每周电视讲话：国会必须让教师们留在讲台上

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama urged Congress to take action now to put our teachers back to work in classrooms, because the best predictor of individual and American success in this economy is a good education. In 2009 and 2010, we helped keep hundreds of thousands of teachers on the job, but we must do more, which is why the President sent Congress his jobs bill in September that helps states prevent more layoffs and rehire more teachers.  It’s time for our elected leaders to come together and take action on the President’s bill to help our students and economy, and put our teachers back to work.
 

华盛顿：在本周的讲话中，奥巴马总统敦促国会采取行动，让我们的教师留在讲台上，因为未来最成功的个人和美国经济的成功都取决于一个好的教育基础。在2009年和2010年，我们帮助数十万教师保住了工作岗位，但我们需要做更多努力，这也是总统先生在去年9月向国会递交就业法案帮助各州避免解雇并并招录更多教师的原因。现在，各位领导人都应该携起手来，推动总统这一法案的通过，帮助我们的学子和我们的经济，让我们的教师们留在工作岗位上。

This week, I spent some time talking with college students about how we can make higher education more affordable.  And one of the things I told them was how proud I was that they were making that investment in themselves – because in today’s economy, the best predictor of success is a good education.
 

本周，我与一些大学生一起谈论了我们如何让高等教育成本更能让人承受的话题。我告诉他们的其中一件事情便是，我为他们来到大学为自己的未来投资感到无比骄傲——因为在当今的经济环境里，最成功的人一定是受过良好教育的。

That’s not just true for our individual success; it’s also true for America’s success.  New jobs and new businesses will take root wherever they can find the most highly-educated, highly-skilled workers.  And I want those workers to be American workers.  I want those good-paying, middle-class jobs to take root right here.
 

这不仅仅适用于我们个人的成功；也适用于我们国家的成功。新的工作岗位和新式的企业将扎根于任何有着受过最好教育的和最优秀技能的工作人员的地方。我希望这些人员都在美国。我也希望这些高薪酬、成就一代中产阶级的工作岗位扎根此地。

So it should concern everyone that right now – all across America – tens of thousands of teachers are getting laid off.  In Pennsylvania alone, there are 9,000 fewer educators in our schools today than just a year ago.  In Ohio, the number is close to 7,000.  And nationwide, over the past three years, school districts have lost over 250,000 educators.  Think about what that means for our country.  When there are fewer teachers in our schools, class sizes start climbing up.  Our students start falling behind.  And our economy takes a hit.
 

所以，这件事情就与每个人，全国所有人都有关系，因为数十万教师将被辞退。仅仅在宾夕法尼亚一个州，当下学校的教育工作者就比一年前少了9000人。而在俄亥俄州，这一数字接近7000。全国范围内，在过去三年里，各学区的教育工作者减少了25万多。想一想，这对我们国家意味着什么。一旦学校的老师减少，班级的人数规模就会上升。而我们的学生就会落后，我们的经济就将遭受打击。

The point is: teachers matter.  One study found that a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000.  A great teacher can change the course of a child’s life.  So the last thing our country needs is to have fewer teachers in our schools.
 

事情的关键就在于教师。一项研究表明，一个好老师能让一个班级人员一生的收入增加超过25万美元。一个优秀的教师能改变一个孩子的一生。因此无论如何我们也不能让学校老师不断减少的事情发生在我们国家。

Now, I know states are still going through some tough times.  I realize that every Governor is dealing with limited resources and many face stark choices when it comes to their budgets.
 

现在，我知道各州还在艰难度过难关。我也知道各位州长能利用的资源有限，在面对预算编制上需要做很多艰难的选择。

But that doesn’t mean we should just stand by and do nothing.  When states struggle, it’s up to Congress to step in and help out.  In 2009 and in 2010, we provided aid to states to help keep hundreds of thousands of teachers in the classroom.  But we need to do more.  That’s why a critical part of the jobs bill that I sent to Congress back in September was to help states prevent even more layoffs and rehire even more teachers who had lost their jobs.

But months later, we’re still waiting on Congress to act.
 

但这并不意味着我们可以袖手旁观无所事事。当各州有困难的时候，国会就应该站出来帮忙。2009年和2010年，我们向各州提供援助保住了数十万教师的工作岗位。但我们还需要做更多努力。帮助各州避免解雇教师，相反我们还要招录更多教师让他们重返工作岗位，这也是我于去年9月向国会递交的就业法案的重要组成部分。

这么长时间过去了，我们依然在等待国会的行动。

When it comes to this recovery, we can’t fully control everything that happens in other parts of the world.  But there are plenty of things we can control.  There are plenty of steps we can take, right now, to strengthen our economy.  Putting teachers back in our kids’ classrooms is one of those steps.  And there’s no excuse for inaction.  You work hard.  Your leaders should, too.  Especially at this make-or-break moment for the middle class.
 

对于我们的经济复苏，在世界上其他地方发生的事情我们无法全面掌控。但在国内，有大量的事情是我们可以掌控的。当前，我们可以采取大量措施来巩固我们的经济。让老师重新站在讲台上就是其中之一。（国会）没有借口不作为。大家努力工作，而你们的领导人们也应如此。尤其是在这一关系中产阶级成败的关键时刻。

I know this is an election year.  But some things are bigger than an election.  Some things are bigger than politics.  So I hope you’ll join me in telling Congress to do the right thing; to get to work and to help get our teachers back in the classroom.  We can’t afford to wait any longer.

Thanks and have a great weekend.
 

我知道今年是大选年。但有些事情比选举要更加重要。有些事情比政治也更重要。因此我希望大家与我一起呼吁国会做些正当的事情，让我们的教师们重返工作岗位。我们实在是不能再等下去了。

谢谢大家，祝周末愉快！