美国总统奥巴马每周电台演讲2013.05.12

Hi, everybody. Our top priority as a nation is reigniting the true engine of our economic growth – a rising, thriving middle class. And few things define what it is to be middle class in America more than owning your own cornerstone of the American Dream: a home.

大家好。我们作为一个国家的第一要务就是重新启动我们的经济增长的真正引擎—一个发展繁荣的中产阶级。在美国没有什么比拥有美国梦的基石—一套房子更能定义中产阶级了。

Today, seven years after the real estate bubble burst, triggering the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and costing millions of responsible Americans their jobs and their homes, our housing market is healing. Sales are up. Foreclosures are down. Construction is expanding. And thanks to rising home prices over the past year, 1.7 million more families have been able to come up for air, because they’re no longer underwater on their mortgages.

今天，引发这场自大萧条以来最严重的经济危机和造成几百万负责任的美国人丧失工作和住房的房地产泡沫破裂七年之后，我们的住房市场正在回暖。销量增加。丧失抵押品赎回权的减少。基建规模扩大。多亏了过去几年房价上涨，超过一百七十万个家庭解套，他们已经无法忍受被套牢的抵押压得喘不过气的日子了。

From the day I took office, I’ve made it a priority to help responsible homeowners and prevent the kind of recklessness that helped cause this crisis in the first place.

自从我就任以来，我一直把帮助负责任的房主们和防止最初引发这场危机的草率发生作为我的要务。

My housing plan has already helped more than two million people refinance their mortgages, and they’re saving an average of $3000 per year.

我的住房计划已经帮助两百万人重新投资他们的抵押贷款（按揭），他们平均每年可以节省3,000美元。

My new consumer watchdog agency is moving forward on protections like a simpler, shorter mortgage form that will help to keep hard-working families from getting ripped off.

我新设立的消费者权益保护机构正在推进诸如更简洁、更短期的抵押贷款形式，这将帮助勤奋工作的家庭上当受骗。

But we ’ ve got more work to do. We ’ ve got more responsible homeowners to help – folks who have never missed a mortgage payment, but aren’ t allowed to refinance; working families who have done everything right, but still owe more on their homes than they’re worth.

但是我们还有更多工作要做。我们还要帮助更多的负责任的家庭—他们中有些一次没有延误还款，但是不能重新投资于他们的抵押贷款；有些工薪家庭没有任何错误，但是他们支付的房款要比他们应付的多。

Last week, I nominated a man named Mel Watt to take on these challenges as the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Mel’s represented the people of North Carolina in Congress for 20 years, and in that time, he helped lead efforts to put in place rules of the road that protect consumers from dishonest mortgage lenders, and give responsible Americans the chance to own their own home. He’s the right person for the job, and that ’ s why Congress should do its job, and confirm him without delay.

上周，我任命了麦尔-瓦特担任联邦住房财政署署长应对这些挑战。麦尔代表北卡罗来纳州任国会议员已经二十年了，那时他就协助领导了实施防止消费者上不诚信放贷人当，给负责任的美国人获得自己住房机会的努力。他是这个岗位最合适的人选，这就是为什么国会应该立刻行动，毫不迟疑地批准对他的任命。

And they shouldn’t stop there. As I said before, more than two million Americans have already refinanced at today’s low rates, but we can do a lot better than that. I’ve called on Congress to give every responsible homeowner the chance to refinance, and with it, the opportunity to save $3,000 a year. That’s like a $3,000 tax cut. And if you’re one of the millions of Americans who could take advantage of that, you should ask your representative in Congress why they won’t act on it.

他们不应该就此止步。正如我过去所说，超过两百万美国人已经按今天的利率重新投资于他们的抵押贷款了，但是我们可以做得远远比这好。我已经提请国会给每个负责任的房主重新投资的机会，这个机会可以让他们每年节省3,000美元。这如同一个3,000美元的减税。如果你是几百万因此受益的美国人之一，你就应该问问你的国会代表为什么不就此采取行动。

Our economy and our housing market are poised for progress – but we could do so much more if we work together. More good jobs. Greater security for middle-class families. A sense that your hard work is rewarded. That’s what I’m fighting for – and that’s what I’m going to keep fighting for as long as I hold this office.

我们的经济和住房市场正在蓄势待发—但是如果我们共同努力我们可以做得多得多—更多好的就业机会，给中产阶级家庭更多安全感，努力工作就会得到回报的意识。这就是我为之奋斗的—这就是我只要还在这个岗位上就要继续为之奋斗的。

Thank you. And have a great weekend.

谢谢，周末快乐。