美国总统奥巴马每周电台演讲2014.02.23

Hi, everybody.Restoring the idea of opportunity for all requires a year of action from all of us.  Wherever I can act on my own, I will – and whenever I can ask more Americans to help, I’ll do that too.
In my State of the Union Address, for example, I asked more business leaders to take action to raise their employees’ wages.  Because even though our economy is growing, and our businesses have created about eight and a half million new jobs over the past four years, average wages have barely budged.
 
大家好。重塑机会面前人人平等的理想要求我们每个人终年行动。无论在我能独立行动的什么领域，我都要行动--无论什么时候我能请求更多美国人的帮助，我也要行动。
例如，在我的国情咨文里，我请求更多企业领导人采取行动增加雇员的工资。因为尽管我们的经济在增长，我们的企业在过去的4年里创造了大约8百50万个新就业机会，平均工资几乎没有增长。
 
So it’s good news that, earlier this week, one of America’s largest retailers, The Gap, decided to raise wages for its employees beginning this year.  Their decision will benefit about 65,000 workers in the U.S.  That means more families will be able to raise their kids, finish their studies, or keep up on their bills with a little less financial stress and strain.
Gap’s CEO explained their decision simply – he said, “[It’s] right for our brands, good for our people, and beneficial to our customers.”  And he’s right – raising Americans’ wages isn’t just a good deed; it’s good business and good for our economy.  It helps reduce turnover, it boosts productivity, and it gives folks some more money to spend at local businesses.
 
有个好消息，本周早些时候，美国最大的零售商之一，Gap决定新年伊始就提高雇员的工资。他们的决定将惠及全美近6万5千员工。这意味着更多家庭将有能力抚养孩子，让他们完成学业，或支付各种生活开销而不感到有经济压力。
 
And as a chief executive myself, that’s why I took action last week to lift more workers’ wages by requiring federal contractors to pay their employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour.
In the year since I first asked Congress to raise the minimum wage, six states have passed laws to raise theirs, and more states are working on it as we speak.  But only Congress can finish the job and lift Americans’ wages across the country.
 
这就是为什么，作为国家的首席执行官，我在上周采取行动要求联邦雇主付给他们的雇员最低10.10美元的小时工资以提高更多工人的工资。
自我首次要求国会提高最低工资以来，有6个州通过了法律提高他们的最低工资，更多州正在努力响应我的号召。但是只要国会才能完成这项工作提高全美工人的工资。
 
Right now, there’s a bill before Congress that would boost America’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.  That’s easy to remember – “ten-ten.”  That bill would lift wages for more than 16 million Americans without requiring a single dollar in new taxes or spending.  But even though a majority of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans across the country support raising the minimum wage, Republicans in Congress don’t want to give it a vote.
Hardworking Americans deserve better than “no.”  Let’s tell Congress to say “yes.”  Pass that bill.  Give America a raise.  Because here in America, no one who works hard should have to live in poverty – and everyone who works hard should have a chance to get ahead.
 
现在，摆在国会面前的法案会把美国的最低工资提高到10.10美元。这很容易记--“10--10”。这个法案会提高1千6百万美国人的工资而不需要一美元的新税收或开支。但是尽管全美大多数民主党人，独立人士和共和党人都支持提高最低工资，国会里的共和党人却不愿意投赞成票。
辛勤的美国人理应得到的不是“否”。让我们告诉国会说“是”。通过这个法案。给美国人提高工资。因为在美国，任何努力工作的人都不应该贫困--任何努力工作的人都应该有机会致富。
 
Thanks, and have a great weekend.
谢谢，周末愉快。