Working Together in the New Year
朱达青老师批注

Hello, everybody. As 2011 comes to an end and we look ahead to 2012(类似我们所说的辞旧迎新), I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year.
大家好！2011接近尾声，2012马上来临。值此新春之际，我祝愿大家新年快乐，健康幸福！
 
The last year has been a time of great challenge and great progress for our country. We ended one war and began to wind down（减弱，停息） another. We dealt a crippling blow to al-Qaeda（基地组织） and made America more secure. We stood by our friends and allies around the world through natural disasters and revolutions. And we began to see signs of economic recovery here at home, even as too many Americans are still struggling to get ahead.
过去的一年我们国家遇到了很大的挑战也取得了很大的成就。我们结束了一场战争，另一场也接近尾声。我们重创了基地组织，让美国更加安宁。我们与全球的伙伴和盟友们一起面对自然灾害和变革。尽管还有很多的人依然要艰苦支撑，但我们很欣慰的看到美国的经济有了复苏的迹象。

There's no doubt that 2012 will bring even more change. And as we head into the New Year, I'm hopeful that we have what it takes to face that change and come out even stronger – to grow our economy, create more jobs, and strengthen the middle class.（注意动名搭配）
毫无疑问，2012将带来更多改变。在我们进入新年之际，我真心希望我们能应对这些改变，而且变得更加强大——促进经济增长，创造就业，巩固中产阶级地位。

I'm hopeful because of what we saw right before Christmas, when Members of Congress came together to prevent a tax hike（=increase） for 160 million Americans – saving a typical family about $40 in every paycheck. They also made sure Americans looking for work won't see their unemployment insurance cut off. And I expect Congress to finish the job by extending these provisions through the end of 2012.
我之所以充满希望，是因为我们看到在圣诞节前，国会议员一起努力避免1.6亿美国人民的税负上升——这为一般家庭在每份薪水单上节省了40美元。他们还确保了美国人民在失业时的保险不被终止。我期待着国会能在2012年将这些工作完成好。

It was good to see Members of Congress do the right thing for millions of working Americans. But it was only possible because you added your voices to the debate. Through email and Twitter and over the phone, you let your representatives know what was at stake(濒于险境，处于成败关头). Your lives. Your families. Your well-being. You had the courage to believe that your voices could make a difference. And at the end of the day, they made all the difference.
很高兴能看到国会议员们为千百万工薪人员做些好事情。但这是因为有你们参加的辩论，发表了自己的意见，这一切才成为可能。通过电邮、推特、或电话，你们让你们的代表知道什么才是最重要的。那就是你们的生命、你们的家庭和你们的幸福。你们有勇气相信自己的声音会带来改变。在一天结束时，这些让一切都发生了改变。

More than anything else, you are the ones who make me hopeful about 2012. Because we've got some difficult debates and some tough fights to come. As I've said before, we are at a make-or-break（不成则败） moment for the middle class. And in many ways, the actions we take in the months ahead will help determine what kind of country we want to be, and what kind of world we want our children and grandchildren to grow up in.
更重要的是，你们让我对2012充满期待。因为我们还将面临很多艰难的辩论和艰苦的斗争。如同以前我所说过的，我们处在对中产阶级而言不成则败的关键时期。从许多方面来说，在未来几个月里我们的行动将决定我们将成为什么样的国家，以及我们希望我们的子孙在什么样的世界中成长。

As President, I promise to do everything I can to make America a place where hard work and responsibility are rewarded – one where everyone has a fair shot and everyone does their fair share. That's the America I believe in. That's the America we've always known. And I'm confident that if we work together, and if you keep reminding folks in Washington what's at stake, then we will move this country forward and guarantee every American the opportunities they deserve.
作为总统，我承诺我将竭尽全力让美国成为辛勤劳动和责任心受到奖励的地方——成为每个人都享有公平的机会并承担公平的义务的地方。这是我所信赖的美国。这也是大家所熟知的美国。我相信，只要我们团结一致，让华盛顿知道什么才是最重要的，那么，我们就能让国家继续前进，并保证每个美国人都能得到应得的机会。

Thanks for watching, and from Michelle, Malia, Sasha, Bo and myself, Happy New Year
谢谢收看。米歇尔、玛莉亚、萨莎、波和我一起祝大家新年快乐。

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