些学生是年轻人，刚刚起步，一些人年纪大一些，想寻找一份更好的工作。一些人是退伍士兵，一些人是试图重新过渡至就业市场的单亲父母。不管你是谁，我们的计划是让你可以在没有大量负债的情况下毕业，为新经济作好准备。请明白，你要努力争取这种待遇，你必须保持好的成绩，准时毕业。

Tennessee, a state with Republican leadership, and Chicago, a city with Democratic leadership, are showing that free community college is possible. I want to spread that idea all across America, so that two years of college becomes as free and universal in America as high school is today. Let's stay ahead of the curve. And I want to work with this Congress to make sure those already burdened with student loans can reduce their monthly payments so that student debt doesn't derail anyone's dreams.

由共和党人领导的田纳西州，由民主党人领导的芝加哥市的经验都表明，免费社区大学是可能的。我想在美国各地传播这样的想法，在美国，两年制社区大学将像美国今天的中学那样是免费和普遍的。我想与本届国会合作，以确保那些承受着学生贷款负担的美国人可以降低他们月度支付额，以确保学生债务不会阻碍任何人的梦想。

Thanks to Vice President Biden's great work to update our job training system, we're connecting community colleges with local employers to train workers to fill high-paying jobs like coding, and nursing, and robotics. Tonight, I'm also asking more businesses to follow the lead of companies like CVS and UPS, and offer more educational benefits and paid apprenticeships -- opportunities that give workers the chance to earn higher-paying jobs even if they don't have a higher education.

感谢副总统拜登为改善我们国家职业培训系统做的努力，现在社区学院与当地雇主合作，培训能够胜任像编程、护士和机器人技术等方面的高薪工作。今晚，我还想呼吁更多的公司能够像CVS公司和UPS公司那样，提供更多的教育福利和有薪实习，给那些没有高文凭的劳动者提供机会来获取高薪工作。

And as a new generation of veterans comes home, we owe them every opportunity to live the American Dream they helped defend. Already, we've made strides towards ensuring that every veteran has access to the highest quality care. We're slashing the backlog that had too many veterans waiting years to get the benefits they need. And we're making it easier for vets to translate their training and experience into civilian jobs. And Joining Forces, the national campaign launched by Michelle and Jill Biden -- thank you, Michelle; thank you, Jill -- has helped nearly 700,000 veterans and military spouses get a new job. So to every CEO in America, let me repeat: If you want somebody who's going to get the job done and done right, hire a veteran.

而对于那些终于回家的老兵来说，我们欠他们一个实现他们曾努力保护的美国梦的机会。 我们已经对老兵医疗福利进行大刀阔斧的改革，确保每一位退伍军人能够得到最好的医疗保健。我们处理了大量积压多年的老兵申请福利的案件，使他们更容易把自己受过的训练和经验用于就业。米歇尔和吉尔•拜登发起的“联合力量”项目已经帮助了近70万老兵和军属获得新工作。所以美国的CEO们，让我再重申一次：如果你想雇用一名能够完成工作的人，那就雇一名老兵吧。