奥巴马演讲 教育是我们时代的经济问题2(2)
文章来源:未知 文章作者:meng 发布时间:2010-08-23 01:23 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

So it’s no wonder that the amount student borrowers owe has risen almost 25 percent just over the last five years.  Think about that.  Just in the last five years, the debt of students has done up 25 percent.

And this isn’t some abstract policy for me.  I understand this personally, because Michelle and I, we had big loans to pay off when we graduated.  I remember what that felt like, especially early in your career where you don’t make much money and you’re sending all those checks to all those companies.  And that’s why I'm absolutely committed to making sure that here in America, nobody is denied a college education, nobody is denied a chance to pursue their dreams, nobody is denied a chance to make the most of their lives just because they can’t afford it.  (Applause.)  We are a better country than that, and we need to act like we’re a better country than that.  (Applause.)

Now, there are a couple of components1 to this.  Part of the responsibility for controlling these costs falls on our colleges and universities.  Some of them are stepping up.  Public institutions like the University of Maryland, University of North Carolina, some private institutions like Cornell, they’re all finding ways to combat rising tuition(学费) without compromising on quality.  And I know that your president is looking at some of these same approaches to make sure that the actual costs of college are going down.  I want to challenge every university and college president to get a handle on spiraling(盘旋的) costs.

So university administrators2 need to do more to make college more affordable3.  But we, as a nation, have to do more, as well. So that’s why we fought so hard to win a battle that had been going on in Washington for years, and it had to do with the federal student loan program.

See, under the old system, we’d pay banks and financial companies billions of dollars in subsidies4(补贴,津贴) to act as middlemen. See, these loans were guaranteed by the federal government.  But we’d still pass them through banks, and they’d take out billions of dollars in profits.  So it was a good deal for them, but it wasn’t a very good deal for you.  And because these special interests were so powerful, this boondoggle(手工品,细小而无用的事) survived year after year, Congress after Congress.

This year, we said, enough is enough.  (Applause.)  We said we could not afford to continue subsidizing special interests to the tunes5 of billions of dollars a year at the expense of taxpayers6 and of students.  So we went to battle against the lobbyists and a minority party that was united in their support of this outrageous7(粗暴的,可恶的) status quo(现状) .  And, Texas, I am here to report that we won.  (Applause.)   We won.  (Applause.)

So as a result, instead of handing over $60 billion in subsidies to big banks and financial institutions over the next decade, we’re redirecting that money to you, to make college more affordable for nearly 8 million students and families across this country.  Eight million students will get more help from financial aid because of these changes.  (Applause.)

We’re tripling how much we’re investing in the largest college tax credit for our middle-class families.  And thanks to Austin’s own Lloyd Doggett -- (applause) -- that tax credit is now worth $2,500 a year for two years of college.  And we want to make it permanent so it’s worth $10,000 over four years of college -- $10,000.  (Applause.)

And because the value of Pell grants has fallen as the cost of college keeps going up, the cap on how much Pell grants are worth, we have decided8 to offer more support for the future so the value of Pell grants don’t erode9(侵蚀) with inflation, they keep up with inflation.  And we’re also making loan repayments10 more manageable for over 1 million more students in the coming years, so students at UT-Austin, and across this country, don’t graduate with massive loan payments each month.  All right, that's -- we’re working on that right now.  (Applause.)

Now, I should mention, by the way, we’re also making information more widely available about college costs and completion rates so you can make good decisions.  You can comparison-shop.  And we’re simplifying financial aid forms by eliminating dozens of unnecessary questions.  You should not have to take -- you should not have to have a PhD to apply for financial aid.  (Applause.)  You shouldn’t have to do it.  (Applause.)  I want a bunch of you to get PhDs, don’t get me wrong.  I just don’t want you to have to do it for your financial aid form.  (Laughter.)  #p#分页标题#e#

So if you’re married, for example, you don’t need to answer questions anymore about how much money your parents have made.  If you’ve lived in the same place for at least five years, you don’t need to answer questions about your place of residency(住处) .  Soon, you’ll no longer need to submit information you’ve already provided on your taxes.  And that’s part of the reason why we’ve seen a 20 percent jump in financial aid applications, because we’re going to make it easier and make the system more accessible.  (Applause.)

So college affordability11 is the first part of the strategy that we’re pursuing.  The second part is making sure that the education being offered to our college students -- especially, by the way, our students at community colleges -- (applause) -- that it’s preparing them to graduate ready for a career.  See, institutions like the UT are essential to our future, but community colleges are, too.  (Applause.)  They are great, under-appreciated assets that we have to value and we have to support. (Applause.)

So that’s why we’re upgrading our community colleges, by tying the skills taught in our classrooms to the needs of local businesses in the growth sectors12 of our economy.  And we’re giving companies an assurance that the workers they hire will be up to the job.  We’re giving students the best chance to succeed. We’re also that way giving America the best chance to thrive and to prosper13.  And that’s why we’re also reinvesting in our HBCUs and Hispanic Serving Institutions -- (applause) -- like Huston-Tillotson and St. Edwards.  (Applause.)

The third part of our strategy is making sure every student completes their course of studies.  I want everybody to think about this.  Over a third of America’s college students and over half of our minority students don’t earn a degree, even after six years.  So we don’t just need to open the doors of college to more Americans; we need to make sure they stick with it through graduation.  That is critical.  (Applause.)

And that means looking for some of the best models out there.  There are community colleges like Tennessee’s Cleveland State that are redesigning remedial(治疗的,补救的) math courses and boosting not only student achievement but also graduation rates.  And we ought to make a significant investment to help other states pick up on some of these models.

So we’ve got to lift graduation rates.  We’ve got to prepare our graduates to succeed in this economy.  We’ve got to make college more affordable.  That’s how we’ll put a higher education within reach for anybody who is willing to work for it.  That’s how we’ll reach our goal of once again leading the world in college graduation rates by the end of this decade.  That’s how we’ll lead the global economy in this century, just like we did in the last century.  (Applause.)

When I look out at all the young people here today, I think about the fact that you are entering into the workforce14 at a difficult time in this country’s history.  The economy took a body blow from this financial crisis and this great recession that we’re going through.  But I want everybody here to remember, at each and every juncture15(接缝,连接) throughout our history we’ve always recognized that essential truth that the way to move forward, in our own lives and as a nation, is to put education first.

It’s what led Thomas Jefferson to leave as his legacy16(遗赠,遗产) not just the Declaration of Independence but a university in Virginia.  (Applause.)  It’s what led a nation that was being torn apart by civil war to set aside acreage(面积,英亩数) , as a consequence of President Lincoln’s vision, for the land-grant institutions to prepare farmers and factory workers to seize the promise of an Industrial Age.  It’s what led our parents and grandparents to put a generation of returning GIs through college, and open the doors of our schools and universities to people of all races, which broadened opportunity, and grew our middle class, and produced a half a century of prosperity.  (Applause.) 

And that recognition -– that here, in this great country of ours, education and opportunity, they always go hand in hand -– that’s what led the first president of the University of Texas to say, as he dedicated17 the cornerstone of the original Main Building:  “Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted(不吝惜的,足够的) wealth will gush18 forth19.”

That’s the promise at the heart of UT-Austin.  But that is also the promise at the heart of our colleges and of our universities, and it is the promise at the heart of our country  –- the promise of a better life; the promise that our children will climb higher than we did.  That promise is why so many of you are seeking a college degree in the first place.  That’s why your families #p#分页标题#e#scrimped and saved(节俭) to pay for your education.

And I know that as we make our way through this economic storm, some of you may be worried about what your college degree will be worth when you graduate, and how you’re going to fare in this economy, and what the future holds.  But I want you to know, when I look out at you –- when I look into the faces of America’s young men and women –- I see America’s future, and it reaffirms my sense of hope.  It reaffirms my sense of possibility.  It reaffirms my belief that we will emerge from this storm and we will find brighter days ahead, because I am absolutely confident that if you keep pouring yourselves into your own education, and if we as a nation offer our children the best education possible, from cradle(摇篮,发源地) through career, not only will America -- workers compete and succeed, America will compete and succeed.  (Applause.)

And we will complete this improbable(不太可能的) journey that so many of you took up over three years ago.  And we’re going to build an America where each of us, no matter what we look like or where we come from, can reach for our dreams and make of our lives what we will.  (Applause.)

Thank you, Austin.  Thank you, Texas.  God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)  Thank you. Good luck to the T.

 END 2:29 P.M. CDT



点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 components 4725dcf446a342f1473a8228e42dfa48     
(机器、设备等的)构成要素,零件,成分; 成分( component的名词复数 ); [物理化学]组分; [数学]分量; (混合物的)组成部分
参考例句:
  • the components of a machine 机器部件
  • Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。
2 administrators d04952b3df94d47c04fc2dc28396a62d     
n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 );有管理(或行政)才能的人;(由遗嘱检验法庭指定的)遗产管理人;奉派暂管主教教区的牧师
参考例句:
  • He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员,但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
  • Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城
3 affordable kz6zfq     
adj.支付得起的,不太昂贵的
参考例句:
  • The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
  • There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。
4 subsidies 84c7dc8329c19e43d3437248757e572c     
n.补贴,津贴,补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
  • Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 tunes 175b0afea09410c65d28e4b62c406c21     
n.曲调,曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 );调整;(给收音机、电视等)调谐;使协调
参考例句:
  • a potpourri of tunes 乐曲集锦
  • When things get a bit too much, she simply tunes out temporarily. 碰到事情太棘手时,她干脆暂时撒手不管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 taxpayers 8fa061caeafce8edc9456e95d19c84b4     
纳税人,纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
  • She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。
7 outrageous MvFyH     
adj.无理的,令人不能容忍的
参考例句:
  • Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
  • Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。
8 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
9 erode NmUyX     
v.侵蚀,腐蚀,使...减少、减弱或消失
参考例句:
  • Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外,土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
  • Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。
10 repayments f8b697bfb3107d78e4b040d051ee8608     
偿还,报答,偿付的钱物( repayment的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The repayments of the loan are spread over 10 years. 贷款可在十年内分期偿还。
  • The repayments of the loan are spread over 25 years. 这笔贷款分摊二十五年偿还。
11 affordability b765fd6126db9695d9d5b74d209e7527     
可购性
参考例句:
  • Performance-Based Logistics Affordability: Can We Afford Categorical Conversion to Performance-Based Acquisition? 基于性能的后期的可承受性:能否担负得起向基于性能的采办的无条件的转变?
  • There would be no crisis of affordability, as't for food or clothing. 就想食物与服装一样,因为供给没有危机。
12 sectors 218ffb34fa5fb6bc1691e90cd45ad627     
n.部门( sector的名词复数 );领域;防御地区;扇形
参考例句:
  • Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
13 prosper iRrxC     
v.成功,兴隆,昌盛;使成功,使昌隆,繁荣
参考例句:
  • With her at the wheel,the company began to prosper.有了她当主管,公司开始兴旺起来。
  • It is my earnest wish that this company will continue to prosper.我真诚希望这家公司会继续兴旺发达。
14 workforce workforce     
n.劳动大军,劳动力
参考例句:
  • A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
  • A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。
15 juncture e3exI     
n.时刻,关键时刻,紧要关头
参考例句:
  • The project is situated at the juncture of the new and old urban districts.该项目位于新老城区交界处。
  • It is very difficult at this juncture to predict the company's future.此时很难预料公司的前景。
16 legacy 59YzD     
n.遗产,遗赠;先人(或过去)留下的东西
参考例句:
  • They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
  • He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。
17 dedicated duHzy2     
adj.一心一意的;献身的;热诚的
参考例句:
  • He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
  • His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。
18 gush TeOzO     
v.喷,涌;滔滔不绝(说话);n.喷,涌流;迸发
参考例句:
  • There was a gush of blood from the wound.血从伤口流出。
  • There was a gush of blood as the arrow was pulled out from the arm.当从手臂上拔出箭来时,一股鲜血涌了出来。
19 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
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