美国国情咨文 State of the Union address.docx

美国国情咨文 State of the Union address.docx

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美国国情咨文StateoftheUnionaddress

AddressBeforeaJointSessionoftheCongressontheStateoftheUnion

January25,2011

Mr.Speaker,Mr.VicePresident,MembersofCongress,distinguishedguests,andfellowAmericans:

TonightIwanttobeginbycongratulatingthemenandwomenofthe112thCongress,aswellasyournewSpeaker,JohnBoehner.Andaswemarkthisoccasion,we'realsomindfuloftheemptychairinthisChamber,andweprayforthehealthofourcolleagueandourfriendGabbyGiffords.

It'snosecretthatthoseofusheretonighthavehadourdifferencesoverthelast2years.Thedebateshavebeencontentious;wehavefoughtfiercelyforourbeliefs.Andthat'sagoodthing.That'swhatarobustdemocracydemands.That'swhathelpssetusapartasanation.

Butthere'sareasonthetragedyinTucsongaveuspause.Amidallthenoiseandpassionandrancorofourpublicdebate,Tucsonremindedusthatnomatterwhoweareorwherewecomefrom,eachofusisapartofsomethinggreater,somethingmoreconsequentialthanpartyorpoliticalpreference.

WearepartoftheAmericanfamily.Webelievethatinacountrywhereeveryraceandfaithandpointofviewcanbefound,wearestillboundtogetherasonepeople,thatwesharecommonhopesandacommoncreed,thatthedreamsofalittlegirlinTucsonarenotsodifferentthanthoseofourownchildren,thattheyalldeservethechancetobefulfilled.Thattooiswhatsetsusapartasanation.

Now,byitself,thissimplerecognitionwon'tusherinaneweraofcooperation.Whatcomesofthismomentisuptous.Whatcomesofthismomentwillbedeterminednotbywhetherwecansittogethertonight,butwhetherwecanworktogethertomorrow.

Ibelievewecan,andIbelievewemust.That'swhatthepeoplewhosentushereexpectofus.Withtheirvotes,they'vedeterminedthatgoverningwillnowbeasharedresponsibilitybetweenparties.NewlawswillonlypasswithsupportfromDemocratsandRepublicans.Wewillmoveforwardtogetherornotatall,forthechallengeswefacearebiggerthanpartyandbiggerthanpolitics.

Atstakerightnowisnotwhowinsthenextelection.Afterall,wejusthadanelection.Atstakeiswhethernewjobsandindustriestakerootinthiscountryorsomewhereelse.It'swhetherthehardworkandindustryofourpeopleisrewarded.It'swhetherwesustaintheleadershipthathasmadeAmericanotjustaplaceonamap,butthelighttotheworld.

Wearepoisedforprogress.Twoyearsaftertheworstrecessionmostofushaveeverknown,thestockmarkethascomeroaringback,corporateprofitsareup,theeconomyisgrowingagain.

Butwehavenevermeasuredprogressbytheseyardsticksalone.Wemeasureprogressbythesuccessofourpeople,bythejobstheycanfindandthequalityoflifethosejobsoffer,bytheprospectsofasmall-businessownerwhodreamsofturningagoodideaintoathrivingenterprise,bytheopportunitiesforabetterlifethatwepassontoourchildren.

That'stheprojecttheAmericanpeoplewantustoworkon—together.

Now,wedidthatinDecember.Thankstothetaxcutswepassed,Americans'paychecksarealittlebiggertoday.Everybusinesscanwriteoffthefullcostofnewinvestmentsthattheymakethisyear.Andthesesteps,takenbyDemocratsandRepublicans,willgrowtheeconomyandaddtothemorethan1millionprivatesectorjobscreatedlastyear.

Butwehavetodomore.Thesestepswe'vetakenoverthelast2yearsmayhavebrokenthebackofthisrecession,buttowinthefuture,we'llneedtotakeonchallengesthathavebeendecadesinthemaking.

Manypeoplewatchingtonightcanprobablyrememberatimewhenfindingagoodjobmeantshowingupatanearbyfactoryorabusinessdowntown.Youdidn'talwaysneedadegree,andyourcompetitionwasprettymuchlimitedtoyourneighbors.Ifyouworkedhard,chancesareyou'dhaveajobforlife,withadecentpaycheckandgoodbenefitsandtheoccasionalpromotion.Maybeyou'devenhavetheprideofseeingyourkidsworkatthesamecompany.

Thatworldhaschanged.Andformany,thechangehasbeenpainful.I'veseenitintheshutteredwindowsofonceboomingfactoriesandthevacantstorefrontsononcebusyMainStreets.I'vehearditinthefrustrationsofAmericanswho'veseentheirpaychecksdwindleortheirjobsdisappear,proudmenandwomenwhofeelliketheruleshavebeenchangedinthemiddleofthegame.

They'reright.Theruleshavechanged.Inasinglegeneration,revolutionsintechnologyhavetransformedthewaywelive,work,anddobusiness.Steelmillsthatonceneeded1,000workerscannowdothesameworkwith100.Today,justaboutanycompanycansetupshop,hireworkers,andselltheirproductswhereverthere'sanInternetconnection.

Meanwhile,nationslikeChinaandIndiarealizedthatwithsomechangesoftheirown,theycouldcompeteinthisnewworld.Andsotheystartededucatingtheirchildrenearlierandlonger,withgreateremphasisonmathandscience.They'reinvestinginresearchandnewtechnologies.Justrecently,Chinabecamethehometotheworld'slargestprivatesolarresearchfacilityandtheworld'sfastestcomputer.

Soyes,theworldischanged.Thecompetitionforjobsisreal.Butthisshouldn'tdiscourageus.Itshouldchallengeus.Remember,forallthehitswe'vetakentheselastfewyears,forallthenaysayerspredictingourdecline,Americastillhasthelargest,mostprosperouseconomyintheworld.Noworkersaremoreproductivethanours.Nocountryhasmoresuccessfulcompaniesorgrantsmorepatentstoinventorsandentrepreneurs.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.Ithasrequiredeachgenerationtosacrificeandstruggleandmeetthedemandsofanewage.

Andnowit'sourturn.Weknowwhatittakestocompeteforthejobsandindustriesofourtime.Weneedtoout-innovate,out-educate,andout-buildtherestoftheworld.WehavetomakeAmericathebestplaceonEarthtodobusiness.WeneedtotakeresponsibilityforourdeficitandreformourGovernment.That'showourpeoplewillprosper.That'showwe'llwinthefuture.Andtonight,I'dliketotalkabouthowwegetthere.

ThefirststepinwinningthefutureisencouragingAmericaninnovation.Noneofuscanpredictwithcertaintywhatthenextbigindustrywillbeorwherethenewjobswillcomefrom.Thirtyyearsago,wecouldn'tknowthatsomethingcalledtheInternetwouldleadtoaneconomicrevolution.Whatwecando—whatAmericadoesbetterthananyoneelse—issparkthecreativityandimaginationofourpeople.We'rethenationthatputcarsindrivewaysandcomputersinoffices;thenationofEdisonandtheWrightbrothers,ofGoogleandFacebook.InAmerica,innovationdoesn'tjustchangeourlives.Itishowwemakeourliving.

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,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'sscientistsandengineersthatiftheyassembleteamsofthebestmindsintheirfieldsandfocusonthehardestproblemsincleanenergy,we'llfundtheApolloprojectsofourtime.

AttheCaliforniaInstituteofTechnology,they'redevelopingawaytoturnsunlightand