Obama Urges Quick Senate Passage of Economic Stimulus

Obama Urges Quick Senate Passage of Economic Stimulus Wu/]MBM  
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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. /{J4:N'B>  
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”。 R_cA:3qc~  
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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. 9rX&uP)j^#  
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。 {w O|)|  
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"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." wU36sCo  
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。” O:R*rJ  
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The president's massive economic proposal passed the House of Representatives earlier in the week, but received no votes from Republicans. :S83vE81WK  
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。 4Z=_,#h4.  
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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. HRCT}  
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。 I_#kg
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"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 $1 trillion Christmas list." /Iy
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他說：“民主黨的任務是起草一項及時的、目標明確的、暫時性的刺激計劃。很顯然，他們沒有領會這個精神。他們遞交的議案，也是民主黨本周按照黨派立場投票已經通過的議案，看起來更像一個價值一萬億美元的圣誕節禮品單。” I*{nP)^9  
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In the president's Saturday address, he also says Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will soon lay out a new strategy to get credit flowing to businesses and families. =:Fc;n>c<K  
奧巴馬總統在星期六的廣播講話中還說，財政部長蓋特納很快將制定新戰略，促進信貸活動，讓企業和家庭獲得貸款。 ~ 'cmSiz-  
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"We'll help lower mortgage costs and extend loans to small businesses so they can create jobs," said Mr. Obama. "We'll ensure that CEO's are not draining funds that should be advancing our recovery. And we will insist on unprecedented transparency, rigorous oversight, and clear accountability, so taxpayers know how their money is being spent and whether it is achieving results." %nZo4hnr$r  
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。” iC32nY?  
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For the second time in a week, Mr. Obama lashes out at the leaders of troubled investment firms who took government bailout money and paid bonuses to themselves and other executives. X/!o\yyT  
奧巴馬一周內第二次嚴厲譴責華爾街困難重重的投資公司領導人。這些人從政府那里領取援助款，卻給自己和其他管理人員發放獎金。 dr}`H,X"3  
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"We learned this week that even as they petitioned for taxpayer assistance, Wall Street firms shamefully paid out nearly $20 billion in bonuses for 2008," he said. "While I'm committed to doing what it takes to maintain the flow of credit, the American people will not excuse or tolerate such arrogance and greed." ItVWO:x&v  
他說：“我們本周得知，華爾街的公司甚至在懇求納稅人援助的同時，毫無羞恥地發放高達200億美元的獎金。我決心采取一切可能的辦法來維持信貸的流通，但是，美國人民不能原諒和容忍如此的傲慢和貪婪�！� L(<*)No  
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Meanwhile, AP and ABC reports quote an Obama administration official as saying Republican Senator Judd Gregg is the leading choice to become commerce secretary, and that the decision could be made as soon as Monday. Lc,Pom  
與此同時，美國媒體援引奧巴馬政府官員的話說，共和黨參議員、來自新罕布什爾州的葛瑞格是商務部長人選的首選。相關決定最早在下個星期一作出。 gQg"j)  
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If Gregg leaves the Senate, his replacement would be appointed by the Democratic governor of the Northeastern state of New Hampshire. That would give the Democrats 60 seats in the Senate, enough to prevent Republicans from a filibuster, a tactic used to prevent legislation from coming up for a vote. ,/%=sux  
如果葛瑞格離開參議院，他的替代人選將由新罕布什爾州民主黨州長任命。民主黨人也將因此在參議院占據60個席位，這樣一來，他們就擁有足夠的票數制止共和黨通過冗長辯論的方式來阻止對某項議案進行投票的做法。