Obama Urges Quick Senate Passage of Economic Stimulus

Obama Urges Quick Senate Passage of Economic Stimulus
奧巴馬促美參院快速通過刺激計劃

U.S. President Barack Obama is urging the Senate to follow the House of Representatives in passing his $800 billion plan to stimulate the economy. The president is calling the proposal "good news," after the bad economic news of the past week.
美國總統奧巴馬敦促國會參議院追隨眾議院的做法，批準他提出的8000億美元刺激經濟的計劃。奧巴馬表示，他的計劃是繼本周經濟傳出壞消息之后的“好消息”。

President Obama says the United States is struggling through "unprecedented economic turmoil." In his weekly address, he acknowledges recent announcements that the nation's economy shrank by almost four percent from October through December, and that tens of thousands of jobs were lost in January. Mr. Obama says senators need to approve his recovery plan quickly.
美國總統奧巴馬說，美國正在“前所未有的經濟旋渦”中掙扎。他在每周例行廣播講話中承認，從去年10月到12月份，美國經濟縮水將近4%。1月份，美國失去了數萬個工作機會。奧巴馬說，參議員必須盡快批準他的復蘇計劃。

"With the stakes so high we simply cannot afford the same old gridlock and partisan posturing in Washington," he said. "It's time to move in a new direction."
他說：“利害攸關，我們再也玩不起華盛頓過去常常出現的政治僵持和黨派立場等老把戲了。我們必須朝新的方向邁進�！�

The president's massive economic proposal passed the House of Representatives earlier in the week, but received no votes from Republicans.
這個星期早些時候，總統的大規模經濟計劃在國會眾議院得到通過，但是共和黨議員卻沒有人投票贊同。

In Saturday's response, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says Republican lawmakers are willing to work with Democrats to tackle the country's economic problems. But he says the Democratic proposal is so loaded with unnecessary spending, it resembles a shopping list for Christmas gifts.
參議院少數黨領袖麥康奈爾星期六在對總統講話作出回應時說，共和黨議員愿意與民主黨人攜手，共同解決國家面臨的經濟問題。但是他說，民主黨的計劃中有很多不必要的開支，整個計劃看起來就像圣誕節的禮品購物單。

"The task for Democrats in the House was to draft a stimulus plan that was timely, targeted and temporary," he said. Apparently, they did not get the memo. The bill they presented, and which House Democrats approved this week along a party-line vote, looks more like $1 trillion Christmas list."
他說：“民主黨的任務是起草一項及時的、目標明確的、暫時性的刺激計劃。很顯然，他們沒有領會這個精神。他們遞交的議案，也是民主黨本周按照黨派立場投票已經通過的議案，看起來更像一個價值一萬億美元的圣誕節禮品單�！�

In the president's Saturday address, he also says Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will soon lay out a new strategy to get credit flowing to businesses and families.
奧巴馬總統在星期六的廣播講話中還說，財政部長蓋特納很快將制定新戰略，促進信貸活動，讓企業和家庭獲得貸款。

"We'll help lower mortgage costs and extend loans to small businesses so they can create jobs," said Mr. Obama. "We'll ensure that CEO's are not draining funds that should be advancing our recovery. And we will insist on unprecedented transparency, rigorous oversight, and clear accountability, so taxpayers know how their money is being spent and whether it is achieving results."
他說：“我們將幫助降低房貸成本，并向小企業貸款，以便他們可以創造工作機會。我們將確保那些首席執行官不會耗空應該用來促進經濟復蘇的資金。我們將堅定不移地采取前所未有的透明方式、嚴格監督、明確問責，讓納稅人知道他們的錢是如何使用的，是否達到效果�！�