President Barack Obama has imposed pay limits on executives of banks and other companies that receive government bailout money to avoid collapse.
美国总统奥巴马对于为了避免倒闭而接受政府救援资金的银行和其他公司的高层主管的薪金实行限制。
It is a topic that has sparked fury across the nation: financial executives receiving multi-million dollar salaries and lavish bonuses while taxpayers keep their ailing companies afloat.
这是一个在美国各地引发愤怒情绪的话题：依靠纳税人的救助，摇摇欲坠的金融公司才能苟延残喘，但是它们的高层主管却仍然领取数百万美元的工资和奖金。
President Obama says the practice is shameful and irresponsible.
奥巴马总统说，这种做法既可耻又不负责任。
"For top executives to award themselves these kinds of compensation packages in the midst of this economic crisis is not only in bad taste, it is a bad strategy, and I will not tolerate it as President," he said.
“对于那些高层主管来说，在当前的经济危机时期用这些报酬来奖励自己不仅令人作呕，也是很坏的策略。作为总统，我不会容忍这种做法。”
The president announced a $500,000 yearly limit on compensation for executives of companies receiving emergency federal assistance. Additionally, he said companies will be required to disclose all benefits provided to their top managers, and that severance packages will be limited.
奥巴马总统宣布把那些接受紧急联邦资助的公司高层主管们的年薪上限设定为50万美元。此外，他表示将要求这些公司公开它们的高级管理人员所享有的所有福利待遇，并且对公司离任高级人员的遣散费实行限制。
Not an assault on wealthy Americans
Mr. Obama said the measures should not be viewed as an assault on the wealthy or those who have achieved success. Rather, he said, he wants to ensure that executives are not rewarded for failure while being subsidized by U.S. taxpayers. Last year, Congress approved a $700 billion rescue package for financial firms, the biggest bailout fund in U.S. history.
奥巴马总统说，这些措施不应该被看作是打击富有阶层和成功人士，而是确保这些高层主管们不要一方面接受美国纳税人资助，另一方面却还在奖励他们所犯下的过失。去年美国国会通过了7千亿美元的救助金融公司的法案，这是美国历史上最大的一笔企业救援资金。
The president was preceded by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who suggested that public outrage over executive compensation contributed to the financial meltdown.
在奥巴马总统发表讲话之前，财政部长盖特纳指出，公众对高层主管们领取高薪的愤怒也是导致出现金融灾难的部分原因。
"This economic crisis was caused, in part, by a loss of confidence in our financial institutions," Geithner said. "And it was made worse by a loss of faith in the quality of judgments made by some executives and some boards of directors. Those failures have caused great damage."
“这次经济危机的部分原因也是由于人们对金融机构丧失信心引起的。民众对于一些金融主管和董事会的决策质量丧失了信心导致形势恶化。这些决策失误造成了巨大的损失。”
During the past year, dozens of business executives have been called to testify at congressional hearings, and been questioned intensely on pay issues. Many top managers have expressed a willingness to trim their salaries and forgo bonuses. Some, however, have defended the compensation they receive, noting that the terms were stipulated in contracts that were signed before the financial crisis struck.
过去一年，数十家公司主管被召到国会听证会上作证，他们的薪金问题受到强烈质疑。许多高层主管表示愿意削减薪金，放弃领取奖金。然而，一些人却为他们领取的高薪做辩护，认为规定薪金标准的合同是在金融危机爆发之前签署的。
Should bonuses be eliminated?
No one is suggesting that limiting executive pay will, by itself, return struggling firms to profitability. But for many Americans, the issue appears to be one of basic fairness: how can business executives justify multi-million dollar salaries at a time when millions of workers have lost their jobs and many firms are surviving thanks to a taxpayer-funded bailout?
没有人认为限制高层主管的薪金本身会促使摇摇欲坠的公司赢利。但是对于许多美国人来说，这显然是一个基本的公平问题：当成百万工薪阶层丧失工作，许多公司只是依靠纳税人的救援资金才能幸存的时候，这些公司主管们如何能够证明他们有理由一次性领取数百万美元的薪金呢？
"I think there is a time for sacrifice from everyone," one man said.
人们说：“我认为现在是每一个人都应该做出牺牲的时候。”
"I really do not think it [hefty executive salaries] is a very wise use of money at this point," a woman said.
“我的确认为，在这个时刻高层主管们领取巨额薪金不是明智的用钱之道。”
"People are losing their houses left and right, people are losing their jobs left and right. I do not think it is right," said another woman.
“到处都有人失去房屋，到处都有人失去工作，我认为他们这样做是不对的。”
Last week, President Obama expressed dismay and outrage over a report that bonuses for U.S. financial executives topped $18 billion last year. The report noted that the total was down more than 40 percent from the previous year.
上个星期，奥巴马总统对于有关美国金融主管们去年领取了180多亿美元薪金的报道感到惊愕和气愤。报道指出，去年他们的薪金总额比前一年减少了百分之40以上。 |