Unit 01: Obama：Unemployment Likely to Keep

Unit 01: Obama：Unemployment Likely to Keep Rising

President Obama says he expects the nation's jobless rate, which is the highest it has been in 26 years, to get still worse before it gets better.
奧巴馬總統說，他預計，美國的失業率在好轉之前會繼續惡化。目前的失業率是美國二十六年裏最高的。
"My expectation is that we will probably continue to see unemployment tick up for several months," Mr. Obama said.
奧巴馬說：「我的預期是，在今後的幾個月裏，我們可能會繼續看到失業率上升。」
Unemployment is 9.5 percent in the United States, and Mr. Obama says hiring is usually one of the last areas of a struggling economy to bounce back.
美國目前的失業率是9.5%，奧巴馬說，在衰退中苦苦掙扎的經濟，招聘通常是最後恢復的領域之一。
"Even after you start moving into a recovery-positive growth-hiring typically lags for some time after that. That has been the historic norm," Mr. Obama said.
奧巴馬說：「即使人們看到經濟開始復蘇，也就是經濟進入正增長期，招聘的復蘇仍然要滯後一段時間。從歷史上看，這屬於常態。」
The president spoke in the Oval Office, after meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende.
奧巴馬總統是在會晤荷蘭首相揚‧彼得‧巴爾克嫩德之後，在白宮橢圓形辦公室說這番話的。
More than 2 million jobs have been lost since Congress passed Mr. Obama's $787 billion economic recovery act in February.
美國國會今年二月通過了奧巴馬提出的7870億美元經濟復蘇法案，從那時到現在，美國又損失了200多萬個工作職位。

Still, the president says there are reasons for optimism. Among them are signs of stabilization in the U.S. financial markets.
儘管如此，奧巴馬總統認為，我們仍然有理由樂觀。這些理由包括，美國金融市場表現出穩定跡象。
"That means that companies can borrow, and banks are starting to lend again. Small businesses that might have worried just a couple of months ago about closing doors, they are now able to get a little more financing," Mr. Obama said. "That means they are less likely to lay off workers."
奧巴馬說：「這意味著公司可以借錢，銀行重新開始貸款。兩三個月前還擔心要倒閉的小企業，他們現在得以借到稍微多一點的資金。也就是說，這些小企業解雇員工的可能性減少了。」
Other glimmers of economic hope appeared Tuesday. The Commerce Department says retail sales rose 0.6 percent in June, about twice what economists had expected. The increase appeared to be driven by a 1.8 percent spike in wholesale prices, largely due to higher energy prices.
最新的經濟資料也顯示美國經濟出現了更多的希望的曙光。商務部說，六月份美國零售額增長0.6%，幾乎是經濟學家預期增長率的兩倍。零售額增長看來受到批發價格上升1.8%的驅動，而批發價格上升主要因為能源價格上漲。
Still, Mr. Obama is focused on creating jobs, a central message on his Tuesday visit to the economically-devastated state of Michigan.
儘管如此，奧巴馬仍然強調要創造就業，這是他當天視察經濟遭受重創的密西根州時所表達的中心意思。
The president is promoting his initiative to reform and strengthen community colleges, which offer training in various trades and professions. The goal is to help an additional 5 million Americans earn degrees and certificates in the next decade, better qualifying them for the jobs of the 21st century.
奧巴馬總統正在宣傳他的改革和加強社區學院的主張。社區學院提供各種職業培訓。改革和加強社區學院可以幫助更多的美國人更好地適應21世紀的工作。如果奧巴馬總統的計畫得以落實，那麼在今後十年拿到學位和證書的美國人將增加五百萬。

"We have got to find new models of economic growth, particularly at a time when consumers are just not going to be spending as much as they were, and that had been driving a lot of economic growth over the last several months," Mr. Obama said.
奧巴馬總統說：「我們必須找到新的經濟增長模式，尤其在消費者不能像以前那樣花錢的時候更要這樣做。過去幾個月來，消費者支出一直是經濟增長的主要動力。」
Unemployment in Michigan is the highest of any of the 50 states - 14.1 percent-largely because of job losses in the U.S. auto industry, which is based in Michigan. However, Mr. Obama says he sees promising signs there, too.
在美國五十個州，密西根州的失業率最高，達14.1%，主要因為在密西根州的美國汽車業喪失了很多工作。不過，奧巴馬總統說，他看到那裏也有一些希望的跡象。
"We are pleased to see that GM and Chrysler have gotten out of bankruptcy. They have an opportunity to compete internationally," Mr. Obama said. "Had it not been for the steps that we took with respect to GM and Chrysler, the situation in Michigan, I think it is fair to say, would be far worse."
奧巴馬總統說：「我們高興地看到，通用和克萊斯勒汽車公司走出破產保護。它們因此有機會參與國際競爭。假如我們沒有針對通用和克萊斯勒採取措施，我認為，公正地說，密西根州的情況可能會更糟糕。」
Meanwhile, Steve Rattner, whom Mr. Obama appointed in February to oversee the bailouts of GM and Chrysler, announced Monday he is stepping down. He will be replaced by Ron Bloom, a former union official.

另一方面，奧巴馬今年二月任命監督通用和克萊斯勒救助計畫實施的史蒂夫‧拉特納宣佈辭職。接替他的是羅恩‧布魯姆。他曾經是工會官員。