U.S. President Barack Obama's fourth nationally-televised evening news conference Wednesday was dominated by the debate over reforming the country's health care system. The president is trying to overcome objections to his plan from lawmakers in both parties.
美国总统奥巴马星期三举行第四次全国电视晚间记者会，改革美国的卫生保健系统成为重中之重。奥巴马总统正试图说服反对他的计划的两党议员。
President Obama's initiative to fix the way Americans pay for health care is losing popular support and lawmakers from both parties have expressed concern about its cost.
总统奥巴马改进美国人支付卫生保健经费的计划正在失去民众的支持，来自共和党和民主党的议员都对这项计划的成本表示关注。
So Mr. Obama held a news conference, to make his case that overhauling the country's health insurance system is an issue that should transcend politics.
为此，奥巴马举行了新闻发布会，向全国人民说明，改进美国的医疗保险制度是一个应该超越政治的问题。
"This is about every family, every business and every taxpayer who continues to shoulder the burden of a problem that Washington has failed to solve for decades. This debate is not a game for these Americans, and they cannot afford to wait any longer for reform," he said.
奥巴马说：“这是每一个家庭，每一个企业和每一个纳税人都要继续承担责任的问题，华盛顿几十年来未能解决。这次辩论对美国人来说决非儿戏，改革已经迫在眉睫。”
Mr. Obama accused Republicans of playing politics with the issue, after at least one opposition senator said failure to pass health reform could "break" the president.
奥巴马总统指责共和党人玩政治，至少一个反对党参议员表示，如果医疗改革方案失败，对奥巴马总统来说，将是一个“惨重”的打击。
However, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier that Republicans are also concerned with policy, not politics. "We do not wish anyone ill. We want to get the policy right," he said.
然而，参议院少数党领袖麦康奈尔说，共和党关注的是政策，而不是政治。麦康奈尔说：“我们不希望任何人生病。我们想要的是正确的政策。”
And, House Republican Leader John Boehner said Americans are concerned that Mr. Obama's proposal will involve excessive government involvement in people's lives. "But I think, as Americans look up today, what they see is a big government takeover of health care that is on the table and a plan that, frankly, they do not support," Boehner said.
此外，众议院共和党领袖博纳说，美国人感到关切的是，奥巴马的建议可能会导致政府过度干预人们的生活。博纳说：“我认为，美国看到今天的时候，他们所看到的是一个大政府接管医疗保健，这个计划摆在桌面上，坦率地说，他们不支持。”
At the news conference, Mr. Obama said, if the system is not changed, 14,000 Americans will lose health insurance each day. And, he said the United States will not be able to control its deficit if it cannot control health care costs.
在记者会上，奥巴马说，如果系统不变，每天将有1万4,000名美国人失去健康保险。他说，如果无法控制医疗费用，美国将无法控制赤字。
He defended his early-August deadline for congressional passage of the legislation, even though it is almost sure to slip.
他呼吁把8月作为国会通过立法的最早截止日期，尽管几乎肯定将推迟。
"If you do not set deadlines in this town, things do not happen. The default position is inertia, because doing something always creates some people who are unhappy," he said.
奥巴马说：“如果您在华盛顿这个城市不设定最后期限，事情就不会发生。惯性已成传统，因为事情总会使一些人感到不快。”
Seven of the 10 questions asked at Mr. Obama's news conference concerned health care. The president also fielded questions about his efforts to reform the U.S. financial system, and said progress is being made.
在记者会上向奥巴马提出的十个问题中，有七个问题和医疗保健有关。奥巴马总统还谈到了他做出努力，改革美国的金融体系，并表示正在取得进展。
"It is not where it needs to be. But people are no longer talking about the financial system falling off a cliff. We have stepped away from the brink," he said.
奥巴马说：“虽然离目标还有距离。但是，人们已不再谈论金融体系会从悬崖坠落。我们已经远离了悬崖的边缘。”
It was the first major Obama presidential news conference at which he was not asked questions about foreign affairs.
在奥巴马总统举行的历次重要记者会上，这是他第一次没有被问到外交问题。 |