奧巴馬2023國情咨文演講（雙語全文）
當地時間12號晚間，美國總統奧巴馬在華盛頓發表了任上最后一次國情咨文，這也是他第八次進行國情咨文演講。
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans:
議長先生、副總統先生、各位國會議員和美國同胞們：
Tonight marks the eighth year I've come here to report on the State of the Union. And for this final one, I'm going to try to make it shorter. I know some of you are antsy to get back to Iowa.
今晚是我在這里做國情咨文的第八個年頭，也是最后一次。我將盡量簡而言之。我知道你們中有些人急著回愛荷華州（譯者注：兩黨黨內預選進行地）。
I also understand that because it's an election season, expectations for what we'll achieve this year are low. Still, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the constructive approach you and the other leaders took at the end of last year to pass a budget and make tax cuts permanent for working families. So I hope we can work together this year on bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform, and helping people who are battling prescription drug abuse. We just might surprise the cynics again.
我也理解此時正當大選之季，因此公眾對我們今年成就的期望并不高。但是，議長先生，您以及其他領導人去年年末通過了建設性的預算決議，使得工薪家庭減稅計劃能夠長久實施下去，我對此深表感激。因此我衷心希望今年兩黨能夠在一些重要事務上同心協作，比如，推行刑事司法改革，幫助那些與處方藥濫用行為抗爭的人們。我們很可能會讓質疑者們再次大吃一驚。
But tonight, I want to go easy on the traditional list of proposals for the year ahead. Don't worry, I've got plenty, from helping students learn to write computer code to personalizing medical treatments for patients. And I'll keep pushing for progress on the work that still needs doing. Fixing a broken immigration system. Protecting our kids from gun violence. Equal pay for equal work, paid leave, raising the minimum wage. All these things still matter to hardworking families; they are still the right thing to do; and I will not let up until they get done.
但在今晚，我打算少談些像往年那樣的發展計劃。別擔心，我還是有很多計劃要談，比如，幫助學生學習編寫計算機代碼，以及對病人進行個性化治療。我將繼續推動這些未竟事業的進步。完善有漏洞的移民體系。保護我們的孩子們免遭槍械暴力。繼續推行同工同酬及帶薪休假，并提高最低工資水平。所有的這一切對于努力工作的家庭們來說依然至關重要；這些仍是我們要做的對的事情。我絕不會放松這些工作，直至他們完成為止。
But for my final address to this chamber, I don't want to talk just about the next year. I want to focus on the next five years, ten years, and beyond.
但這是我最后一次在此發表講話，我不想只談論來年的事宜。我想關注今后的五年、十年，甚至更久遠的事情。
I want to focus on our future.
我更關注我們的未來。
We live in a time of extraordinary change – change that's reshaping the way we live, the way we work, our planet and our place in the world. It's change that promises amazing medical breakthroughs, but also economic disruptions that strain working families. It promises education for girls in the most remote villages, but also connects terrorists plotting an ocean away. It's change that can broaden opportunity, or widen inequality. And whether we like it or not, the pace of this change will only accelerate.
我們生活在一個充滿巨變的時代，這場巨變改變了我們的生活、工作方式，改變了我們的星球和我們在世界上的地位。這種巨變預示著醫學將出現重大突破，也會帶來困擾著工薪家庭的經濟動蕩。它為生活在邊遠山區的女孩們帶去教育的希望，卻也使遠距重洋的恐怖分子得以串通一氣策劃陰謀。這場巨變能夠帶來機遇，也會擴大不公。無論我們喜歡與否，這場巨變的進度只會越來越快。
America has been through big changes before – wars and depression, the influx of immigrants, workers fighting for a fair deal, and movements to expand civil rights. Each time, there have been those who told us to fear the future; who claimed we could slam the brakes on change, promising to restore past glory if we just got some group or idea that was threatening America under control. And each time, we overcame those fears. We did not, in the words of Lincoln, adhere to the "dogmas of the quiet past." Instead we thought anew, and acted anew. We made change work for us, always extending America's promise outward, to the next frontier, to more and more people. And because we did – because we saw opportunity where others saw only peril – we emerged stronger and better than before.
美國曾經歷過種種巨變——戰爭，蕭條，移民涌入，工人運動，以及民權運動。每一次，總有人告訴我們要畏懼未來。每當美國受到某些組織或者言論威脅，將要失控，這些人就告訴我們要停止變革，并承諾恢復往日的輝煌。但每一次，我們都能夠克服恐懼。用林肯的話來說，我們并未遵循“平靜的過去時代的信條。相反地，我們能夠用新的思維思考，以新的方式行事。我們巧妙地利用變化，始終將美國的潛力擴展至更廣闊的前沿，惠及更多的民眾。正緣于此——因為他人眼中的風險在我們看來是機遇——我們變得比以前更強更好。
What was true then can be true now. Our unique strengths as a nation – our optimism and work ethic, our spirit of discovery and innovation, our diversity and commitment to the rule of law – these things give us everything we need to ensure prosperity and security for generations to come.
過去的真理，現在亦未曾改變。我們的樂觀主義與職業道德，我們的發現與創新精神，我們種族多樣化和法治信條，這些都是我們作為一個國家所擁有的獨一無二的優點，使我們具備了世代繁榮昌盛、國泰民安的一切條件。
In fact, it's that spirit that made the progress of these past seven years possible. It's how we recovered from the worst economic crisis in generations. It's how we reformed our health care system, and reinvented our energy sector; how we delivered more care and benefits to our troops and veterans, and how we secured the freedom in every state to marry the person we love.
事實上，正因有了這種精神力量，我們過去七年才可能取得進步。它使我們得以從幾代以來最嚴重的經濟危機中恢復；是我們改革醫療體系、改造能源部門的動力；保證了我們給予軍人和老兵更多關心和福利。也正因為此，我們能夠讓每個州的人都獲得了與所愛的人結婚的自由。
But such progress is not inevitable. It is the result of choices we make together. And we face such choices right now. Will we respond to the changes of our time with fear, turning inward as a nation, and turning against each other as a people? Or will we face the future with confidence in who we are, what we stand for, and the incredible things we can do together?
但是，這些進步并不是注定會發生的，而是我們共同選擇的結果。我們當下正面臨著這樣的選擇。面對時代的變化，我們是將以恐懼對之，閉門造車，各自為戰？還是自我肯定，堅持立場，相信我們能共創奇跡？
So let's talk about the future, and four big questions that we as a country have to answer – regardless of who the next President is, or who controls the next Congress.
讓我們先來談談未來，以及美國需要回答的四個大問題——無論下一屆美國總統是誰，無論哪個黨派掌控國會。
First, how do we give everyone a fair shot at opportunity and security in this new economy?
首先，我們如何在新經濟中給每個人公平的機會和保障？
Second, how do we make technology work for us, and not against us – especially when it comes to solving urgent challenges like climate change?
第二，我們如何讓技術為我們服務，而不是與我們對抗——尤其是面臨氣候變化這樣急需應對的挑戰的時候？
Third, how do we keep America safe and lead the world without becoming its policeman?
第三，我們如何保障美國的安全，同時，在不充當世界警察的前提下，引領整個世界？
And finally, how can we make our politics reflect what's best in us, and not what's worst?
最后，我們如何制定政策，使其反映出美國的好，而不是美國的惡？
Let me start with the economy, and a basic fact: the United States of America, right now, has the strongest, most durable economy in the world. We're in the middle of the longest streak of private-sector job creation in history. More than 14 million new jobs; the strongest two years of job growth since the '90s; an unemployment rate cut in half. Our auto industry just had its best year ever. Manufacturing has created nearly 900,000 new jobs in the past six years. And we've done all this while cutting our deficits by almost three-quarters.
我先說說經濟，基本的事實是這樣的：現在，在全球范圍內，美國經濟是最為強大且堅固的。縱觀歷史，我們現在處于私營部門連續創造就業機會最長的一段時期中。我們創造了逾1400萬個新的就業崗位；這是自20世紀90年代以來就業增長最為強勁的兩年；失業率下降了一半。汽車行業也創造了最輝煌的一年。在過去的六年里，制造業創造了將近90萬個新的就業崗位。而且，我們在取得這些成績的同時，還將赤字減少了近四分之三.
Anyone claiming that America's economy is in decline is peddling fiction. What is true – and the reason that a lot of Americans feel anxious – is that the economy has been changing in profound ways, changes that started long before the Great Recession hit and haven't let up. Today, technology doesn't just replace jobs on the assembly line, but any job where work can be automated. Companies in a global economy can locate anywhere, and face tougher competition. As a result, workers have less leverage for a raise. Companies have less loyalty to their communities. And more and more wealth and income is concentrated at the very top.
任何聲稱美國經濟正在衰落的說法都是在傳播虛構事實。實際情況——同時也是許多美國人感到焦慮的原因——是美國經濟正在經歷巨大變革，而且這變革早在大蕭條發生之前就已經開始，到現在還沒有結束。今天，能夠被高科技取代的工作崗位并不僅限于生產線，還包括任何可以實現自動化的崗位。在經濟全球化中，公司可以落戶于世界任何地方，也會面臨更加激烈的競爭。其結果是，雇員要求加薪的籌碼變少。公司對其所在群體的忠誠度更低。同時，越來越多的財富和收入積聚到社會頂層階級手中。
All these trends have squeezed workers, even when they have jobs; even when the economy is growing. It's made it harder for a hardworking family to pull itself out of poverty, harder for young people to start on their careers, and tougher for workers to retire when they want to. And although none of these trends are unique to America, they do offend our uniquely American belief that everybody who works hard should get a fair shot.
這些變化趨勢擠壓了雇員的生存空間，即使他們擁有工作，即使美國經濟一直在增長。工薪家庭想要通過努力工作，擺脫貧困，年輕人想要開創自己的事業，雇員想要適時退休，都已經不太容易。雖然面臨這些變革的不只有美國，但是這些的確違背了獨有的美國式信念，那就是，任何努力工作的人都應當得到公平待遇。
For the past seven years, our goal has been a growing economy that works better for everybody. We've made progress. But we need to make more. And despite all the political arguments we've had these past few years, there are some areas where Americans broadly agree.
在過去的七年中，我們的目標一直都是，保持經濟增長，以造福每一個人。我們已經取得了一些進步。但是，我們需要繼續努力。盡管在過去的一些年中，我們有過許多政治上的爭論，但是在一些領域，我們取得了普遍的共識。
We agree that real opportunity requires every American to get the education and training they need to land a good-paying job. The bipartisan reform of No Child Left Behind was an important start, and together, we've increased early childhood education, lifted high school graduation rates to new highs, and boosted graduates in fields like engineering. In the coming years, we should build on that progress, by providing Pre-K for all, offering every student the hands-on computer science and math classes that make them job-ready on day one, and we should recruit and support more great teachers for our kids.
我們一致認為，真正的機會在于每一個美國人都能獲得能夠必要的教育及培訓，讓他們能夠勝任一份收入理想的工作。“不讓一個孩子掉隊的兩黨改革政策，就是一個重要的開端，同時，我們加強了兒童早期教育，進一步提高了高中畢業率，使工程學等專業畢業生得以增長。未來，我們要以這些成績為基礎，通過普及全民早教，讓所有學生都接受計算機實踐和數學課程培訓，為他們將來步入職場做好準備。同時，我們要為孩子們招錄更多優秀的教師，并給予這些教師更好的待遇。
And we have to make college affordable for every American. Because no hardworking student should be stuck in the red. We've already reduced student loan payments to ten percent of a borrower's income. Now, we've actually got to cut the cost of college. Providing two years of community college at no cost for every responsible student is one of the best ways to do that, and I'm going to keep fighting to get that started this year.
同時，我們要讓每個美國人都能上得起大學。因為，勤奮的學生不應該因為貧困被擋在校門之外。我們已經將助學貸款的還款額降至借款人收入的10%。接下來，我們需要降低大學費用。兩年制的社區大學將為每一位有責任感的學生提供免費教育，這是降低大學費用最理想的方式之一。我會不斷努力讓這個方案在今年啟動。
Of course, a great education isn't all we need in this new economy. We also need benefits and protections that provide a basic measure of security. After all, it's not much of a stretch to say that some of the only people in America who are going to work the same job, in the same place, with a health and retirement package, for 30 years, are sitting in this chamber. For everyone else, especially folks in their forties and fifties, saving for retirement or bouncing back from job loss has gotten a lot tougher. Americans understand that at some point in their careers, they may have to retool and retrain. But they shouldn't lose what they've already worked so hard to build.
當然，在新經濟中，我們所需要的不僅僅是優質的教育。我們還需要能夠提供基本生活保障的福利和保護措施。如果說在座的各位，是美國為數不多的能夠在同一個地方從事同一份工作30年，還能獲得健康和養老保障的人，也不算夸張。而對于其他人，特別是四五十歲的美國人來說，為退休后的生存點錢或是在失業后重振旗鼓，已經越來越困難。大家都認識到，在他們職業生涯的某個時刻，他們不得不重新接受培訓，重新學習技能。但是，他們不應當失去他們這么多年辛勤工作所獲得的東西。
That's why Social Security and Medicare are more important than ever; we shouldn't weaken them, we should strengthen them. And for Americans short of retirement, basic benefits should be just as mobile as everything else is today. That's what the Affordable Care Act is all about. It's about filling the gaps in employer-based care so that when we lose a job, or go back to school, or start that new business, we'll still have coverage. Nearly eighteen million have gained coverage so far. Health care inflation has slowed. And our businesses have created jobs every single month since it became law.
這也是社會保障及醫療保險制度在今天尤為重要的原因；它們不該被弱化，而應進一步加強。對于退休年齡較晚的美國人，基本福利應與當今的其他事物一樣盡可能移動化。這就是《平價醫療法案》的意義所在，這個法案旨在填補基于雇主的醫療保險系統的空缺，我們失業、返校求學或創業時，依然能享受醫療保障。目前為止，已有近1800萬人受益。醫療費用通脹也有所緩解。自法案實施起，我們的企業每個月都能創造新的工作崗位。
Now, I'm guessing we won't agree on health care anytime soon. But there should be other ways both parties can improve economic security. Say a hardworking American loses his job – we shouldn't just make sure he can get unemployment insurance; we should make sure that program encourages him to retrain for a business that's ready to hire him. If that new job doesn't pay as much, there should be a system of wage insurance in place so that he can still pay his bills. And even if he's going from job to job, he should still be able to save for retirement and take his savings with him. That's the way we make the new economy work better for everyone.
我想我們在短期內還無法就醫療保險制度達成共識。但兩黨可以在改進經濟保障制度的問題上采取一些新的措施。假設一位辛勤工作的美國人丟了工作，我們不該僅僅確保他能獲得失業保險，而應確保這個制度能夠支持他接受再培訓以勝任新的工作。如果這份新工作的報酬不如上一份工作，那么就該有薪酬保障制度保證他能養活自己。即使他一直在換工作，也還能為退休儲蓄并能支配自己的積蓄。這就是我們讓大家更好地受益于新經濟的方式。
