Hello, George Mason! How's everybody doing today? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 你好，乔治梅森！大家今天过得怎么样？谢谢。谢谢。谢谢。谢谢。
Audience: Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can! 观众：是的，我们能！是的，我们能！是的，我们能！是的，我们能！
President Obama: Thank you, everybody. It's good to be back with some real Patriots. I want to thank Dr. Alan Merten, the President of George Mason University, and his family. Dr. Shirley Travis, who's here -- thank you. And Coach Larranaga, we were just talking a little bit about -- looking forward to picking George Mason in my bracket next year. 奥巴马总统：谢谢大家。很高兴能和一些真正的爱国者在一起。我要感谢乔治梅森大学校长艾伦·默滕博士及其家人。雪莉·特拉维斯博士也在这里——谢谢。还要感谢拉拉纳加教练，我们刚才还在聊——期待明年在我下注的球队名单里选上乔治梅森。
Audience Member: We love you! 观众：我们爱您！
President Obama: I love you! I don't know if some of you remember, but I visited this university about three years ago for the first time. This was at just the dawn of my presidential campaign. It was about three weeks old, I think. We didn't have a lot of money. We didn't have a lot of staff. Nobody could pronounce my name. Our poll numbers were quite low. And a lot of people -- a lot of people in Washington, they didn't think it was even worth us trying. 奥巴马总统：我也爱你们！我不知道你们中间是否还有人记得，但大约三年前我第一次来到这所大学。那时我的总统竞选才刚刚起步。我想大概才进行了三周。我们没有太多资金。我们没有太多人手。没人能念对的名字。我们的民调数字相当低。很多人——华盛顿的很多人，他们甚至觉得我们不值得去尝试。
Audience Member: Yes we can! 观众：是的，我们能！
President Obama: They had counted us out before we had even started, because the Washington conventional wisdom was that change was too hard. But what we had even then was a group of students here at George Mason -- who believed that if we worked hard enough and if we fought long enough, if we organized enough supporters, then we could finally bring change to that city across the river. We believed that despite all the resistance, we could make Washington work. Not for the lobbyists, not for the special interests, not for the politicians, but for the American people. 奥巴马总统：我们还没开始，他们就已经把我们排除在外了，因为华盛顿的传统观念认为变革太过艰难。但即使在那时，我们也有一群乔治梅森的学生——他们相信，只要我们足够努力地工作，只要我们足够长久地奋斗，只要我们组织足够多的支持者，我们就能最终给河对岸那座城市带来变革。我们相信，尽管阻力重重，我们能让华盛顿为美国人民运转起来——不是为游说者，不是为特殊利益集团，不是为政客，而是为美国人民。
And now three years later, I stand before you, one year after the worst recession since the Great Depression, having to make a bunch of tough decisions, having had a tumultuous debate, having had a lot of folks who were skeptical that we could get anything done. And right now, we are at the point where we are going to do something historic this weekend. That's what this health care vote is all about. 三年后的今天，我站在你们面前，距离大萧条以来最严重的经济衰退已过去一年，我不得不做出一系列艰难的决定，经历了一场激烈的辩论，许多人对我们能否做成任何事情持怀疑态度。而现在，我们正处于这个周末将创造历史性时刻的节点上。这就是这次医疗保健投票的全部意义。
Audience: Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can! 观众：是的，我们能！是的，我们能！是的，我们能！
President Obama: A few miles from here, Congress is in the final stages of a fateful debate about the future of health insurance in America. It's a debate that's raged not just for the past year but for the past century. One thing when you're in the White House, you've got a lot of history books around you. And so I've been reading up on the history here. Teddy Roosevelt, Republican, was the first to advocate that everybody get health care in this country. 奥巴马总统：离这里几英里之外，国会正处于一场关乎美国医疗保险未来的关键辩论的最后阶段。这场辩论不仅在过去一年中激烈进行，更已经持续了整整一个世纪。在白宫里，你周围有很多历史书。所以我一直在研读这段历史。共和党人泰迪·罗斯福是第一个主张在这个国家让每个人都获得医疗保健的人。
Every decade since, we've had Presidents, Republicans and Democrats, from Harry Truman to Richard Nixon to JFK to Lyndon Johnson to -- every single President has said we need to fix this system. It's a debate that's not only about the cost of health care, not just about what we're doing about folks who aren't getting a fair shake from their insurance companies. It's a debate about the character of our country-- about whether we can still meet the challenges of our time; whether we still have the guts and the courage to give every citizen, not just some, the chance to reach their dreams. 自那以后每隔十年，我们都有总统——共和党人和民主党人——从哈里·杜鲁门到理查德·尼克松，从肯尼迪到林登·约翰逊——每一位总统都说我们需要修复这个系统。这场辩论不仅关乎医疗保健的成本，不仅关乎我们如何对待那些没有从保险公司那里得到公平对待的人。这是一场关于我们国家品格的辩论——关于我们是否仍能迎接时代的挑战；我们是否仍有勇气和胆识让每一个公民，而不只是一部分人，有机会实现他们的梦想。
At the heart of this debate is the question of whether we're going to accept a system that works better for the insurance companies than it does for the American people -- because if this vote fails, the insurance industry will continue to run amok. They will continue to deny people coverage. They will continue to deny people care. They will continue to jack up premiums 40 or 50 or 60 percent as they have in the last few weeks without any accountability whatsoever. They know this. 这场辩论的核心在于：我们是否要接受一个对保险公司比对美国人民更有利的系统——因为如果这次投票失败，保险行业将继续肆无忌惮。他们将继续拒绝为人们提供保障。他们将继续拒绝为人们提供医疗服务。他们将继续像过去几周那样把保费提高40%、50%或60%，而无需承担任何责任。他们清楚这一点。
And that's why their lobbyists are stalking the halls of Congress as we speak, and pouring millions of dollars into negative ads. And that's why they are doing everything they can to kill this bill. 这也正是为什么他们的说客此刻正在国会大厅里游说，并投入数百万美元投放负面广告。这也正是为什么他们正在竭尽全力扼杀这项法案。
So the only question left is this: Are we going to let the special interests win once again? 那么剩下的唯一问题就是：我们要让特殊利益集团再次获胜吗？
Audience: No! 观众：不！
President Obama: Or are we going to make this vote a victory for the American people? 奥巴马总统：还是我们要让这次投票成为美国人民的胜利？
Audience: Yes we can! Yes we can! 观众：是的，我们能！是的，我们能！
President Obama: George Mason, the time for reform is right now. Not a year from now, not five years from now, not 10 years from now, not 20 years from now -- it's now. We have had -- we have had a year of hard debate. Every proposal has been put on the table. Every argument has been made. We have incorporated the best ideas from Democrats and from Republicans into a final proposal that builds on the system of private insurance that we currently have. The insurance industry and its supporters in Congress have tried to portray this as radical change. 奥巴马总统：乔治梅森，改革的时机就是现在。不是一年后，不是五年后，不是10年后，不是20年后——就是现在。我们已经进行了——我们已经进行了一年的艰苦辩论。每一项提案都已被摆上桌面。每一个论点都已被阐述。我们已经将民主党和共和党最好的想法纳入最终提案，这一提案建立在我们现有的私人保险体系之上。保险行业及其在国会的支持者试图将这描绘成激进的变革。
Now, I just -- I just want to be clear, everybody. Listen up, because we have heard every crazy thing about this bill. You remember. First we heard this was a government takeover of health care. Then we heard that this was going to kill granny. Then we heard, well, illegal immigrants are going to be getting the main benefits of this bill. There has been -- they have thrown every argument at this legislative effort. But when it -- it turns out, at the end of the day, what we're talking about is common-sense reform. That's all we're talking about. 现在，我只想——我只想说清楚，大家。听好了，因为关于这项法案我们已经听到了各种荒唐的说法。你们记得。首先我们听说这是政府接管医疗保健。然后我们听说这会害死老奶奶。然后我们又听说，非法移民将成为这项法案的主要受益者。他们向这项立法努力投掷了每一个论点。但结果——结果表明，归根结底，我们谈论的是常识性的改革。这就是我们所谈论的全部。
If you like your doctor, you're going to be able to keep your doctor. If you like your plan, keep your plan. I don't believe we should give government or the insurance companies more control over health care in America. I think it's time to give you, the American people, more control over your health. 如果你喜欢你的医生，你就能保留你的医生。如果你喜欢你的保险计划，就保留它。我不认为我们应该让政府或保险公司对美国医疗保健有更多控制权。我认为是时候让你——美国人民——对自己的健康有更多控制权了。
And since you've been hearing a whole bunch of nonsense, let's just be clear on what exactly the proposal that they're going to vote on in a couple of days will do. It's going to -- it's going to change health care in three ways. Number one, we are going to end the worst practices of insurance companies. This is -- this is a patient's bill of rights on steroids. Starting this year, thousands of uninsured Americans with preexisting conditions will be able to purchase health insurance, some for the very first time. 既然你们一直听到一堆废话，那就让我们说清楚他们几天后将投票的提案究竟会做什么。它将——它将以三种方式改变医疗保健。第一，我们将终止保险公司最恶劣的做法。这是一份——这是一份加强版的病人权利法案。从今年开始，数以千计没有保险且有既往病史的美国人将能够购买医疗保险，其中一些人是生平第一次。
Starting this year, insurance companies will be banned forever from denying coverage to children with preexisting conditions. Starting this year, insurance companies will be banned from dropping your coverage when you get sick. And they've been spending a lot of time weeding out people who are sick so they don't have to pay benefits that people have already paid for. Those practices will end. 从今年开始，保险公司将被永远禁止拒绝为有既往病史的儿童提供保险。从今年开始，保险公司将被禁止在你生病时取消你的保险。他们一直花大量时间把生病的人剔除出去，这样他们就不必支付人们已经缴纳了保费的福利。这些做法将被终结。
If this reform becomes law, all new insurance plans will be required to offer free preventive care to their customers. If you buy a new plan, there won't be lifetime or restrictive annual limits on the amount of care you receive from your insurance companies. And by the way, to all the young people here today, starting this year if you don't have insurance, all new plans will allow you to stay on your parents' plan until you are 26 years old. 如果这项改革成为法律，所有新的保险计划都将被要求向客户提供免费预防性护理。如果你购买新计划，你从保险公司获得的护理将不再有终身限制或严格的年度限额。顺便说一下，今天在场的所有年轻人，从今年开始如果你没有保险，所有新计划都将允许你留在父母的保险计划上，直到你26岁。
So you'll have some security when you graduate. If that first job doesn't offer coverage, you're going to know that you've got coverage. Because as you start your lives and your careers, the last thing you should be worried about is whether you're going to go broke or make your parents broke just because you get sick. All right? 这样你们毕业后就会有一些保障。如果第一份工作不提供保险，你会知道自己有保障。因为当你们开始自己的生活和事业时，你们最不应该担心的就是自己或父母是否会因为你生病而破产。对吧？
So that's the first thing this legislation does -- the toughest insurance reforms in history. And by the way, when you talk to Republicans and you say, well, are you against this? A lot of them will say, no, no, that part's okay. All right, so let's go to the second part. 这就是这项立法所做的第一件事——历史上最严格的保险改革。顺便说一下，当你们和共和党人交谈时，你们问，那你们反对这个吗？他们中很多人会说，不，不，那部分没问题。好，那我们来看第二部分。
The second thing that would change about the current system is that for the first time, small business owners and people who are being priced out of the insurance market will have the same kind of choice of private health insurance that members of Congress give to themselves. 第二个将改变现有系统的是，小企业主和那些被保险市场高价排挤出去的人将首次拥有与国会议员给自己提供的相同类型的私人医疗保险选择。
So what this means is, is that small business owners and middle-class families, they're going to be able to be part of what's called a big pool of customers that can negotiate with the insurance companies. And that means they can purchase more affordable coverage in a competitive marketplace. So they're not out there on their own just shopping. They're part of millions of people who are shopping together. 这意味着，小企业主和中产阶级家庭将能够成为一个所谓的大客户池的一部分，与保险公司进行谈判。这意味着他们可以在竞争性市场中购买到更实惠的保险。所以他们不是独自在外面购物。他们是数百万人一起购物的一部分。
And if you still can't afford the insurance in this new marketplace, even though it's going to be cheaper than what you can get on your own, then we're going to offer you tax credits to help you afford it -- tax credits that add up to the largest middle-class tax cut for health care in American history. 如果你在这个新市场中仍然买不起保险，即使它将比你独自购买更便宜，那么我们将为你提供税收抵免来帮助你负担——这些税收抵免加起来是美国历史上最大规模的中产阶级医疗保健减税。
Now, these tax credits cost money. Helping folks who can't afford it right now, that does cost some money. It costs about $100 billion per year. But most of the cost -- 现在，这些税收抵免需要花钱。帮助那些目前负担不起的人，确实需要花钱。每年大约花费1000亿美元。但大部分成本——
Audience Member: That's all right. 观众：没关系。
President Obama: Well, here's the reason it's all right. Here's the reason it's all right. It wouldn't be all right if we weren't paying for it -- and by the way, that's what a previous Congress did with the prescription drug plan. All they did was they gave the benefits and they didn't pay for it. 奥巴马总统：好吧，这就是没关系的原因。这就是没关系的原因。如果我们不为它买单，那就不没关系了——顺便说一下，这就是上一届国会在处方药计划上所做的。他们只给了福利，却没有为之买单。
That's not what we're doing. What we're doing is we're taking money that America is already spending in the health care system, but is being spent poorly, that's going to waste and fraud and unwarranted subsidies for the insurance companies, and we're taking that money and making sure those dollars go towards making insurance more affordable. 那不是我们在做的。我们在做的是，我们正在把美国已经在医疗保健系统中花费的钱——但花得很不当的钱，那些流向浪费、欺诈和对保险公司不当补贴的钱——拿来，确保这些钱用于让保险更实惠。
So we're going to eliminate wasteful taxpayer subsidies to insurance companies. We're going to set a new fee on insurance companies that stand to gain millions of new customers. So here's the point: This proposal is paid for. Unlike some of these previous schemes in Washington, we're not taking out the credit card in your name, young people, and charging it to you. We're making sure this thing is paid for. All right, so that's the second thing. 所以我们将取消对保险公司的浪费性纳税人补贴。我们将对那些将获得数百万新客户的保险公司征收新的费用。所以重点是：这项提案是有资金来源的。不像华盛顿以前的一些方案，我们不是用你们年轻人的名义刷信用卡，把账单记在你们头上。我们确保这件事是有资金保障的。好，这就是第二件事。
Now, the third thing that this legislation does is it brings down the cost of health care for families and businesses and the federal government. Americans who are buying comparable coverage in the individual market would end up seeing their premiums go down 14 to 20 percent. Americans who get their insurance through the workplace, cost savings could be as much as $3,000 less per employer than if we do nothing. Now, think about that. That's $3,000 your employer doesn't have to pay, which means maybe she can afford to give you a raise. 第三件这项立法要做的事是降低家庭、企业和联邦政府的医疗保健成本。在个人市场购买类似保险的美国人将看到他们的保费下降14%到20%。通过工作单位获得保险的美国人，与我们什么都不做相比，每个雇主可节省多达3000美元。想一想。那是你的雇主不必支付的3000美元，这意味着也许她能给你加薪。
And by the way, if you're curious, well, how exactly are we saving these costs? Well, part of it is, again, we're not spending our health care money wisely. So, for example, you go to the hospital or you go to a doctor and you may take five tests, when it turns out if you just took one test, then you send an e-mail around with the test results, you wouldn't be paying $500 per test. So we're trying to save money across the system. And altogether, our cost-cutting measures would reduce most people's premiums. 顺便说一下，如果你好奇我们究竟是如何节省这些成本的？嗯，部分原因同样是我们没有明智地使用医疗保健资金。比如，你去医院或看医生，你可能要做五项检查，而事实证明如果你只做一项检查，然后把检查结果通过电子邮件发出去，你就不用为每项检查支付500美元。所以我们正在努力在整个系统中节省资金。总而言之，我们的削减成本措施将降低大多数人的保费。
And here's the bonus: It brings down our deficit by more than $1 trillion over the next two decades. 还有额外的好处：它将在未来二十年内使我们的赤字减少超过1万亿美元。
So you've got -- you've got a whole bunch of opponents of this bill saying, well, we can't afford this; we're fiscal conservatives. These are the same guys who passed that prescription drug bill without paying for it, adding over $1 trillion to our deficit -- "Oh, we can't afford this." But this bill, according to the Congressional Budget Office -- which is the referee, the scorekeeper for how much things cost -- says we'll save us $1 trillion. Not only can we afford to do this, we can't afford not to do this. 所以你们会看到——你们会看到一大堆这项法案的反对者说，我们负担不起这个；我们是财政保守派。这些人正是当初通过那个没有资金来源的处方药法案、给我们的赤字增加了超过1万亿美元的人——"哦，我们负担不起这个。"但根据国会预算办公室——这是裁判，是计算各项事物成本的记分员——的说法，这项法案将为我们节省1万亿美元。我们不仅负担得起做这件事，我们更负担不起不做这件事。
So here's the bottom line. That's our proposal: toughest insurance reforms in history, one of the biggest deficit-reduction plans in history, and the opportunity to give millions of people -- some of them in your own family, some of the people who are in this auditorium today -- an opportunity for the first time in a very long time to get affordable health care. That's it. That's what we're trying to do. That's what the Congress of the United States is about to vote on this weekend. 所以这就是底线。这就是我们的提案：历史上最严格的保险改革，历史上最大的赤字削减计划之一，以及让数以百万计的人——其中一些是你们自己的家人，一些是今天在这个礼堂里的人——有机会在很长一段时间以来首次获得负担得起的医疗保健。就是这样。这就是我们试图做的。这就是美国国会这个周末即将投票的内容。
Now, it would be nice if we were just kind of examining the substance, we were walking through the details of the plan, what it means for you. But that's not what the cable stations like to talk about. What they like to talk about is the politics of the vote. What does this mean in November? What does it mean to the poll numbers? Is this more of an advantage for Democrats or Republicans? What's it going to mean for Obama? Will his presidency be crippled, or will he be the comeback kid? That's what they like to talk about. That's what they like to talk about. I understand. 现在，如果我们只是在审视实质内容，如果我们只是在梳理计划的细节及其对你们的意义，那当然好。但这不是有线电视台喜欢谈论的。他们喜欢谈论的是投票的政治影响。这对11月意味着什么？对民调数字意味着什么？这对民主党还是共和党更有利？对奥巴马意味着什么？他的总统任期会被削弱，还是他将成为东山再起的人？这才是他们喜欢谈论的。这才是他们喜欢谈论的。我理解。
One of the things you realize is basically that a lot of reporting in Washington, it's just like SportsCenter. It's considered a sport, and who's up and who's down, and everybody's keeping score. And you got the teams going at it. It's Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots. 你们会意识到的一件事是，华盛顿的很多报道基本上就像《体育中心》一样。它被视为一项运动，谁上谁下，每个人都在记分。你们看到各支队伍在较量。这就是"摇摇机器人"玩具游戏。
Look, let me say this, George Mason: I don't know how this plays politically. Nobody really does. I mean, there's been so much misinformation and so much confusion and the climate at times during the course of this year has been so toxic and people are so anxious because the economy has been going through such a tough time. I don't know what's going to happen with the politics on this thing. I don't know whether my poll numbers go down, they go up. I don't know what happens in terms of Democrats versus Republicans. 听着，让我说这个，乔治梅森：我不知道这在政治上会怎样。没有人真正知道。我的意思是，有这么多错误信息和混乱，今年有时气氛如此恶劣，人们如此焦虑，因为经济一直处于如此艰难的时期。我不知道这件事在政治上会发生什么。我不知道我的民调数字是下降还是上升。我不知道民主党对阵共和党会发生什么。
But here's what I do know. I do know that this bill, this legislation, is going to be enormously important for America's future. I do know the impact it will have on the millions of Americans who need our help, and the millions more who may not need help right now but a year from now or five years from now or 10 years from now, if they have some bad luck; if, heaven forbid, they get sick; if they've got a preexisting condition; if their child has a preexisting condition; if they lose their job; if they want to start a company -- I know the impact it will have on them. 但这是我所知道的。我确实知道这项法案、这项立法对美国的未来将极为重要。我确实知道它将对数百万需要我们帮助的美国人产生的影响，以及更多的现在可能不需要帮助但一年后、五年后或十年后，如果他们遭遇不幸；如果，但愿不会，他们生病了；如果他们有既往病史；如果他们的孩子有既往病史；如果他们失业了；如果他们想创办一家公司——我知道这会对他们产生的影响。
I know what this reform will mean for people like Leslie Banks, a single mom I met in Pennsylvania. She's trying to put her daughter through college, just like probably some of your moms and dads are trying to put you through college. And her insurance company just sent her a letter saying they plan to double her premium this year -- have it go up 100 percent. And she can't afford it. So now she's trying to figure out, am I going to keep my insurance or am I going to keep my daughter in college? Leslie Banks needs us to pass this reform bill. 我知道这项改革对像莱斯利·班克斯这样的人意味着什么，她是一位我在宾夕法尼亚州遇到的单身母亲。她正努力供女儿上大学，就像你们中一些人的父母正努力供你们上大学一样。她的保险公司刚刚给她发了一封信，说他们计划今年将她的保费翻倍——涨100%。而她负担不起。所以现在她在想办法：我是该保留保险，还是该让女儿继续上大学？莱斯利·班克斯需要我们通过这项改革法案。
I know what reform will mean for people like Laura Klitzka. I met Laura up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, while I was campaigning. She thought she had beaten her breast cancer. Then she discovered it had spread to her bones. And she and her insurance -- she and her husband, they were lucky enough to have insurance, but their medical bills still landed them in debt. So now she's spending time worrying about the debt when all she wants to do is think about how she can spend time with her two kids. Laura needs us to pass this reform bill. 我知道这项改革对像劳拉·克利茨卡这样的人意味着什么。我在威斯康星州绿湾竞选时遇到了劳拉。她以为自己已经战胜了乳腺癌。后来她发现癌细胞已经扩散到骨骼。她和她的保险——她和她的丈夫，他们有幸有保险，但医疗账单还是让他们陷入了债务。所以现在她花时间担心债务，而她只想思考如何与两个孩子共度时光。劳拉需要我们通过这项改革法案。
I know what reform will mean for people like Natoma Canfield. When her insurance company raised her rates, she had to give up her coverage, even though she had been paying thousands of dollars in premiums for years, because she had beaten cancer 11 years earlier. They kept on jacking up her rates, jacking up her rates. Finally she thought she was going to lose her home. She was scared that a sudden illness would lead to financial ruin, but she had no choice. Right now she's lying in a hospital bed, faced with paying for such an illness, after she had to give up her health insurance. 我知道这项改革对像纳托玛·坎菲尔德这样的人意味着什么。当她的保险公司提高她的费率时，她不得不放弃保险，尽管她已经缴纳了数千美元的保费多年，因为她在11年前战胜了癌症。他们不断抬高她的费率，不断抬高她的费率。最后她以为自己会失去房子。她害怕一场突如其来的疾病会导致经济破产，但她别无选择。现在她正躺在医院的病床上，面对着为这样的疾病付费的困境，而她不得不放弃了医疗保险。
She's praying that somehow she can afford to get well. She knows that it is time for reform. 她祈祷自己能以某种方式负担得起康复的费用。她知道，改革的时机到了。
So George Mason, when you hear people saying, well, why don't we do this more incrementally, why don't we do this a little more piecemeal, why don't we just help the folks that are easiest to help -- my answer is the time for reform is now. We have waited long enough. We have waited long enough. 所以乔治梅森，当你听到人们说，为什么我们不更渐进地做这件事，为什么我们不更零敲碎打地做，为什么我们只帮助那些最容易帮助的人——我的回答是改革的时机就是现在。我们已经等得够久了。我们已经等得够久了。
And in just a few days, a century-long struggle will culminate in a historic vote. We've had historic votes before. We had a historic vote to put Social Security in place to make sure that our elderly did not live out their golden years in poverty. We had a historic vote in civil rights to make sure that everybody was equal under the law. As messy as this process is, as frustrating as this process is, as ugly as this process can be, when we have faced such decisions in our past, this nation, time and time again, has chosen to extend its promise to more of its people. 再过几天，一个世纪以来的斗争将以一次历史性的投票而达到高潮。我们以前也有过历史性的投票。我们曾就建立社会保障制度进行历史性投票，以确保我们的老年人不会在晚年生活在贫困中。我们曾就民权问题进行历史性投票，以确保每个人在法律面前平等。尽管这个过程如此混乱，尽管这个过程如此令人沮丧，尽管这个过程可能如此丑陋，但当我们在过去面临这样的决定时，这个国家一次又一次地选择将其承诺扩展给更多的人。
You know, the naysayers said that Social Security would lead to socialism. But the men and women of Congress stood fast and created that program that lifted millions out of poverty. 你们知道，反对者曾说社会保障会导致社会主义。但国会中的男女议员们坚定不移，创建了这个使数百万人摆脱贫困的计划。
There were cynics that warned that Medicare would lead to a government takeover of our entire health care system, and that it didn't have much support in the polls. But Democrats and Republicans refused to back down, and they made sure that our seniors had the health care that they needed and could have some basic peace of mind. 也曾有愤世嫉俗者警告说，医疗保险将导致政府接管我们整个医疗保健系统，而且它在民调中也没有太多支持。但民主党和共和党人拒绝退让，他们确保了我们的老年人能够获得所需的医疗保健，并拥有基本的安心。
So previous generations, those who came before us, made the decision that our seniors and our poor, through Medicaid, should not be forced to go without health care just because they couldn't afford it. Today it falls to this generation to decide whether we will make that same promise to hardworking middle-class families and small businesses all across America, and to young Americans like yourselves who are just starting out. 所以上一代人，那些在我们之前来到这里的人，做出了决定：我们的老年人和穷人，通过医疗补助计划，不应仅仅因为负担不起就被迫放弃医疗保健。今天，这一代人要决定我们是否向全美国勤劳的中产阶级家庭和小企业，以及像你们这样刚刚起步的年轻美国人做出同样的承诺。
So here's my bottom line. I know this has been a difficult journey. I know this will be a tough vote. I know that everybody is counting votes right now in Washington. But I also remember a quote I saw on a plaque in the White House the other day. It's hanging in the same room where I demanded answers from insurance executives and just received a bunch of excuses. And it was a quote from Teddy Roosevelt, the person who first called for health care reform -- that Republican -- all those years ago. And it said, "Aggressively fighting for the right is the noblest sport the world affords." 所以这是我的底线。我知道这是一段艰难的旅程。我知道这将是一次艰难的投票。我知道华盛顿的每个人都在计算票数。但我也记得前几天我在白宫一块牌匾上看到的一句话。它挂在我向保险高管们索要答案却只收到一堆借口的那个房间里。那是泰迪·罗斯福的名言，正是他——那位共和党人——在多年前首次呼吁医疗保健改革。上面写着："为正义而奋勇拼搏，是这世界所能提供的最崇高的运动。"
Now, I don't know how passing health care will play politically -- but I know it's right. Teddy Roosevelt knew it was right. Harry Truman knew that it was right. Ted Kennedy knew it was right. And if you believe that it's right, then you've got to help us finish this fight. You've got to stand with me just like you did three years ago and make some phone calls and knock on some doors, talk to your parents, talk to your friends. Do not quit, do not give up, we keep on going. We are going to get this done. We are going to make history. We are going to fix health care in America with your help. 现在，我不知道通过医疗保健法案在政治上会怎样——但我知道这是正确的。泰迪·罗斯福知道这是正确的。哈里·杜鲁门知道这是正确的。特德·肯尼迪知道这是正确的。如果你相信这是正确的，那么你必须帮助我们完成这场战斗。你必须像三年前那样与我站在一起，打些电话，敲些门，和你们的父母谈谈，和你们的朋友谈谈。不要放弃，不要屈服，我们继续前行。我们将完成这件事。我们将创造历史。在你们的帮助下，我们将修复美国的医疗保健。
God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. 愿上帝保佑你们，愿上帝保佑美利坚合众国。