My fellow Americans, tonight, I’d like to talk with you about immigration. 美国同胞们，今晚我想和大家谈谈移民问题。
For more than 200 years, our tradition of welcoming immigrants from around the world has given us a tremendous advantage over other nations. It’s kept us youthful, dynamic, and entrepreneurial. It has shaped our character as a people with limitless possibilities -- people not trapped by our past, but able to remake ourselves as we choose. 两百多年来，我们欢迎世界各地移民的传统，使美国比其他国家拥有巨大优势。它让我们保持年轻、充满活力和创业精神，塑造了我们这个民族的性格：我们拥有无限可能，不会被过去束缚，而能按自己的选择重新塑造自己。
But today, our immigration system is broken -- and everybody knows it. 但今天，我们的移民制度已经失灵，人人都知道这一点。
Families who enter our country the right way and play by the rules watch others flout the rules. Business owners who offer their workers good wages and benefits see the competition exploit undocumented immigrants by paying them far less. All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America. And undocumented immigrants who desperately want to embrace those responsibilities see little option but to remain in the shadows, or risk their families being torn apart. 依法进入美国、遵守规则的家庭，看着别人无视规则；为员工提供合理工资和福利的企业主，看着竞争者雇用无证移民并支付远低得多的工资。任何人在享受美国生活成果的同时不承担相应责任，都会让我们感到不公平。而那些迫切希望承担责任的无证移民，却几乎没有选择，只能躲在阴影中，或冒着家庭被拆散的风险。
It’s been this way for decades. And for decades, we haven’t done much about it. 这种状况已经持续数十年，而数十年来我们几乎没有采取行动。
When I took office, I committed to fixing this broken immigration system. And I began by doing what I could to secure our borders. Today, we have more agents and technology deployed to secure our southern border than at any time in our history. And over the past six years, illegal border crossings have been cut by more than half. Although this summer, there was a brief spike in unaccompanied children being apprehended at our border, the number of such children is now actually lower than it’s been in nearly two years. 我上任时就承诺修复这个失灵的移民制度，首先尽力加强边境安全。如今，我们在南部边境部署的人员和技术比历史上任何时候都多；过去六年，非法越境人数减少了一半以上。今年夏天，虽然无人陪伴儿童被边境部门拘留人数短暂上升，但如今已经低于近两年来的水平。
Overall, the number of people trying to cross our border illegally is at its lowest level since the 1970s. Those are the facts. 总体而言，试图非法越境的人数处于20世纪70年代以来最低水平。这些就是事实。
Meanwhile, I worked with Congress on a comprehensive fix, and last year, 68 Democrats, Republicans, and independents came together to pass a bipartisan bill in the Senate. It wasn’t perfect. It was a compromise. But it reflected common sense. It would have doubled the number of border patrol agents while giving undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship if they paid a fine, started paying their taxes, and went to the back of the line. And independent experts said that it would help grow our economy and shrink our deficits. 与此同时，我与国会合作推动全面改革。去年，68名民主党、共和党和独立党派参议员共同通过了一项两党法案。它并不完美，是妥协的结果，但符合常识：增加一倍边境巡逻人员，同时为无证移民提供入籍途径，条件是缴纳罚款、开始纳税并排在队伍末尾。独立专家认为，该法案将推动经济增长并减少赤字。
Had the House of Representatives allowed that kind of bill a simple yes-or-no vote, it would have passed with support from both parties, and today it would be the law. But for a year and a half now, Republican leaders in the House have refused to allow that simple vote. 如果众议院允许这类法案进行简单的赞成或反对表决，它会获得两党支持并成为法律。但一年半以来，众议院共和党领导人一直拒绝允许这次表决。
Now, I continue to believe that the best way to solve this problem is by working together to pass that kind of common sense law. But until that happens, there are actions I have the legal authority to take as President -- the same kinds of actions taken by Democratic and Republican presidents before me -- that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just. 我仍然相信，解决问题的最佳方式是共同通过这类常识性法律。但在那之前，我作为总统依法拥有可以采取的行动；过去半个世纪的民主党和共和党总统都采取过类似行动，这些行动将让移民制度更加公平正义。
Tonight, I am announcing those actions. 今晚，我宣布这些行动。
First, we’ll build on our progress at the border with additional resources for our law enforcement personnel so that they can stem the flow of illegal crossings, and speed the return of those who do cross over. 第一，我们将为执法人员提供更多资源，在边境已有进展基础上遏制非法越境，并加快遣返越境者。
Second, I’ll make it easier and faster for high-skilled immigrants, graduates, and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to our economy, as so many business leaders have proposed. 第二，我们将让高技能移民、毕业生和企业家更容易、更快地留在美国，为经济作出贡献，正如许多企业领袖所建议的那样。
Third, we’ll take steps to deal responsibly with the millions of undocumented immigrants who already live in our country. 第三，我们将负责任地处理已经生活在美国的数百万无证移民。
I want to say more about this third issue, because it generates the most passion and controversy. Even as we are a nation of immigrants, we’re also a nation of laws. Undocumented workers broke our immigration laws, and I believe that they must be held accountable -- especially those who may be dangerous. That’s why, over the past six years, deportations of criminals are up 80 percent. And that’s why we’re going to keep focusing enforcement resources on actual threats to our security. Felons, not families. Criminals, not children. 我想进一步谈谈第三点，因为它引发了最多激情和争议。我们既是移民国家，也是法治国家。无证劳动者违反了移民法，我认为他们必须承担责任，尤其是可能构成危险的人。因此，过去六年，犯罪分子的遣返人数增加了80%。我们将继续把执法资源集中在真正威胁国家安全的人身上：重罪犯，而不是家庭；罪犯，而不是儿童。
Gang members, not a mom who’s working hard to provide for her kids. We’ll prioritize, just like law enforcement does every day. 我们要像执法部门每天所做的那样，把重点放在帮派成员，而不是努力养育孩子的母亲身上。
But even as we focus on deporting criminals, the fact is, millions of immigrants in every state, of every race and nationality still live here illegally. And let’s be honest -- tracking down, rounding up, and deporting millions of people isn’t realistic. Anyone who suggests otherwise isn’t being straight with you. It’s also not who we are as Americans. After all, most of these immigrants have been here a long time. They work hard, often in tough, low-paying jobs. They support their families. They worship at our churches. 即使我们专注于遣返罪犯，事实仍是每个州、各个种族和国籍的数百万移民非法生活在这里。坦率地说，追踪、抓捕并遣返数百万人并不现实。声称可以做到的人没有对你们说实话。这也不是美国人的样子。大多数移民已经在这里生活很久，他们努力工作，常常从事艰苦、低薪的工作，养活家人，并在我们的教堂礼拜。
Many of their kids are American-born or spent most of their lives here, and their hopes, dreams, and patriotism are just like ours. As my predecessor, President Bush, once put it: “They are a part of American life.” 他们许多孩子出生在美国，或大部分人生都在这里度过；他们的希望、梦想和爱国心与我们一样。正如我的前任布什总统所说：“他们是美国生活的一部分。”
Now here’s the thing: We expect people who live in this country to play by the rules. We expect that those who cut the line will not be unfairly rewarded. So we’re going to offer the following deal: If you’ve been in America for more than five years; if you have children who are American citizens or legal residents; if you register, pass a criminal background check, and you’re willing to pay your fair share of taxes -- you’ll be able to apply to stay in this country temporarily without fear of deportation. You can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. 我们要求生活在这个国家的人遵守规则，也要求插队者不能得到不公平的奖励。因此，我们将提出这样的安排：如果你在美国生活超过五年，有美国公民或合法居民子女，愿意登记、通过犯罪背景审查并缴纳应付税款，你就可以申请暂时留在美国，不必担心被遣返。你可以走出阴影，依法生活。
That’s what this deal is. 这就是这项安排的内容。
Now, let’s be clear about what it isn’t. This deal does not apply to anyone who has come to this country recently. It does not apply to anyone who might come to America illegally in the future. It does not grant citizenship, or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive -- only Congress can do that. All we’re saying is we’re not going to deport you. 但我们必须明确它不是什么。它不适用于最近才来的人，也不适用于未来非法进入美国的人；它不会授予公民身份、永久居留权，也不会提供公民享有的同等福利——只有国会才能做到这些。我们只是说，不会遣返你。
I know some of the critics of this action call it amnesty. Well, it’s not. Amnesty is the immigration system we have today -- millions of people who live here without paying their taxes or playing by the rules while politicians use the issue to scare people and whip up votes at election time. 一些批评者把这项行动称为大赦，但它不是。真正的大赦，是今天的移民制度：数百万人生活在这里却不纳税、不守规则，而政客在选举时利用这个问题制造恐惧、争取选票。
That’s the real amnesty -- leaving this broken system the way it is. Mass amnesty would be unfair. Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our character. What I’m describing is accountability -- a common-sense, middle-ground approach: If you meet the criteria, you can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. If you’re a criminal, you’ll be deported. If you plan to enter the U.S. illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up. 真正的大赦，就是让这个失灵的制度继续存在。大规模大赦不公平，大规模遣返既不可能，也违背我们的品格。我所描述的是问责，是一种符合常识的中间道路：符合条件，就能走出阴影、依法生活；如果是罪犯，就会被遣返；如果计划非法进入美国，被抓住并送回去的可能性会提高。
The actions I’m taking are not only lawful, they’re the kinds of actions taken by every single Republican President and every single Democratic President for the past half century. And to those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill. 我采取的行动不仅合法，而且是过去半个世纪每一位共和党和民主党总统都采取过的行动。对于质疑我改善移民制度的权限、或质疑在国会失败处采取行动是否明智的国会议员，我只有一个回答：通过一项法案。
I want to work with both parties to pass a more permanent legislative solution. And the day I sign that bill into law, the actions I take will no longer be necessary. Meanwhile, don’t let a disagreement over a single issue be a dealbreaker on every issue. That’s not how our democracy works, and Congress certainly shouldn’t shut down our government again just because we disagree on this. Americans are tired of gridlock. What our country needs from us right now is a common purpose -- a higher purpose. 我愿意与两党合作，推动更永久的立法解决方案。等我签署那项法案成为法律后，我采取的行动就不再必要。在此之前，不要因为一个问题上的分歧，就让所有问题都无法达成协议。民主不是这样运作的，国会也不应仅因分歧再次让政府停摆。美国人已经厌倦僵局；我们的国家现在需要共同目标，需要更高的目标。
Most Americans support the types of reforms I’ve talked about tonight. But I understand the disagreements held by many of you at home. Millions of us, myself included, go back generations in this country, with ancestors who put in the painstaking work to become citizens. So we don’t like the notion that anyone might get a free pass to American citizenship. 大多数美国人支持今晚谈到的改革类型。但我理解许多在家观看的人存在分歧。包括我在内，我们许多人在这个国家生活了几代，祖先经过艰苦努力才成为公民。因此，我们不喜欢有人似乎可以免费获得美国公民身份。
I know some worry immigration will change the very fabric of who we are, or take our jobs, or stick it to middle-class families at a time when they already feel like they’ve gotten the raw deal for over a decade. I hear these concerns. But that’s not what these steps would do. Our history and the facts show that immigrants are a net plus for our economy and our society. And I believe it’s important that all of us have this debate without impugning each other’s character. 有人担心移民会改变我们的社会本质、夺走工作，或让中产家庭在十多年一直觉得受了不公平待遇时雪上加霜。我听到了这些担忧，但这些措施不会造成那种结果。我们的历史和事实表明，移民总体上有益于经济和社会。我认为，我们应当在不攻击彼此品格的情况下讨论这些问题。
Because for all the back and forth of Washington, we have to remember that this debate is about something bigger. It’s about who we are as a country, and who we want to be for future generations. 华盛顿的来回争论再多，我们也必须记住，这场辩论关乎更大的问题：我们是谁，以及希望下一代成为什么样的国家。
Are we a nation that tolerates the hypocrisy of a system where workers who pick our fruit and make our beds never have a chance to get right with the law? Or are we a nation that gives them a chance to make amends, take responsibility, and give their kids a better future? 我们是容忍虚伪的国家吗？采摘水果、整理床铺的工人永远没有机会依法生活；还是我们愿意给他们机会弥补过错、承担责任，为子女创造更好未来？
Are we a nation that accepts the cruelty of ripping children from their parents’ arms? Or are we a nation that values families, and works together to keep them together? 我们是接受把孩子从父母怀中夺走的残酷国家吗？还是珍视家庭、共同努力让家人团聚的国家？
Are we a nation that educates the world’s best and brightest in our universities, only to send them home to create businesses in countries that compete against us? Or are we a nation that encourages them to stay and create jobs here, create businesses here, create industries right here in America? 我们是在大学培养全世界最优秀的人才，却把他们送回与我们竞争的国家创办企业；还是鼓励他们留下，在美国创造工作、企业和产业？
That’s what this debate is all about. We need more than politics as usual when it comes to immigration. We need reasoned, thoughtful, compassionate debate that focuses on our hopes, not our fears. I know the politics of this issue are tough. But let me tell you why I have come to feel so strongly about it. 这就是移民辩论的核心。我们需要超越惯常政治，需要理性、深思熟虑、富有同情心的讨论，关注希望而不是恐惧。我知道这个问题的政治难度，但我要告诉大家我为何如此坚定。
Over the past few years, I have seen the determination of immigrant fathers who worked two or three jobs without taking a dime from the government, and at risk any moment of losing it all, just to build a better life for their kids. I’ve seen the heartbreak and anxiety of children whose mothers might be taken away from them just because they didn’t have the right papers. 过去几年，我看到移民父亲同时做两三份工作，不向政府索取一分钱，随时可能失去一切，只为给孩子建立更好的生活；我看到孩子们心碎而焦虑，因为母亲可能仅仅由于没有正确证件就被带走。
I’ve seen the courage of students who, except for the circumstances of their birth, are as American as Malia or Sasha; students who bravely come out as undocumented in hopes they could make a difference in the country they love. 我看到一些学生的勇气：除了出生环境不同，他们和玛利亚或萨莎一样都是美国人；他们勇敢公开自己没有合法身份，希望为所爱的国家带来改变。
These people -- our neighbors, our classmates, our friends -- they did not come here in search of a free ride or an easy life. They came to work, and study, and serve in our military, and above all, contribute to America’s success. 这些人是我们的邻居、同学和朋友。他们不是为了免费搭车或轻松生活而来，而是为了工作、学习、服兵役，最重要的是为美国的成功作出贡献。
Tomorrow, I’ll travel to Las Vegas and meet with some of these students, including a young woman named Astrid Silva. Astrid was brought to America when she was four years old. Her only possessions were a cross, her doll, and the frilly dress she had on. When she started school, she didn’t speak any English. She caught up to other kids by reading newspapers and watching PBS, and she became a good student. Her father worked in landscaping. Her mom cleaned other people’s homes. 明天我将前往拉斯维加斯，会见其中一些学生，包括一位名叫阿斯特丽德·席尔瓦的年轻女性。她四岁时被带到美国，全部财产只有一枚十字架、一个玩偶和身上穿的花裙子。她上学时不会说英语，通过读报纸、观看公共电视台节目追上同学，并成为好学生。她父亲做园林工作，母亲为别人打扫房屋。
They wouldn’t let Astrid apply to a technology magnet school, not because they didn’t love her, but because they were afraid the paperwork would out her as an undocumented immigrant -- so she applied behind their back and got in. Still, she mostly lived in the shadows -- until her grandmother, who visited every year from Mexico, passed away, and she couldn’t travel to the funeral without risk of being found out and deported. 科技特色学校不让阿斯特丽德申请，不是因为他们不爱她，而是担心文件会暴露她的无证移民身份。于是她背着父母申请并被录取。然而，她大部分时间仍生活在阴影中，直到每年从墨西哥来探亲的祖母去世；她无法冒险参加葬礼，因为那可能暴露身份并导致遣返。
It was around that time she decided to begin advocating for herself and others like her, and today, Astrid Silva is a college student working on her third degree. 大约就在那时，她决定为自己和其他同样处境的人发声。如今，阿斯特丽德·席尔瓦已经是一名大学生，正在攻读第三个学位。
Are we a nation that kicks out a striving, hopeful immigrant like Astrid, or are we a nation that finds a way to welcome her in? Scripture tells us that we shall not oppress a stranger, for we know the heart of a stranger -- we were strangers once, too. 我们是要把像阿斯特丽德这样努力、有希望的移民赶走，还是要找到欢迎她的方式？经文告诉我们不要压迫陌生人，因为我们知道陌生人的心情——我们也曾经是陌生人。
My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too. And whether our forebears were strangers who crossed the Atlantic, or the Pacific, or the Rio Grande, we are here only because this country welcomed them in, and taught them that to be an American is about something more than what we look like, or what our last names are, or how we worship. What makes us Americans is our shared commitment to an ideal -- that all of us are created equal, and all of us have the chance to make of our lives what we will. 美国同胞们，我们是、也永远会是一个移民国家。我们的祖先无论跨越大西洋、太平洋还是格兰德河而来，我们之所以在这里，是因为这个国家欢迎他们，并教会他们：成为美国人，不取决于外貌、姓氏或敬拜方式，而取决于共同坚持一个理想——人人生而平等，人人都有机会塑造自己的人生。
That’s the country our parents and grandparents and generations before them built for us. That’s the tradition we must uphold. That’s the legacy we must leave for those who are yet to come. 这是我们的父母、祖父母和更早世代为我们建设的国家，是我们必须维护的传统，也是我们必须留给后人的遗产。
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless this country we love. 谢谢大家。愿上帝保佑你们，也愿上帝保佑我们所爱的这个国家。
