Weekly Address: Good News from the Auto Industry
【2010年4月24日】奥巴马每周电视讲话：来自汽车工业的好消息
As the auto industry and financial markets begin to stabilize, the President says the government’s emergency interventions are now winding down. He pledges that real reform, particularly on Wall Street, must now begin.
由于汽车工业和金融市场渐趋稳定，总统称现在政府的紧急干预会逐渐放缓。并保证开始实施实实在在的改革，尤其是对于华尔街。
It was little more than one year age that our country faced a potentially devastating crisis in our auto industry. Over the course of 2008, the industry shed 400,000 jobs. In the midst of a financial crisis and deep recession, both General Motors and Chrysler—two companies that for generations were a symbol of America’s manufacturing might—were on the brink of collapse. The rapid dissolution of these companies—followed by the certain failure of many auto parts makers, and car dealers, and other small businesses—would have dealt a crippling blow to our already suffering economy. The best estimates are that more than one million American workers could have lost their jobs.
我们的汽车工业面临潜在毁灭性危机不是一年两年了。2008年以来，这个行业有40万人失业。在这次金融危机和严重经济衰退中，通用汽车（General Motors）和克莱斯勒（Chrysler）——这两家世代被我们认为是美国制造业象征的企业——濒临倒闭的边缘。这两家公司迅速地土崩瓦解，继之以大量汽车零部件生产商，汽车分销商以及小型公司的倒闭，让我们本就伤痕累累的经济雪上加霜。据最保守的估计，有超过100万人（在此期间）失业。
The previous administration extended temporary loans to both companies. Even so, when I took office, the situation remained dire. We have to determine whether or not we could justify additional taxpayers assistance. After all, many of the problems in the auto industry were a direct result of poor management decisions over decades. So it wasn’t an easy call.
上届政府为这两家公司增加了紧急贷款。即便如此，我主政后，情况依然让人感到绝望。我们必须判定用纳税人的钱追加援助能否有效发挥作用。毕竟几十年以来糟糕的管理决策才是汽车工业大量问题的直接原因。因此，这并不是那么容易能做的决定。
But we decided that while providing additional assistance was a risk, the far greater risk to families and communities across the country was to do nothing. We agreed to additional help, but only if the companies and their stakeholders were willing to break with the past. They had to fundamentally reorganize, with new management that would reexamine the decisions that led to this mess and chart a path toward viability.
但我们认识到，尽管提供追加援助有点冒险，但不做为会让我们的家庭以及社会冒更大的险。（因此）我们最终决定追加援助，但前提条件是这些公司以及利益相关方愿意跟过去做个了断。他们必须从根本上进行重组，采用全新的管理来重新检讨带来危机的那些决策，并为未来做出可行性的规划。
I knew this wasn’t a popular decision. But it was the right one. So, GM and Chrysler went through painful restructurings: ones that required enormous sacrifices on the part of all involved. Many believed this was a fool’s errand. Many feared we would be throwing good money after bad: that taxpayers would lose most of their investment and that these companies would soon fail regardless.
我知道这并不是一个受欢迎的决定。但却是正确的。这样，通用汽车和克莱斯勒度过了痛苦的重组过程：这需要所有相关部门做出巨大牺牲。许多人认为这是徒劳的。还有许多人担心我们会花冤枉钱：纳税人将失去他们的投资而这些公司又会再一次迅速陷入困境。
But one year later, the outlook is very different. In fact, the industry is recovering at a pace few thought possible. Just this week we received some encourage news. Since General Motors emerged from bankruptcy, the auto industry has actually added 45,000 jobs—the strongest growth in a decade. And Chrysler announced an operating profit in the first three months this year. This is the first time Chrysler has reported a profit since the beginning of the economic crisis. What’s more, GM announced that it paid back its loans to taxpayers with interests, fully five years ahead of schedule. It won’t be too long before the stock the Treasury is holding in GM can be sold, helping to reimburse the American people for their investment. In addition, Chrysler Financial has already fully repaid with interest the loans it received to support auto financing. And we are closing the books on the temporary program that helped parts suppliers weather this storm—returning this investment to the Treasury in full, with interest, as well.
但一年以后，情况完全不一样。实际上，汽车工业正以令人难以想象的步伐在恢复。就在本周，我们收到了一些振奋人心的消息。自通用汽车脱离破产困境以来，汽车工业已新增4万5千个工作岗位——这是十年来的最大幅度增长。克莱斯勒宣称今年前三个月公司已开始盈利。这是经济危机以来克莱斯勒第一次盈利的报道。更重要的是，通用汽车称已经连本带利偿还了纳税人的贷款，比计划整整提前了5年。离财政部出售拥有的通用汽车股份来偿还美国人民投资的时间也不会太久了。另外，克莱斯勒的财务部门也偿还了他们得到的汽车援助资金的本金和利息。我们正在对帮助零部件生产商度过危机的临时性计划进行结算，这也将连本带利返还财政部的投资。
Finally, we’re bringing to an end many of the emergency programs designed to stabilize the financial sector and restart lending so folks could finance cars and trucks – as well as homes and small businesses.
最后，我们终结了原本为了稳定金融部门的紧急计划，重新开始向家庭和小企业发放贷款为人们买小汽车或卡车提供资金。
On Friday, in fact, the Treasury Department informed Congress that this financial rescue – which was absolutely necessary to prevent an even worse economic disaster – will end up costing taxpayers a fraction of what was originally feared. This is a direct result of the careful management of the investments made by the American people so that we could recoup as many tax dollars as possible – and as quickly as possible.
其实，周五财政部就通告国会，为防止出现更加严重的经济灾难的金融援助是完全必要的，援助结束后也不会像一开始所担心的那样让纳税人买单。这是美国人民做出的谨慎的投资管理决策的结果，使得我们能尽可能多，尽可能快地回收税款。
These steps, as well as others we’ve taken, have meant that millions of people are working today who might otherwise have lost their jobs. But these steps were never meant to be permanent. As I’ve said many times, I did not run for president to get into the auto business or the banking business. As essential as it was that we got in, I’m glad to see that we’re getting out.
这些措施，以及已经采取的措施，使得数百万原本将会失业的人们现在依然在工作。但这些措施并不意味着一切的永久不变。如同我多次讲到的，我并不是为了要治理汽车工业和银行业才竞选的总统。重要的是尽管我们卷入了（危机），但我很高兴的看到我们脱离了（危机）。
At the same time, even as we’ve come a long way, we still have a way to go. The auto industry is more stable today. And the economy is on a better footing. But people are still hurting. I hear from them just about every day in letters I read and in the towns and cities that I visit. No matter what the economic statistics say, I won’t be satisfied until folks who need work can find good jobs. After a recession that stole 8 million jobs, this is gonna take some time. And this will require that we continue to tackle the underlying problems that caused this turmoil in the first place. In short, it’s essential that we learn the lessons of this crisis – or we risk repeating it.
同时，即便我们已经走过了漫长的道路，我们依然有很长的路要走。汽车工业现在稳定了许多。我们的经济也有了更好的基础。但我从我每天收到的信件中以及我到访的城镇里了解到，我们的人民依然很受伤。无论我们的经济统计数据如何，在需要工作的人们找到合适的工作前我是不会感到满意的。经济衰退侵蚀了800万个工作岗位，（重新创造它们）将会需要很长的时间。这就要求我们将继续解决那些引起混乱的潜在问题放在首位。简言之，从这次的危机中汲取教训很重要，否则我们将冒重蹈覆辙的危险。
Now, part of what led to the crisis in our industry – and one of the main causes of the economic downturn – were problems in our financial sector. In the absence of common-sense rules, Wall Street firms took enormous irresponsible risks that imperiled our financial system – and hurt just about every sector of our economy. Some people simply forget that behind every dollar traded or leveraged, there is a family looking to buy a house, pay for an education, open a business, or save for retirement.
现在，导致我们工业中的危机的部分原因——也是导致经济低迷的主要原因——就是金融部门所存在的问题。由于常规监管规则的缺失，华尔街的公司进行了不负责任的巨大冒险，这不仅损害了我们的金融系统，更损害了我们经济的方方面面。有些人可能忘记了，在这些交易的和杠杆化的每块钱后面，是某个家庭将要买房的钱，或是支付学费的钱，或是开公司的钱，甚至是退休（养老）的钱。
That’s why I went to New York city this week and addressed an audience that included leaders in the financial industry. And once again I called for reforms to hold Wall Street accountable and to protect consumers. These reforms would put an end – once and for all – to taxpayer bailouts. They would bring greater transparency to complex financial dealings. And they will empower ordinary consumers and shareholders in our financial system. Folks will get clear and more concise information when they make financial decisions – instead of having to worry about deceptive fine print. And shareholders and pension holders will have a stronger voice in the boardrooms of companies in which they invest their savings.
这是本周我去纽约的原因，我向包括金融界领导在内的听众发表了讲话。我再一次的号召改革，让华尔街负起责任来并保护消费者。这些改革将终结并永远终结用纳税人的钱进行紧急援助；为复杂的金融交易带来更大的透明度；在金融系统中为普通消费者和股东授予更多权力。人们在做金融决定时将得到更为简明的信息，而不是去担心那些迷惑性的附则。股东以及养老金持有人也将在公司对他们的积蓄进行投资的董事会上有更多发言权。
That’s how we’ll restore trust and confidence in our markets. That’s how we’ll help to put an end to the cycle of boom and bust that we’ve seen. And that’s how – after two very difficult years – we will not only revive the economy, but help to rebuild it stronger than ever before.
Thanks!
这是我们重建信任和信心的途径；也是我们终结我们经历的经济繁荣与萧条循环的途径；也是两年艰难时光过后，不仅仅是复苏我们的经济，更是重建更加强大的经济的途径。
谢谢
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