美国总统奥巴马每周电台演讲:波多黎各的经济危机

Hi, everybody. Today, I want to talk with you about the crisis in Puerto Rico – and why it matters to all of us.
大家好.今天,我想谈谈波多黎各的危机--以及为什么这对我们所有人都至关重要.

Puerto Ricans are American citizens, just like folks in Maine or Oklahoma or New Mexico. And over the last decade, Puerto Rico has suffered through a deep and painful recession – but unlike the rest of the United States, it hasn't recovered.
波多黎各人是美国公民,就像在缅因州,俄克拉荷马州或者新墨西哥州的人们一样.在过去十年里,波多黎各经历了严重而痛苦的经济衰退--但和美国的其他地区不同,这里一直没有复苏.

Today, the island continues to face a crippling economic crisis. Schools are closing. Power is being cut off at homes and hospitals. Teachers have to choose between turning on the lights or turning on the computers. Doctors can't get medicine to treat newborns unless they pay in cash. And as the Zika virus threatens both the island and the mainland, workers dealing with mosquito control to help protect women and their unborn babies are at risk of being laid off.
今天,这个岛屿继续面临着严重的金融危机.学校停课.家中和医院的电源中断.老师们必须在开灯或者开电脑上做选择.医生们除非用现金付款,否则不能拿到药品来为新生儿进行治疗.在寨卡病毒同样威胁这个岛屿和大陆之时,为保护妇女和她们未出生的婴儿而进行蚊虫防治的员工,面临着被解雇的风险.

Right now, Puerto Rico is spending about a third of its tax revenue on debt payments – far more than anywhere else in America. And on July 1, the island faces another $2 billion in debt payments that it cannot pay.
当下,波多黎各用大约1/3的税收支付债务--这比美国任何其他地方都多.在7月1日,岛上又面临着$20亿无法支付的债务.

There is only one way for Puerto Rico to pull itself out of this crisis – and that's by restructuring its debt and finding a sustainable fiscal path toward growth and opportunity for its people. But here's the problem. Right now, Puerto Rico doesn't have the tools it needs to restructure its debt – tools available elsewhere in America.
只有一个方法能让波多黎各从这一危机中摆脱出来--这就是重组债务,找到可持续的财政之路,向着增长和为民众提供机遇的方向发展.但问题来了.当下,波多黎各没有它所需要的工具来重组其债务--而这些工具在美国其他地方都是可行的.

And only Congress can fix the problem, and put Puerto Rico on a path to recovery.
只有国会可以解决这一问题,能将波多黎各引上复苏的道路.

Thankfully, this week, the House overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill to address the crisis, and I now urge the Senate to move quickly to follow suit. This bill won't cost federal taxpayers a dime. It doesn't include special-interest bailouts. And it gives Puerto Rico the ability to restructure its debt, safeguard essential services, and provide important protections to public pensions that more than 300,000 folks rely on to retire with dignity.
很感谢,本周,众议院压倒性地通过两党性法案来解决这一危机.现在我强烈要求参议院快速跟进照着做.这一法案不会花联邦纳税人的一分钱.这不包括对特殊利益集团的财政援助.这将给予波多黎各重组债务的能力,保障基本服务,对公共养老金提供重要保护.30多万人体面得退休全都依赖于此.

This bill also includes something else – a temporary system of oversight to help implement needed reforms and ensure transparency. I know that some folks in Puerto Rico are worried about this kind of oversight. But I've always insisted that any solution to this crisis has to respect the democratic rights of the people of Puerto Rico. And I am committed to making sure that Puerto Ricans are well-represented in this process, so that we can be sure we're taking steps that are in the island's best interests.
这一法案也包括其他一些事情--临时性的监督体系,帮助实现所需的改革,并确保透明.我知道,有些在波多黎各的人对这样的监督表示担忧.但我总是坚持,对这一危机的任何解决方案必须以尊重波多黎各人们的民主权利为前提.我承诺,确保波多黎各人在这一过程中有着非常广泛的代表,因此我们能确保我们在采取着符合岛上居民最佳利益的措施.

This bill is not a perfect solution – nobody's saying it is. That's what happens in divided government. But it's the only option on the table to save Puerto Rico from spiraling out of control. And that's exactly what would happen if Congress fails to do its job.
这一法案不是完美的解决方案--没有人认为是完美的.这是在被分裂的政府中发生的事情.但这也是在桌面上仅有的选项,能够拯救波多黎各不失控.而如果国会不去做他们的工作,这正是确实将发生的,

There's no question this is a trying time for folks in Puerto Rico. They've seen too many jobs lost and too many neighbors leave in search of better opportunity elsewhere. It's clear that it's time for Puerto Rico to chart a new course and make a fresh start. This bill is just a first step.
毫无疑问,这对波多黎各来说,是一段难熬的时间.他们已经眼睁睁地失去了太多的就业,失去了太多的邻居,他们为了在其他地方寻求更好的机会而离开.很明显,波多黎各应该重构新航向,并重新开始.这一法案仅是第一步.

We all have more work to do to make sure that the people of Puerto Rico receive the health care they deserve and the good jobs and economic opportunities they need to build a better future for their kids. And I want the people of Puerto Rico to know that my administration is committed to your success. Because you're vital to America's success.
我们所有人都有更多的工作要做,确保波多黎各人获得他们应得的医疗保险,以及好工作和他们需要的经济机遇来为他们的孩子打造更好的未来.我想波多黎各人了解,我的政府正致力于你们的成功.因为你们对美国的成功至关重要.

That's what this is all about. We don't turn our backs on our fellow Americans. We don't treat folks differently because of where they live. Instead, we treat each other as Americans. We come together, especially when it's hard. That's how we've always set ourselves on a course toward a brighter day.
这就是意义所在.我们不能对我们的美国民众视而不见.我们不能因为他们生活的地方,而区别对待他们.反之,我们把彼此作为美国同胞.我们在一起,特别是在艰难地时候.这正是,我们一直以来,走向更光明未来道路的方式.

Thanks everybody, and have a great weekend.
谢谢大家,周末快乐.