奥巴马国情咨文演讲英.docx
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奥巴马国情咨文演讲英
奥巴马国情咨文演讲
Mr.Speaker,Mr.VicePresident,MembersofCongress,distinguishedguests,andfellowAmericans:
TonightIwanttobeginbycongratulatingthemenandwomenofthe112thCongress,aswellasyournewSpeaker,JohnBoehner.(Applause.)Andaswemarkthisoccasion,we'realsomindfuloftheemptychairinthischamber,andweprayforthehealthofourcolleague--andourfriend--GabbyGiffords.(Applause.)
It'snosecretthatthoseofusheretonighthavehadourdifferencesoverthelasttwoyears.Thedebateshavebeencontentious;wehavefoughtfiercelyforourbeliefs.Andthat'sagoodthing.That'swhatarobustdemocracydemands.That'swhathelpssetusapartasanation.
Butthere'sareasonthetragedyinTucsongaveuspause.Amidallthenoiseandpassionandrancorofourpublicdebate,Tucsonremindedusthatnomatterwhoweareorwherewecomefrom,eachofusisapartofsomethinggreater--somethingmoreconsequentialthanpartyorpoliticalpreference.
WearepartoftheAmericanfamily.Webelievethatinacountrywhereeveryraceandfaithandpointofviewcanbefound,wearestillboundtogetherasonepeople;thatwesharecommonhopesandacommoncreed;thatthedreamsofalittlegirlinTucsonarenotsodifferentthanthoseofourownchildren,andthattheyalldeservethechancetobefulfilled.
That,too,iswhatsetsusapartasanation.(Applause.)
Now,byitself,thissimplerecognitionwon'tusherinaneweraofcooperation.Whatcomesofthismomentisuptous.Whatcomesofthismomentwillbedeterminednotbywhetherwecansittogethertonight,butwhetherwecanworktogethertomorrow(Applause.)
Ibelievewecan.AndIbelievewemust.That'swhatthepeoplewhosentushereexpectofus.Withtheirvotes,they'vedeterminedthatgoverningwillnowbeasharedresponsibilitybetweenparties.NewlawswillonlypasswithsupportfromDemocratsandRepublicans.Wewillmoveforwardtogether,ornotatall--forthechallengeswefacearebiggerthanparty,andbiggerthanpolitics.
Atstakerightnowisnotwhowinsthenextelection--afterall,wejusthadanelection.Atstakeiswhethernewjobsandindustriestakerootinthiscountry,orsomewhereelse.It'swhetherthehardworkandindustryofourpeopleisrewarded.It'swhetherwesustaintheleadershipthathasmadeAmericanotjustaplaceonamap,butthelighttotheworld.
Wearepoisedforprogress.Twoyearsaftertheworstrecessionmostofushaveeverknown,thestockmarkethascomeroaringback.Corporateprofitsareup.Theeconomyisgrowingagain.Butwehavenevermeasuredprogressbytheseyardsticksalone.We
measureprogressbythesuccessofourpeople.Bythejobstheycanfindandthequalityoflifethosejobsoffer.Bytheprospectsofasmallbusinessownerwhodreamsofturningagoodideaintoathrivingenterprise.Bytheopportunitiesforabetterlifethatwepassontoourchildren.
That'stheprojecttheAmericanpeoplewantustoworkon.Together.(Applause.)
WedidthatinDecember.Thankstothetaxcutswepassed,Americans'paychecksarealittlebiggertoday.Everybusinesscanwriteoffthefullcostofnewinvestmentsthattheymakethisyear.Andthesesteps,takenbyDemocratsandRepublicans,willgrowtheeconomyandaddtothemorethanonemillionprivatesectorjobscreatedlastyear.Butwehavetodomore.Thesestepswe'vetakenoverthelasttwoyearsmayhavebrokenthebackofthisrecession,buttowinthefuture,we'llneedtotakeonchallengesthathavebeendecadesinthemaking.
Manypeoplewatchingtonightcanprobablyrememberatimewhenfindingagoodjobmeantshowingupatanearbyfactoryorabusinessdowntown.Youdidn'talwaysneedadegree,andyourcompetitionwasprettymuchlimitedtoyourneighbors.Ifyouworkedhard,chancesareyou'dhaveajobforlife,withadecentpaycheckandgoodbenefitsandtheoccasionalpromotion.Maybeyou'devenhavetheprideofseeingyourkidsworkatthesamecompany.
Thatworldhaschanged.Andformany,thechangehasbeenpainful.I'veseenitintheshutteredwindowsofonceboomingfactories,andthevacantstorefrontsononcebusyMainStreets.I'vehearditinthefrustrationsofAmericanswho'veseentheirpaychecksdwindleortheirjobsdisappear--proudmenandwomenwhofeelliketheruleshavebeenchangedinthemiddleofthegame.
They'reright.Theruleshavechanged.Inasinglegeneration,revolutionsintechnologyhavetransformedthewaywelive,workanddobusiness.Steelmillsthatonceneeded1,000workerscannowdothesameworkwith100.Today,justaboutanycompanycansetupshop,hireworkers,andselltheirproductswhereverthere'sanInternetconnection.Meanwhile,nationslikeChinaandIndiarealizedthatwithsomechangesoftheirown,theycouldcompeteinthisnewworld.Andsotheystartededucatingtheirchildrenearlierandlonger,withgreateremphasisonmathandscience.They'reinvestinginresearchandnewtechnologies.Justrecently,Chinabecamethehometotheworld'slargestprivatesolarresearchfacility,andtheworld'sfastestcomputer.So,yes,theworldhaschanged.Thecompetitionforjobsisreal.Butthisshouldn'tdiscourageus.Itshouldchallengeus.Remember--forallthehitswe'vetakentheselastfewyears,forallthenaysayerspredictingourdecline,Americastillhasthelargest,mostprosperouseconomyintheworld.(Applause.)
Noworkers--noworkersaremoreproductivethanours.Nocountryhasmoresuccessfulcompanies,orgrantsmorepatentstoinventorsandentrepreneurs.We'rethehometotheworld'sbestcollegesanduniversities,wheremorestudentscometostudythananyplaceonEarth.What'smore,wearethefirstnationtobefoundedforthesakeofanidea--theideathateachofusdeservesthechancetoshapeourowndestiny.That'swhycenturiesofpioneersandimmigrantshaveriskedeverythingtocomehere.It'swhyourstudentsdon'tjustmemorizeequations,butanswerquestionslike"Whatdoyouthinkofthatidea?
Whatwouldyouchangeabouttheworld?
Whatdoyouwanttobewhenyougrowup?
"Thefutureisourstowin.Buttogetthere,wecan'tjuststandstill.AsRobertKennedytoldus,"Thefutureisnotagift.Itisanachievement."SustainingtheAmericanDreamhasneverbeenaboutstandingpat.Ithasrequiredeachgenerationtosacrifice,andstruggle,andmeetthedemandsofanewage.Andnowit'sourturn.Weknowwhatittakestocompeteforthejobsandindustriesofourtime.Weneedtoout-innovate,out-educate,andout-buildtherestoftheworld.(Applause.)
WehavetomakeAmericathebestplaceonEarthtodobusiness.Weneedtotakeresponsibilityforourdeficitandreformourgovernment.That'showourpeoplewillprosper.That'showwe'llwinthefuture.(Applause.)
Andtonight,I'dliketotalkabouthowwegetthere.ThefirststepinwinningthefutureisencouragingAmericaninnovation.Noneofuscanpredictwithcertaintywhatthenextbigindustrywillbeorwherethenewjobswillcomefrom.Thirtyyearsago,wecouldn'tknowthatsomethingcalledtheInternetwouldleadtoaneconomicrevolution.Whatwecando--whatAmericadoesbetterthananyoneelse--issparkthecreativityandimaginationofourpeople.We'rethenationthatputcarsindrivewaysandcomputersinoffices;thenationofEdisonandtheWrightbrothers;ofGoogleandFacebook.InAmerica,innovationdoesn'tjustchangeourlives.Itishowwemakeourliving.(Applause.)
Ourfreeenterprisesystemiswhatdrivesinnovation.Butbecauseit'snotalwaysprofitableforcompaniestoinvestinbasicresearch,throughoutourhistory,ourgovernmenthasprovidedcutting-edgescientistsandinventorswiththesupportthattheyneed.That'swhatplantedtheseedsfortheInternet.That'swhathelpedmakepossiblethingslikecomputerchipsandGPS.Justthinkofallthegoodjobs--frommanufacturingtoretail--thathavecomefromthesebreakthroughs.Halfacenturyago,whentheSovietsbeatusintospacewiththelaunchofasatellitecalledSputnik,wehadnoideahowwewouldbeatthemtothemoon.Thesciencewasn'teventhereyet.NASAdidn'texist.Butafterinvestinginbetterresearchandeducation,wedidn'tjustsurpasstheSoviets;weunleashedawaveofinnovationthatcreatednewindustriesandmillionsofnewjobs.Thisisourgeneration'sSputnikmoment.
Twoyearsago,Isaidthatweneededtoreachalevelofresearchanddevelopmentwehaven'tseensincetheheightoftheSpaceRace.Andinafewweeks,IwillbesendingabudgettoCongressthathelpsusmeetthatgoal.We'llinvestinbiomedicalresearch,informationtechnology,andespeciallycleanenergytechnology--(applause)--aninvestmentthatwillstrengthenoursecurity,protectourplanet,andcreatecountlessnewjobsforourpeople.Already,we'reseeingthepromiseofrenewableenergy.RobertandGaryAllenarebrotherswhorunasmallMichiganroofingcompany.AfterSeptember11th,theyvolunteeredtheirbestrooferstohelprepairthePentagon.Buthalfoftheirfactorywentunused,andtherecessionhitthemhard.
Today,withthehelpofagovernmentloan,thatemptyspaceisbeingusedtomanufacturesolarshinglesthatarebeingsoldallacrossthecountry.InRobert'swords,"Wereinventedourselves."That'swhatAmericanshavedoneforover200years:
reinventedourselves.AndtospuronmoresuccessstoriesliketheAllenBrothers,we'vebeguntoreinventourenergypolicy.We'renotjusthandingoutmoney.We'reissuingachallenge.We'retellingAmerica'sscientistsandengineersthatiftheyassembleteamsofthebestmindsintheirfields,andfocusonthehardestproblemsincleanenergy,we'llfundtheApolloprojectsofourtime.AttheCaliforniaInsti