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演讲视频及演讲原文请关注微信公众号：每周英语。
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微信公众号“每周英语”将持续更新白宫“每周演讲”的视频，及演讲原文。 -
更多内容请关注微信公众号：每周英语，微信号：Weekly_English。
从这一次起，微信公众号将采用视频的形式推送“每周演讲”的内容，敬请关注。
在本周的演讲中，奥巴马谈到的核心问题是破除垄断，并尽力创造自由市场的商业环境，通过开放家庭电话市场，美国的普通家庭享受了更多选择，更好的服务，而如今奥巴马认为时候对有限电视业务进行改革了。
以下为演讲全文——
Hello, everybody. One of America’s greatest strengths is our free market. A thriving private sector is the lifeblood(生命线) of our economy – it’s how we create jobs, expand opportunities, and give everybody a shot at success. It’s what has made America the strongest country on Earth.
The most essential ingredient in a healthy free market is competition. But right now, too many companies are engaging in behaviors that stifle(压制) competition – like blocking new competitors from entering the market or limiting the information and options that give consumers real choice. As a consequence, the rest of us pay higher prices for lower quality products and services. Workers receive lower wages than they otherwise would. Small businesses and entrepreneurs can get squeezed out of the market. And none of that is fair – or good for our economy.
The deck(甲板) should not be stacked(堆满) in favor of the wealthiest individuals and the biggest corporations, against working Americans. That’s why my administration is doing everything we can to reverse this trend and promote more competition in the marketplace. In addition to enforcing the rules on the books, I’ve directed federal agencies to identify anti-competitive behavior in different industries, and find new and specific ways to promote competition.
One industry that’s ripe for change is cable TV(有线电视). Right now, 99 percent of cable and satellite TV customers rent set-top boxes(机顶盒) from their providers. According to one survey, this costs households an average of more than $230 per year. We spend some $20 billion to rent these devices. While we have almost unlimited choice in what we watch on television, from traditional programming to online content, there’s next to no competition to build a better, user-friendly product that allows you to easily access all this content in one place. So most consumers just rent whatever the cable company offers. Because we have to. That means companies have little incentive(鼓励) to innovate. As a consequence, we need multiple devices and controllers to access content from different sources. That makes no sense.
So my administration has encouraged the FCC(Ferderal Communications Commission联邦通讯委员会) to remove the barriers to competition that prevent new players from offering innovative cable box options to consumers.
We know this works. For years, Americans had to rent our telephones from the phone company. This was a while ago, but when the FCC finally unlocked competition for home phones, the marketplace was flooded with(充满) all kinds of phone options with new features, and at different price points. Consumers suddenly had many options. And the whole industry moved forward as a result. The same can happen with cable boxes, and in dozens of areas of our economy – all of which can make a difference in your everyday life.
The bottom line is, competition is good for consumers, workers, businesses, and our economy. So I’m going to keep doing everything I can to make sure that our free market works for everyone. Thanks, and have a great weekend. -
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在本周的每周演讲中，奥巴马谈到为了营造公平竞争，政府采取了两项措施，第一，劳工局制定了一条将会规范退休顾问的法律，第二，财政部采取措施来应对通过“税负倒置”来逃税。
以下为演讲全文——
Hi everybody. Over the past seven years, we haven't just been recovering from crisis, we've been rebuilding our economy on a new foundation for growth–growth that benefits everybody, not just the folks at the top. Our businesses have created jobs for 73 straight months – 14.4 million new jobs in all. We've covered another 20 million Americans with health insurance. We've helped more Americans afford college, and invested in industries that create good jobs that pay well, like clean energy. And wages are finally rising again.
But there will always be more work to do. And this week, my Administration took two big steps that will help make sure your hard work is rewarded, and that everybody plays by the same rules.
First, we're helping more Americans retire with security and dignity(尊严). Right now, if you go to a retirement advisor for investment advice, some of them don't have to act in your best interest. Instead of telling you the best way to save your hard-earned money, these advisors can get backdoor payments from big companies for steering(引领) you toward investments that cost more and earn you less. As a result, when you retire, you might be missing out on tens of thousands of dollars – because your advisor got paid more to give you bad advice.
If that seems wrong, that's because it is. That's why the Department of Labor just finalized(最终制定) a rule to crack down(严加管制) on these kinds of conflicts of interest. And a lot of Wall Street special interests aren't very happy about it. But across the country, this new rule will boost working folks' retirement savings by billions of dollars a year. And it will level the playing field for the many good advisors who do work in their clients' best interest.
Second, the Treasury Department took action to crack down on big corporations that change their address overseas after acquiring smaller companies, in order to reduce their tax bill here at home. It's a loophole(漏洞) called “corporate inversion(即tax inversion,税负倒置)”. And it means that American companies can take advantage of America's technology, America's infrastructure, America's workers – but then, when it comes to paying their fair share of taxes, suddenly claim they're not American companies after all. That's why, this week, the Treasury Department made it more difficult for companies to exploit(利用) this loophole and stick the rest of us with the tab.
Together, these steps build on the work we've already done to make our tax code fairer and consumer protections stronger. Because I believe that rather than double down on policies that allow a few at the top to play by their own rules, we should build an economy where everybody has a fair shot, everybody does their fair share, and everybody plays by the same set of rules.
That's what this country is all about. That's what we've been working toward these past seven years. And that's what I'm going to keep fighting for as long as I'm your President.
Thanks everybody. Have a great weekend. -
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在本周的演讲中，奥巴马提名梅里克·贾兰德担任最高法院法官，在演讲中奥巴马向参议员施加压力，以便让参议院通过他的提名。奥巴马特别强调，法律应该是独立于政治之外，不应让法律成为政治的延伸。
以下为演讲全文：
Hi, everybody. One of the most consequential(重要的) responsibilities our Constitution grants a President is appointing a Supreme Court Justice. The men and women who sit on the Supreme Court safeguard our rights. They ensure that ours is a system of laws, not of men. And they're given the essential task of applying the principles written into our founding documents to the most challenging questions of today.
So this is a duty I take very seriously. It requires me to set aside short-term politics in order to maintain faith with our founders. And on Wednesday, after weeks of consultations with Republicans,
Democrats, and leaders across the country, I selected a nominee whose unmatched experience and integrity(正直) have earned him the respect and admiration of both parties – Chief Judge Merrick Garland.
Judge Garland grew up in my hometown of Chicago, with parents who taught him to work hard and deal fairly. As a young lawyer, he left a lucrative(有利可图的) private firm to work for half as much in public service. Eventually, he oversaw the federal response to the Oklahoma City bombing, working side-by-side with first responders, victims, and their families to bring justice for an unspeakable crime.
And everywhere he went during that investigation, he carried with him in his briefcase the program from the memorial service with each of the victims’ names inside.
For the last 19 years, Judge Garland has served on what's known as “the second highest court in the land” – the D.C. Circuit Court(华盛顿特区巡回法官) – including the last three years as Chief Judge.
On the bench, he's shown a dedication to protecting our basic rights. A conviction that powerful voices must not be allowed to drown out those of everyday Americans. An understanding that justice isn't simply abstract legal theory; it affects people’s daily lives. And a spirit of decency(正派), modesty(谦逊), and even-handedness(公平) in his work. Judge Garland is admired for his courtesy(礼貌), his devotion to family, and his civic-mindedness(公民责任心) – for the past 18 years, he's served as a tutor for young students at a local D.C. elementary school.
During my time as President, through three separate Supreme Court appointments, in conversations with Republicans and Democrats alike, one name came up more than any other – Merrick Garland.
I understand that we’re in the middle of an especially noisy and volatile(变化无常的) political season. But at a time when our politics are so polarized(两极分化的); when norms and customs of our political rhetoric(政治言辞) seem to be corroding(腐蚀的) – this is precisely the time we should treat the appointment of a Supreme Court justice with the seriousness it deserves. Because our Supreme Court is supposed to be above politics, not an extension of politics. And it should stay that way.
So I ask Republicans in the Senate to give Judge Garland the respect he has earned. Give him a hearing. Give him an up-or-down vote. To deny it would be an abdication(退位，缺失) of the Senate's Constitutional duty. It would indicate a process for nominating and confirming judges that is beyond repair. It would make it increasingly impossible for any President, Republican or Democrat, to carry out their Constitutional function. To go down that path would jeopardize(危害) our system of justice, it would hurt our democracy, and betray the vision of our founding.
I fulfilled my Constitutional duty. Now it's time for Senators to do theirs. I hope that they take the time to reflect on the importance of this process to our country. I hope that they'll act fairly. And I hope they'll work in a bipartisan(两党的) fashion to confirm Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. That's how we can uphold our pledge to liberty and justice for all – for our time and for generations to come.
Thanks everybody. Have a good weekend. -
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在本周的演讲中，奥巴马缅怀前美国第一夫人南希·里根，简要地回顾了她的一生，并着重强调了她在众多社会事务上的成就，特别是在医疗健康方面。
Hello, everybody. This past week, we lost an American icon and one of the most influential figures of her time – former First Lady Nancy Reagan.
Born in New York City, and raised mostly in Chicago, Nancy Davis graduated from Smith College in 1943. As an actress, she appeared in 11 films. And off-screen, she starred in a real-life Hollywood romance with the love of her life, Ronald Reagan, whom she married in 1952.
As President, I know just how important it is to have a strong life partner, and President Reagan was as lucky as I am. Nancy Reagan redefined the role of First Lady of the United States. In addition to serving as a trusted advisor to her husband, and an elegant hostess for our nation, she was a passionate advocate for issues that touched the lives of so many. She raised awareness about drug and alcohol abuse. She was a staunch（坚定的） supporter of America&`&s veterans（老兵）. And after her own battle with breast cancer and a mastectomy（乳房切除术）, she spoke in personal terms about the need for women to get mammograms（乳房X光摄影检查）.
The American people were deeply moved by the love Nancy felt for her husband. And we were inspired by how, in their long goodbye, Nancy became a voice on behalf of millions of families experiencing the depleting（耗尽的）, aching（疼痛的） reality of Alzheimer&`&s disease（阿尔茨海默病，又名老年痴呆症）. She brought her characteristic intelligence and focus to the twin causes of stem cell research and Alzheimer’s research. And when I signed an order to resume federal stem cell research, I was proud that she was one of the first phone calls I made. Nobody understood better than Nancy Reagan the importance of pursuing treatments that hold the potential and the promise to improve and save lives.
That’s why, last year, my administration announced the Precision Medicine Initiative（精准医疗计划） to advance our ability to tailor（调整） health care and treat diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s by accounting for individual differences in people’s genes, environments, and lifestyles. Last month, we took new actions to foster more collaboration between researchers, doctors, patients, data systems, and beyond to accelerate precision medicine. And more than 40 organizations stepped up with new commitments in this cutting-edge（前沿的） field. We’ve also launched the BRAIN initiative to revolutionize our understanding of how the human brain works.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of people like Nancy Reagan, I’ve never been more optimistic that we are getting closer to the day when every single patient can get the care they need and deserve. I’ve never been more optimistic that we will one day find a cure for devastating（毁灭性的，令人震惊的） diseases like Alzheimer’s. And I can think of no better way to honor our former First Lady’s legacy than by working together, as one nation, toward that goal. Thanks, everybody. -
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在本周的演讲中，奥巴马提到了美国的创新精神，正是这种创新精神让美国在过去取得了许多成功；同时，奥巴马还提到了本届政府积极采用创新的技术来为人民服务。
Hi, everybody. One of the things that makes America so strong is our spirit of innovation. Our drive to invent and harness（利用） new technologies to tackle（处理） our greatest challenges. It’s how we won the race to invent the lightbulb and the Internet; it’s why we were first to the Moon and Mars. It’s why I keep models of American inventions like the telegraph in the Oval Office. It’s a daily reminder of the genius that’s embedded in our DNA; the way we’ve always shaped the future through our ideas and discoveries.
That’s truer than ever today, with the constant stream of new apps and tools and data that are still changing the way we live – from getting a ride to paying our bills to developing smarter ways to combat climate change.
That’s why, next week, I’ll travel to Austin, Texas, to visit South by Southwest. It’s an annual gathering of some of our most creative thinkers, coders（编码者）, makers, and entrepreneurs（企业家） from across the country. And while I’m there, I’m going to ask everyone for ideas and technologies that can help update our government and our democracy to be as modern and dynamic as America itself.
This has been a goal of mine since before I was President. On my campaign in 2008, we saw how technology could bring people together and help them engage as citizens in their own communities. So when I came to the White House, I wanted apply that experience to the federal government. It hasn’t always been easy. And we’ve had some bumps along the way.
But we’ve also made good progress. Over the past few years, for example, we’ve done something that government never has. We asked some of the sharpest minds from companies in Silicon Valley and across the country to come help us modernize the federal government for the way we live today. And they came ready to serve, tackling some of our biggest challenges – like high-tech special ops units（高科技特别行动单位，指特别作战小组）.
These teams are partnering with the government’s existing policy and technical experts to re-imagine the way we do business and deliver services that work better and cost less. Already, we’ve made it easier for students to find the college that’s right for them. For immigrants to track the green card and naturalization（移入） process online. For veterans（老兵） to access their medical records. And yes, after an initial false start, we’ve made it much easier for tens of millions of Americans to compare and buy health insurance and the peace of mind that goes with it.
That’s what this is all about – making sure our government of the people and by the people works better for the people in the 21st century. It’s about Americans working together to make a real difference in people’s lives. Because the easiest thing to do is to blame government for our problems. Some people have made a career out of that. But our founders trusted us with the keys to this system of self-government because it’s the best tool we’ve got to settle our differences and solve our collective challenges. And it’s only as good as we make it.
That’s why I’m going to Austin and South by Southwest – to keep asking everyone from all walks of life, working inside or outside of government, to help us make this democracy even stronger. And I hope you join us.
Thanks everybody, have a great weekend. -
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在本周的演讲中，奥巴马陈述了在打击IS上取得的进展，导致了IS在各方面的困难；同时，他也提到了在叙利亚达成的停火协议，以便让人道主义援助能顺利开展；最后他谈到了在美国本土安全上政府高度重视。
Hi, everybody. This week, we continued our mission to destroy ISIL. This remains a difficult fight, and the situation in Syria and Iraq is incredibly complex. ISIL is entrenched（根深蒂固的）, including in urban areas. It uses innocent civilians as human shields. Despite these challenges, I can report that we’re making progress. And this week, I directed my team to continue accelerating our campaign（作战） on all fronts.
Our 66-member coalition（联盟）, including Arab partners, continues to grow stronger. More nations are making more contributions. Every day, our air campaign—more than 10,000 strikes so far—continues to destroy ISIL forces. And we continue to go after ISIL leaders and commanders—taking them out, day in, day out, one after another after another.
In Iraq, ISIL has now lost more than 40 percent of the areas it once controlled. In Syria, a coalition of local forces is tightening the squeeze on ISIL’s stronghold（要塞） of Raqqa. As we bomb its oil infrastructure, ISIL’s been forced to slash（消减） the salaries of its fighters. Thanks to the work of many nations, the flow of foreign terrorist fighters into Syria finally appears to be slowing. In short, in Syria and Iraq, ISIL’s territory is shrinking, there are fewer ISIL fighters on the battlefield, and it’s harder for them to recruit and replenish（补充） their ranks.
Still, the only way to deal ISIL a lasting defeat is to end the civil war and chaos in Syria upon which ISIL thrives. A cessation of hostilities（停火） in the civil war is scheduled to take effect this weekend. We’re not under any illusions. There are plenty of reasons for skepticism. Even under the best of circumstances, the violence will not end right away. But everyone knows what needs to happen. All parties must end attacks, including aerial bombardment（轰炸）. Humanitarian aid（人道主义援助） must be allowed to reach areas under siege（围攻）. Much will depend on whether the Syrian regime, Russia and their allies live up to their commitments. The coming hours and days will be critical, and the world is watching.
That said, there will be absolutely no cease-fire in our fight against ISIL. We’ll remain relentless（毫不留情的）. Beyond Syria and Iraq, we continue to use the full range of our tools to go after ISIL wherever it tries to take root, as we showed with our recent strike on an ISIL training camp in Libya. With partners around the world, we’ll continue discrediting（使…丧失信誉） the ideology that ISIL uses to radicalize（使…偏激）, recruit and inspire people to violence, especially online.
Finally, we’ll continue to stay vigilant（警惕的） here at home, including for lone actors or small groups of terrorists like those in San Bernardino, which are harder to detect. Our homeland security and law enforcement professionals are hard at work—24/7. At the same time, we’ll keep working to build partnerships of trust and respect with communities to help them stay strong and resilient（有弹性的，有复原能力的）. That includes upholding our values—including freedom of religion—so that we stay united as one American family.
Again, this fight against ISIL will remain difficult. But we’ll continue to draw on all elements of our national power, including the strength of our communities and our values as Americans. And I’m confident that we will prevail（战胜）. We will destroy this barbaric（野蛮的） terrorist organization and continue to stand with those around the world who seek a better, safer future. -
内容简要：在本周的演讲中，奥巴马提到了他即将成行的古巴之行，并谈到了此行的一些目的以及对于美国人民和古巴人民的意义。
Hi, everybody. This week, we made it official—I’m going to Cuba.
When Michelle and I go to Havana next month, it will be the first visit of a U.S. president to Cuba in nearly 90 years. And it builds on the decision I made more than a year ago to begin a new chapter in our relationship with the people of Cuba.
You see, I believe that the best way to advance American interests and values, and the best way to help the Cuban people improve their lives, is through engagement—by normalizing relations between our governments and increasing the contacts between our peoples. I’ve always said that change won’t come to Cuba overnight. But as Cuba opens up, it will mean more opportunity and resources for ordinary Cubans. And we’re starting to see some progress.
Today, the American flag flies over our embassy in Havana, and our diplomats are interacting more broadly with the Cuban people. More Americans are visiting Cuba than at any time in the last 50 years—Cuban-American families; American students, teachers, humanitarian volunteers, faith communities—all forging new ties and friendships that are bringing our countries closer. And when direct flights and ferries resume, even more of our citizens will have the chance to travel and work together and know each other.
American companies are starting to do business in Cuba, helping to nurture private enterprise and giving Cuban entrepreneurs new opportunities. With new Wi-Fi hotspots, more Cubans are starting to go online and get information from the outside world. In both our countries, there’s overwhelming support for this new relationship. And in Cuba today, for the first time in a half century, there is hope for a different future, especially among Cuba’s young people who have such extraordinary talent and potential just waiting to be unleashed.
My visit will be an opportunity to keep moving forward. I’ll meet with President Castro to discuss how we can continue normalizing relations, including making it easier to trade and easier for Cubans to access the Internet and start their own businesses. As I did when I met President Castro last year, I’ll speak candidly about our serious differences with the Cuban government, including on democracy and human rights. I’ll reaffirm that the United States will continue to stand up for universal values like freedom of speech and assembly and religion.
I’ll meet with members of Cuba’s civil society—courageous men and women who give voice to the aspirations of the Cuban people. I’ll meet with Cuban entrepreneurs to learn how we can help them start new ventures. And I’ll speak directly to the Cuban people about the values we share and how I believe we can be partners as they work for the future they want.
We’re still in the early days of our new relationship with the Cuban people. This transformation will take time. But I’m focused on the future, and I’m confident that my visit will advance the goals that guide us—promoting American interests and values and a better future for the Cuban people, a future of more freedom and more opportunity.
Thanks everybody. And to the people of Cuba—nos vemos en La Habana. -
内容简要：在本周的演讲中，奥巴马讨论了美国的政治环境，谈到是什么样的政治基础让美国得以健康发展，也谈到当下政治环境中的一些弊端，同时他呼吁让投票变得简单，以让方便更多人参与选举。
Hi, everybody. I’m speaking to you today from Springfield, Illinois.
I spent eight years in the state senate here. It was a place where, for all our surface differences in a state as diverse as Illinois, my colleagues and I actually shared a lot in common. We fought for our principles, and voted against each other, but because we assumed the best in one another, not the worst, we found room for progress. We bridged differences to get things done.
In my travels through this state, I saw most Americans do the same. Folks know that issues are complicated, and that people with different ideas might have a point. It convinced me that if we just approached our politics the same way we approach our daily lives, with common sense, a commitment to fairness, and the belief that we’re all in this together, there’s nothing we can’t do.
That’s why I announced, right here, in Springfield that I was running for President. And my faith in the generosity and fundamental goodness of the American people is rewarded every day.
But I’ll be the first to admit that the tone of our politics hasn’t gotten better, but worse. Too many people feel like the system is rigged, and their voices don’t matter. And when good people are pushed away from participating in our public life, more powerful and extreme voices will fill the void. They’ll be the ones who gain control over decisions that could send a young soldier to war, or allow another economic crisis, or roll back the rights that generations of Americans have fought to secure.
The good news is there’s also a lot we can do about this, from reducing the influence of money in our politics, to changing the way we draw congressional districts, to simply changing the way we treat each other. That’s what I came back here to talk about this week. And I hope you check out my full speech at WhiteHouse.gov.
One thing I focused on, for example, was how we can make voting easier, not harder, and modernize it for the way we live now. Here in Illinois, a new law allows citizens to register and vote at the polls on Election Day. It also expands early voting, which makes it much easier for working folks and busy parents. We’re also considering automatic voter registration for every citizen when they apply for a driver’s license. And I’m calling on more states to adopt steps like these. Because when more of us vote, the less captive our politics will be to narrow interests – and the better our democracy will be for our children.
Nine years after I first announced for this office, I still believe in a politics of hope. And for all the challenges of a changing world; for all the imperfections of our democracy; choosing a politics of hope is something that’s entirely up to each of us.
Thanks, everybody. - Laat meer zien
