奥巴马讲话 祝福大家劳动节快乐
文章来源:未知 文章作者:enread 发布时间:2014-09-06 08:45 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Hi, everybody.
 
Whether you're firing up the grill1, fired up for some college football, or filling up the car for one last summer road-trip-Happy Labor2 Day weekend.
 
We set aside Labor Day to honor the working men and women of America. And this Labor Day, we've got more to celebrate. Over the past 53 months, our businesses have added nearly 10 million new jobs.
 
Last month, for the first time since 1997, we created more than 200,000 jobs for six straight months. And for the first time in over a decade, business leaders worldwide have declared, two years running, that the number one place to invest isn't China-it's America.
 
So there are reasons to be optimistic about where we're headed. And the decisions we make now will determine whether or not we accelerate this progress-whether economic gains flow to a few at the top, or whether a growing economy fuels rising incomes and a thriving middle class.
 
Think about it this Labor Day. The things we often take for granted-Social Security and Medicare, workplace safety laws and the right to organize for better pay and benefits, even weekends-we didn't always have these things. Workers and the unions who get their back had to fight for them. And those fights built a stronger middle class.
 
To build a stronger middle class in today's changing economy, we've got to keep fighting. We've got to fight for the right to affordable3 health insurance for everybody. The right to fair pay, family leave, and workplace flexibility4. The right to a fair living wage.
 
Let me focus on that last one for a minute. In America, no one who works full-time5 should ever have to raise a family in poverty. A hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay. And raising the minimum wage would be one of the best ways to give a boost to working families. It would help around 28 million Americans from all walks of life pay the bills, provide for their kids, and spend that money at local businesses. And that grows the economy for everyone.
 
The bottom line is, America deserves a raise. But until we've got a Congress that cares about raising working folks' wages, it's up to the rest of us to make it happen. And in the year and a half since I first asked Congress to raise the minimum wage, Americans of all walks of life are doing just that.
 
Thirteen states and D.C. have done their part by raising their minimum wages. Four more states have minimum wage initiatives on the ballot6 this November. And the states where the minimum wage has gone up this year have experienced higher job growth than the states that haven't. Business leaders at companies like The Gap are doing their part. They're raising base wages for tens of thousands of workers because they know it's good for business.
 
Mayors across the country are doing their part. Mayor Emanuel in Chicago and Mayor Garcetti in L.A. are working to lift their cities' wages over time to at least thirteen dollars an hour.
 
I've tried to do my part by requiring companies that get contracts with the federal government to pay their workers a fair wage of ten dollars and ten cents an hour.
 
And earlier this month, the president of Kentucky State University set a great example by giving himself a 90,000 pay cut, so that he could give raises to his lowest-paid employees. His sacrifice will give more of his workers and their families a little extra money to help make ends meet.
 
That's how America built the greatest middle class the world has ever known. Not by making sure a fortunate few at the top are doing well, but by making sure that everyone who's willing to work hard and play by the rules can get ahead. That's the bedrock this country is built on.
 
Hard work. Responsibility. Sacrifice. And looking out for one another as one united American family.
 
Let's keep that in mind this Labor Day, and every day. Have a great weekend, everybody.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 grill wQ8zb     
n.烤架,铁格子,烤肉;v.烧,烤,严加盘问
参考例句:
  • Put it under the grill for a minute to brown the top.放在烤架下烤一分钟把上面烤成金黄色。
  • I'll grill you some mutton.我来给你烤一些羊肉吃。
2 labor P9Tzs     
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦
参考例句:
  • We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
  • He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后,他已经疲惫不堪了。
3 affordable kz6zfq     
adj.支付得起的,不太昂贵的
参考例句:
  • The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
  • There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。
4 flexibility vjPxb     
n.柔韧性,弹性,(光的)折射性,灵活性
参考例句:
  • Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
  • The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。
5 full-time SsBz42     
adj.满工作日的或工作周的,全时间的
参考例句:
  • A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
  • I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作,我不知道她是如何对付的。
6 ballot jujzB     
n.(不记名)投票,投票总数,投票权;vi.投票
参考例句:
  • The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
  • The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。
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