美国总统奥巴马每周电台演讲2013.06.09
Hi, everybody. In the next few days, America will take an important step towards fixing our broken immigration system. The entire United States Senate will begin debating a commonsense immigration reform bill that has bipartisan support.
大家好。在今后的几天里,美国将采取一个重要的步骤来修补破损的移民体制。整个美国参议院将开始就两党支持的常识性移民改革法案进行辩论。
See, we define ourselves as a nation of immigrants. The promise we find in those who come from every corner of the globe has always been one of our greatest strengths. It ’ s kept our workforce vibrant and dynamic. It’s kept our businesses on the cutting edge. And it’s helped build the greatest economic engine the world has ever known.
我们把自己定义为一个移民国家。我们在来自全球各地的每个移民身上看到的希望一直是我们最伟大的力量源泉之一。它使我们的劳动力生机勃勃。它使我们的企业处于领先位置。它帮助我们打造世界上已知的最伟大的经济引擎。
But for years, our out-of-date immigration system has actually harmed our economy and threatened our security.
但是多少年来,我们的过时的移民体系已经着实损害了我们的经济并且威胁到我们的安全。
Now, over the past four years, we’ve taken steps to try and patch up some of the worst cracks in the system.
在过去的四年里,我们已经采取了一些步骤试图修补这个体系的一些严重漏洞。
We strengthened security on the southern border by putting more boots on the ground than at any time in our history. And, in part, by using technology more effectively – today, illegal crossings are near their lowest level in decades.
我们通过把地面巡逻力量增加到历史最高水平加强了南部边界的安全防范。部分地通过更高效的技术手段使现在非法越境案例降到几十年来的最低水平。
We focused enforcement efforts on criminals who are here illegally –who endanger our communities – and today, we deport more criminals than ever before.
我们集中执法力量整治非法越境的犯罪分子—威胁我们的社区的犯罪分子—现在我们驱逐了比以往任何时候都多的犯罪分子。
And we took up the cause of “Dreamers,” the young people who were brought to this country as children. We said that if they’re able to meet certain criteria, we’d consider offering them the chance to come out of the shadows so they can continue to work here, and study here, and contribute to our communities legally.
我们为“梦想者”儿时就被带到这里的年轻人圆梦。我们说只要他们能符合特定的准则,我们考虑给他们机会光明正大地在这里工作、学习并且合法地为我们的社区做贡献。
But if we’re going to truly fix a broken system, we need Congress to act in a comprehensive way. And that’s why what’s happening next week is so important.
但是如果我们愿意真正修补这个破损的体系,我们需要国会采取全面的行动。这就是为什么下周发生的一切很重要。
The bill before the Senate isn’t perfect. It’s a compromise. Nobody will get everything they want – not Democrats, not Republicans, not me. But it is a bill that’s largely consistent with the principles I’ve repeatedly laid out for commonsense immigration reform.
提交给参议院的法案并不完善。它是个妥协方案。没有人获得他所希望的一切—民主党人如此,共和党人也如此,我也如此。但是它是一个很大程度上符合我一再为常识性移民体制改革所提倡的原则。
This bill would continue to strengthen security at our borders, increase criminal penalties against smugglers and traffickers, and hold employers more accountable if they knowingly hire undocumented workers. If enacted, it would represent the most ambitious enforcement plan in recent memory.
这个法案继续加强我们的边界安全,增加对走私和拐卖的打击力度,让雇佣无合法身份员工的雇主更加负责任。如果生效,它将成为近几年来最雄心勃勃的执法计划。
This bill would provide a pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million individuals who are in this country illegally – a pathway that includes passing a background check, learning English, paying taxes and a penalty, and then going to the back of the line behind everyone who’s playing by the rules and trying to come here legally.
这个法案将为1千1百万非法进入这个国家的个人打开获得公民权的通道—包括通过背景审查、学习英语、缴税和罚款然后站到遵守规则试图合法入境的任何人的后面排队的通道。
This bill would modernize the legal immigration system so that, alongside training American workers for the jobs of tomorrow, we’re also attracting highly-skilled entrepreneurs and engineers who will grow our economy. And so that our people don’t have to wait years before their loved ones are able to join them in this country we love.
这个法案将是移民体制现代化,以便与为未来的工作岗位培训美国的工人一道,我们还吸引能够发展我们的经济的高技能企业家和工程师。这样我们的国民不必多年等待才能与他们的亲人在我们热爱的国家团圆。
That’s what immigration reform looks like. Smarter enforcement. A pathway to earned citizenship. Improvements to the legal immigration system. They’re all commonsense steps. They’ve got broad support – from Republicans and Democrats, CEOs and labor leaders, law enforcement and clergy. So there is no reason that Congress can’t work together to send a bill to my desk by the end of the summer.
移民体制改革大抵如此。更加明智的执法。获得公民权的通道。改进合法移民体制。这些都是常识性步骤。它们得到了广泛的支持—来自共和党人和民主党人,CEO和劳工领袖,执法人员和职员的支持。所以国会没有理由不共同努力在这个夏末把他们通过的法案送到我的案头。
We know the opponents of reform are going to do everything they can to prevent that. They’ll try to stoke fear and create division. They’ll try to play politics with an issue that the vast majority of Americans want addressed. And if they succeed, we will lose this chance to finally fix an immigration system that is badly broken.
我们知道反对者将竭尽全力阻挠它。他们将企图煽动恐惧心理和加大分歧。他们将就绝大多数美国人民关注的事玩弄政治把戏。如果他们得逞,我们将失去最终修补严重破损的移民体制的机会。
So if you agree that now is the time for commonsense reform, reach out to your Representatives. Tell them we have to get this done so that everyone is playing by the same rules. Tell them we have the power to do this in a way that lives up to our traditions as a nation of laws, and a nation of immigrants.
所以如果你们赞同现在正是常识性改革的时机,联系你们的国会代表们吧。告诉他们通过这个法案以便每个人都在同一个规则下竞争。告诉他们我们能够以植根于我们作为法治国家和移民国家的传统的方式完成它。
In the end, that’s what this is all about. Men and women who want nothing more than the chance to earn their way into the American story, just like so many of our ancestors did. Throughout our history, that has only made us stronger. And it’s how we’ll make sure that America’s best days always lie ahead.
最后,这就是它的全部。男男女女们和我们的先辈一样仅仅希望获得进入美国的机会。纵观我们的历史,这只能使我们更加强大。我们就是这样使美国的明天永远更好。
Thanks. And have a great weekend.
多谢。周末愉快。