Weekly Address: Giving Veterans their Chance

每周电视讲话：给退伍军人工作机会

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week's address, President Obama honored our nation’s veterans, who have served and sacrificed in defense of our country. This past week, Americans came together on Veterans Day to pay tribute to those men and women in uniform who have risked their lives to protect our freedom.  In recent years we’ve worked to reduce the veterans’ unemployment rate to 3.9 percent and slash the disability claims backlog at the VA by nearly 90 percent from its peak.  But there is still more that can be done.  Since day one of his Administration, the President has remained committed to serving the brave men and women who have served us.  And in his address, he reminded us that we all have a role to play in ensuring that veterans have the opportunities and support they deserve.

华盛顿：在本周的讲话中，奥巴马总统向全国的退伍军人致敬，他们为国服役，在保家卫国的战斗中牺牲了自己。过去的这个星期，美国人民都来纪念退伍军人纪念日，向这些曾经身穿军装的人们致敬，他们曾冒着生命危险来保卫我们的自由。最近这几年，我们努力将退伍军人的失业率降低到3.9%，把积压在退伍军人事业部的伤残索赔申请削减了90%。但依然还有大量工作需要做。奥巴马总统重申对退伍军人的承诺，要求本届政府为他们服务，就像他们曾经为我们服务一样。在他的讲话中，他提醒所有人都有责任，确保退伍军人得到工作的机会，得到他们应得的帮助。

Hi, everybody.  This week, America came together to salute our veterans – to express our appreciation to all who served so that we might live free.  But our gratitude should extend beyond what our veterans have done for us in the past.  It should remind us of our responsibility to serve them as well as they have served us.  It should compel us to keep our veterans central to the ongoing work of this nation.

大家好！本周，全美国人民都在向退伍军人致敬，他们的付出让我们拥有自由的生活，为此我们深表感激。但我们不能仅仅对退伍军人过去的付出表示感激。我们也应该向他们为我们付出一样，为他们服务。我们必须让退伍军人成为我国劳动力大军的中坚力量。

In recent years, we’ve made historic investments to boost the VA budget, expand veterans’ benefits, and improve care for our wounded warriors.  We’ve now slashed the disability claims backlog by nearly 90 percent from its peak.  We’re reducing the outrage of veterans’ homelessness and we’ve helped tens of thousands of veterans get off the streets.  The veterans’ unemployment rate is down to 3.9 percent – even lower than the national average.

最近几年，我们对退伍军人事业部的预算进行了大幅度提升，增加了退伍军人的福利，改善了对受伤军人的照顾条件。我们将积压的伤残索赔申请从峰值削减了将近90%。我们让数万名无家可归的退伍军人居有所住，平息了他们的怒火。退伍军人的失业率下降到3.9%，比全国平均水平还低。

Of course, we’re not satisfied.  We’ve still got more work to do – and I’ve directed my Administration to keep doing everything it can to fulfill our promise to our veterans.  But this isn’t just a job for government alone.  We all have a role to play.  Less than one percent of Americans are serving in uniform.  So it’s true most Americans don’t always see and appreciate the incredible skills and assets that our veterans can offer.  But every American should know that our veterans are some of the most talented, capable people in the world.  They’ve mastered skills and technologies and leadership roles that are impossible to teach off the battlefield.  They know how to get stuff done.

当然，我们不能就此止步。我们还有大量工作要做，我已经指示相关部门，继续尽一切努力兑现我们对退伍军人的承诺。但这不仅仅是政府自身的工作。我们每个人都有自己的责任。现在服役的人不到美国人口的1%。因此，对大多数美国人来说，很难有机会看到我们的退伍军人身上令人难以置信的技能以及他们的能力，眼见之后大家肯定会赞叹不已。但每一个美国人都应该知道，退伍军人是最具天赋，最有能力的一批人。他们所掌握的技能、技术以及领导才华，离开战场是学不来的。他们知道如何把事情做好。

And as our veterans will tell you themselves, they’re not finished serving their country.  They’re teachers and doctors, engineers and entrepreneurs, social workers and community leaders.  They serve in statehouses across the country and in Congress.  As I tell small business owners and CEOs on a regular basis, if you want to get the job done, hire a vet.  Every sector, every industry, every community in this country can benefit from the incredible talents of our veterans.

正如退伍军人对自身的要求所说的，他们还没有完成为国家服务的使命。他们在当老师、医生、工程师、企业家、社会工作者、社区领导。他们各州议会以及国会为大家服务。正如我在对中小企业主及CEO的例行讲话中所说的，如果你想把工作做好，请招募退伍军人吧。各行各业，社会各界，都可以从退伍军人身上获益，他们拥有令人难以置信的天赋。

Our troops and veterans give us their very best.  That’s what a soldier named Captain Florent Groberg proved.  Three years ago, on patrol in Afghanistan, Flo saw a suicide bomber coming toward his unit.  Without hesitating, Flo grabbed him by his vest and helped push him to the ground.  When the bomb went off, Flo was badly injured, and four of his comrades were killed.  But many more were saved because of Flo’s sacrifice.  Flo represents the very best of America – and this week, I was proud to present him with the Medal of Honor for his actions.

我们的军人和退伍军人把他们最好的东西给了我们。一个名叫Captain Florent Groberg的士兵向世人证明。三年前，一次在阿富汗的巡逻中，Flo看见一个背着炸弹的自杀式袭击者向他的分队冲过来。Flo毫不犹豫地将他抓住，并按倒在地。炸弹爆炸了，Flo受伤严重，他的四位战友也牺牲了。但更多的人因为Flo而得救。Flo身上所体现的正是美国精神，本周，我向他授予荣誉勋章，以表彰他的行为，我自己也深感自豪。

Veterans like Flo, they deserve our undying gratitude.  They deserve the chance to keep serving the country they risked everything to defend.  And so we must come together to keep giving them that chance, not just on Veterans Day, but on every single day of the year.  May God bless all those who serve and all who have given their lives for our country.  And may God bless the United States of America.

像Flo这样的退伍军人，值得我们永远感激。他们理应获得继续为这个国家服务的机会，因为这是他们冒着千难万险所保卫的国家。因此，我们必须共同努力，给他们这样的机会，不仅仅是在退伍军人纪念日，每一年的每一天都要这么做。愿上帝保佑所有为国服役的，以及所有为国捐躯的将士们。愿上帝保佑美利坚合众国。