愿上帝保佑窝囊的美国

你知道有句老话说“有什么样的人民，就有什么样的政府”。以下是我根据白宫2011年财政预算写的修订版：“有什么样的人民，就有什么样的政府和预算。”
You know the old saying that 'the people get the government they deserve.' Well, here's my revision based on the White House's 2011 fiscal budget: 'the people get both the government and the budget they deserve.'
　　
毕竟，我们是个窝囊的国家，一直就有个窝囊政府。如今我们还有个窝窝囊囊的预算草案，这是窝囊预算程序的第一步。
After all, we're a cowardly nation. We've long had a cowardly government. And now, we have a draft cowardly budget, the first step in our cowardly budgeting process.
　　
我知道“窝囊”这个字眼肯定挺刺人的。不过想想看。窝囊就是面对危险觉得害怕──而不是该出手时就出手。
I know 'cowardly' is one of them 'fightin' words. But think about it. Cowardice is fear in the face of danger - it is not acting when you need to act.
　　
而在我们国家所面临的财政危机问题上──犹如自杀一般的12.5万亿美元债务，我们简直就吓瘫了。
And when it comes to the fiscal dangers of our country, a nation with a suicidal $12.5 trillion in debt, we are indeed paralyzed.
　　
想一想这个3.8万亿美元规模的预算提案中的一些数字。我们的经济停滞不前，但预算却比去年膨胀了8%。我们的开支比收入多1.3万亿美元。另外还得支付2,500亿美元的利息。
Just consider some numbers from the $3.8 trillion budget proposal. We have a stagnant economy, but the budget is 8% bigger than last year's. We are spending $1.3 trillion more than we are taking in. And we are paying over $250 billion in interest.
　　
当然，预算中也有不少好东西，我们觉得那是应当应份的。其中有2.2万亿美元的社会保险、医疗保险和医疗补助费用，大家打心眼儿里喜欢这些开支，以至我们的政治家们将之定为“强制性的”。
Of course, the budget has all the good stuff many of us think we not only deserve, but have a right to. It has $2.2 trillion in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid payments, payments so beloved that our politicians have defined them as 'mandatory'.
　　
另有7,440亿美元国防开支，这可是深思熟虑、精打细算的，因此也多少有点“强制”意味。
It has another $744 billion in defense spending, money spread so thoughtfully around the country that it too is more or less 'mandatory.'
　　
幸运的是，预算中还大笔一挥列出了又一笔1,000亿美元创造就业的“刺激”开支。毕竟，谁敢说自己用不着就业呢？
And for good luck, the budget throws in another $100 billion in 'stimulus' spending to create jobs. After all, who dares to say that we don't need jobs?
　　
谢天谢地，我们已经想出法子支付这一大堆费用了──哦，其实是三分之二的费用。（剩下的三分之一得去借。）只要继续对公司和有钱人征税就行了。
Thankfully, we've figured out how to pay for all this - well, really only two-thirds of it. (The other third we'll have to borrow). We'll just keep on taxing the corporations and the rich.