In other words, we know what needs to be done. And as we speak, bipartisan groups in both chambers are working diligently to draft a bill, and I applaud their efforts. So let’s get this done. Send me a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next few months, and I will sign it right away. And America will be better for it. (Applause.) Let’s get it done. Let’s get it done.

換言之，我們知道自己需要做些什么。正如之前已經(jīng)提到的，國(guó)會(huì)參眾兩院的有關(guān)團(tuán)體正在勉力草擬一個(gè)法案，我對(duì)他們的努力表示贊賞。那么，讓我們做好這件事吧。幾個(gè)月以后請(qǐng)把移民制度全面改革的草案交給我，我會(huì)立即予以簽署。美國(guó)將會(huì)因此變得剛好。(掌聲)讓我們做好這件事。讓我們做好它。

But we can’t stop there. We know our economy is stronger when our wives, our mothers, our daughters can live their lives free from discrimination in the workplace, and free from the fear of domestic violence. Today, the Senate passed the Violence Against Women Act that Joe Biden originally wrote almost 20 years ago. And I now urge the House to do the same. (Applause.) Good job, Joe. And I ask this Congress to declare that women should earn a living equal to their efforts, and finally pass the Paycheck Fairness Act this year. (Applause.)

不過(guò)我們也不能就此止步。我們清楚，只有當(dāng)我們的妻子、母親、女兒能夠免于在職場(chǎng)受歧視，免于家庭暴力，我們的經(jīng)濟(jì)才會(huì)更加強(qiáng)大。今天，參議院通過(guò)了最初由現(xiàn)任副總統(tǒng)喬·拜登將近20年前草擬的防止對(duì)婦女施暴法案，我希望眾議院接下來(lái)也會(huì)予以批準(zhǔn)。(掌聲)干得好，喬。我還要請(qǐng)求國(guó)會(huì)宣布，女性應(yīng)該得到與之付出相配的回報(bào)，并在今年內(nèi)最終通過(guò)工資公平法案。(掌聲)

We know our economy is stronger when we reward an honest day’s work with honest wages. But today, a full-time worker making the minimum wage earns $14,500 a year. Even with the tax relief we put in place, a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line. That’s wrong. That’s why, since the last time this Congress raised the minimum wage, 19 states have chosen to bump theirs even higher.

我們知道，只有當(dāng)我們辛勤的工作獲得體面的報(bào)酬時(shí)，我們的經(jīng)濟(jì)才會(huì)更加強(qiáng)大。但現(xiàn)在的情況是，一個(gè)全職工人每年最低工資僅為1.45萬(wàn)美元。即使把免稅算上，一個(gè)擁有兩個(gè)孩子的家庭最低工資仍處于貧困線(xiàn)以下。那是不對(duì)勁的。這就是為什么上次國(guó)會(huì)提高最低工資標(biāo)準(zhǔn)后，有19個(gè)州又在此基礎(chǔ)上額外提高了標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。

Tonight, let’s declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, and raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour. (Applause.) We should be able to get that done. (Applause.)

今晚，讓我們?cè)谶@個(gè)世上最富有的國(guó)家里宣告，沒(méi)有一個(gè)全職工作者會(huì)被迫生活在貧困中，宣告將聯(lián)邦最低工資標(biāo)準(zhǔn)提高至每小時(shí)9美元。(掌聲)我們一定能夠做好這件事。(掌聲)

This single step would raise the incomes of millions of working families. It could mean the difference between groceries or the food bank; rent or eviction; scraping by or finally getting ahead. For businesses across the country, it would mean customers with more money in their pockets. And a whole lot of folks out there would probably need less help from government. In fact, working folks shouldn’t have to wait year after year for the minimum wage to go up while CEO pay has never been higher. So here’s an idea that Governor Romney and I actually agreed on last year -- let’s tie the minimum wage to the cost of living, so that it finally becomes a wage you can live on. (Applause.)

這一步驟將提高幾百萬(wàn)個(gè)工作家庭的收入。這可能意味著，原來(lái)靠救濟(jì)券領(lǐng)取食品的人能夠自己購(gòu)買(mǎi)生活用品，原來(lái)被逐出房子的人能夠租住下去，原來(lái)被生活拋棄的講出人頭地。對(duì)于全國(guó)的企業(yè)來(lái)說(shuō)，這意味著擁有更多錢(qián)包滿(mǎn)滿(mǎn)的消費(fèi)者。而對(duì)窮困人群來(lái)說(shuō)，可能更少依賴(lài)于政府的救濟(jì)。實(shí)際上，勞動(dòng)者不必要一年又一年地等待最低工資標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的上升，而只需限制企業(yè)高管們的報(bào)酬上漲。這就是羅姆尼州長(zhǎng)和我去年就已達(dá)成的共識(shí)，讓我們將最低工資標(biāo)準(zhǔn)與生活成本掛鉤，這樣一來(lái)，你的最低標(biāo)準(zhǔn)總是能夠支撐你的生活所需。(掌聲)

Tonight, let’s also recognize that there are communities in this country where no matter how hard you work, it is virtually impossible to get ahead. Factory towns decimated from years of plants packing up. Inescapable pockets of poverty, urban and rural, where young adults are still fighting for their first job. America is not a place where the chance of birth or circumstance should decide our destiny. And that’s why we need to build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class for all who are willing to climb them.

今晚，也讓我們承認(rèn)，這個(gè)國(guó)家確有一些人群他們無(wú)論怎么苦干都難以出人頭地。一些工廠(chǎng)長(zhǎng)期停工衰敗。不可避免的貧困，無(wú)論城鄉(xiāng)，年輕勞動(dòng)力依舊為掙得第一份工作爭(zhēng)破頭。人們的命運(yùn)不應(yīng)該被他的出生狀況和環(huán)境所決定，美國(guó)不是這樣一個(gè)地方。這就是為什么我們要搭建新的機(jī)會(huì)的階梯，讓所有愿意攀登的人步入中產(chǎn)階層的行列。

Let’s offer incentives to companies that hire Americans who’ve got what it takes to fill that job opening, but have been out of work so long that no one will give them a chance anymore. Let’s put people back to work rebuilding vacant homes in run-down neighborhoods. And this year, my administration will begin to partner with 20 of the hardest-hit towns in America to get these communities back on their feet. We’ll work with local leaders to target resources at public safety, and education, and housing.

讓我們對(duì)那些為長(zhǎng)期失業(yè)人群提供就業(yè)崗位的公司進(jìn)行獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)。讓我們引導(dǎo)人們重新建設(shè)那些衰敗小區(qū)里冷落的家。今年，我的政府將幫助全國(guó)20個(gè)遭受貧困打擊最嚴(yán)重的城鎮(zhèn)重建家園。我們將與當(dāng)?shù)仡I(lǐng)導(dǎo)人一起，為他們爭(zhēng)取公共安全、教育以及住房方面的資源。

We’ll give new tax credits to businesses that hire and invest. And we’ll work to strengthen families by removing the financial deterrents to marriage for low-income couples, and do more to encourage fatherhood -- because what makes you a man isn’t the ability to conceive a child; it’s having the courage to raise one. And we want to encourage that. We want to help that. (Applause.)

我們將通過(guò)減稅鼓勵(lì)企業(yè)用工和投資。我們將通過(guò)消除夫妻結(jié)婚的資金門(mén)檻來(lái)鞏固家庭，并且進(jìn)一步激勵(lì)父親的支撐力——因?yàn)槟腥酥詾槟腥瞬⒉皇撬猩⒆拥哪芰?，而是有養(yǎng)育孩子的勇氣。而我們就是想要對(duì)此有所激勵(lì)，有所幫助。(掌聲)