Earlier this week, the Republican House of Representatives chose to shut down a government they don't like over a health care law that they don't like.

本週初，共和黨主導的眾議院決議關閉這個他們不滿意的聯邦政府，因為他們不滿意新的健保法案。

And I've talked a lot about the real-world consequences of this shutdown in recent days:

而我最近也談了不少政府停擺後在真實世界的後果：

the services disrupted; the benefits delayed; the public servants kicked off the job without pay.

公共服務中斷、效益延後、公務員被迫放無薪假，

But today, I want to let the Americans dealing with those real-world consequences have their say.

但今天，我想讓那些實際面對這些窘況的美國人民表達他們的心聲。

And these are just a few of the many heartbreaking letters I've gotten from them in the past couple of weeks,

我在過去幾週收到了許多令人難過的信，而這是其中的幾封，

including more than 30,000 over the past few days.

包括最近幾天接踵而來的就有三萬多封。

Kelly Mumper lives in rural Alabama. She works in early education. She has three kids of her own in the Marines.

凱莉·孟波住在阿拉巴馬州的郊區，她在兒童早期教育機構工作；她自己的三位孩子都已進入海軍陸戰隊。

Here's what she wrote to me on Wednesday.

她禮拜三寄來的一封信上寫著：

"Our head start agency was forced to stop providing services on October 1st for over 770 children, and 175 staffs were furloughed.

「我們的先鋒計劃機構，在十月一號被迫停止為超過770名孩童提供服務，還有175名員工被放無薪假。

I'm extremely concerned for the welfare of these children.

There are parents who work and who attend school.

有些父母需要去工作或去學校上課。

Where are they leaving their children? Is it a safe environment?

那他們把小孩留在哪裡呢？那些環境安全嗎？

Are they getting the food that they receive at their Head Start program?"

有拿到美國先鋒計劃給他們的那些食物嗎？」

On the day Julia Pruden's application to buy a home for her and her special needs children was approved by the USDA's rural development direct loan program,

而茱莉雅·普登則是想替自己和有她特殊需求的孩子買房，在她的申請通過美國農業部(USDA)的鄉村發展直接貸款計劃的那天，

她從北達科他州的邁諾特寫信給我。

"We put in an offer to purchase a home this weekend, and it was accepted.

「我們這週末出價購買房子，也被對方接受了。

If funding does not go through, our chances of the American Dream are down the drain.

若是貸款沒有通過的話，我們完成美國夢的機會就將化為烏有。

We worked really hard to get our credit to be acceptable to purchase a home.

我們很努工作才達到貸款購屋的門檻。

If it weren't for the direct lending program provided by the USDA, we would not qualify to buy the home we found."

如果沒有美國農業局的直接借貸計劃，我們就無法符合資格來購買我們找到的房子。」

These are just two of the many letters I've received from people who work hard, try to make ends meet, try to do right by their families.

以上只是我收到的無數信件中的兩封，這些人都很努力工作，只為了使收支平衡、為家人做對的事。

They're military or military spouses who've seen commissaries closed on their bases.

有的是軍人或軍人配偶，看到軍隊基地的物資所關門。

They're veterans worried the services they've earned won't be there.

有的是退伍軍人，擔心他們應得的服利之後就不存在了。

They're business owners who've seen their contracts with the government put on hold, worried they'll have to let people go.

有的是企業老闆，遇到自己的合約被政府機關擱置、擔心自己必須解聘員工，

I want them to know, I read the stories you share with me.

我希望他們知道，我讀了他們和我分享的故事。

These are our fellow Americans. These are the people who sent us here to serve.

他們都是美國同胞，是選出我們來服務大眾的人民。

And I know that Republicans in the House of Representatives are hearing the same kinds of stories, too.

我知道眾議院的共和黨員也聽著同樣類型的故事。

As I made clear to them this week, there's only one way out of this reckless and damaging shutdown:

我這週跟他們說清楚了，政府停擺既魯莽又有害，解決之道只有一個：

pass a budget that funds our government, with no partisan strings attached.

通過預算，提供政府資金，並且沒有任何黨派附加條件。

And there are enough Republican and Democratic votes in the House of Representatives willing to do the same,

在眾議院裡也有足夠的共和黨與民主黨員願意投票做相同的事情：

Unfortunately, the far right of the Republican Party won't let Speaker John Boehner give that bill a yes-or-no vote.

不幸的是，共和黨極右派不讓發言人約翰·博納對該法案進行直接表决。

Take that vote. Stop this farce. End the shutdown now.

請投票吧！停止這場鬧劇，立刻結束政府關閉。

The American people don't get to demand ransom in exchange for doing their job. Neither does congress.

美國人民不會因為做自己的分內工作而要求贖金，國會也不能。

They don't get to hold our democracy or our economic hostage over a settled law.

他們不能因為一個已定的法律就挾持我們的民主或經濟當人質。

They don't get to kick the child out of Head Start if they don't agree to take her parents' health insurance away.

他們不能因為不同意走拿家長的醫療保險就把孩子踢出先鋒計劃。

It's not how our democracy is supposed to work.

我們的民主不該是這樣運作的。

That's why I won't pay a ransom in exchange for reopening the government.

這就是為何我不會支付贖金來重啟政府運作，

And I certainly won't pay a ransom in exchange for raising the debt ceiling.

我也絕對不會支付贖金來換取提高債務上限。

For as reckless as a government shutdown is,

因為像政府關門一樣不計後果的，

an economic shutdown that comes with default with more Americans not paying its bills would be dramatically worse.

是經濟停擺：更多美國人不付帳單，伴隨推欠債務，則會有更糟糕的結果。

I'll always work with anyone of either party on ways to grow this economy, create new jobs, and get our fiscal house in order for the long haul.

我會一直與兩黨的人合作：發展經濟、創造新的工作機會和重整財政機構以長期發展，

But not under the shadow of these threats to our economy.

但不是在這些威脅著我們經濟的陰影之下。

So my message is simple: pass a budget, end this government shutdown, pay our bills, prevent an economic shutdown.

所以我的訊息很簡單：通過預算，結束這次政府停擺；支付我們的賬單，防止經濟停擺。

These Americans and millions of others are counting on Congress to do the right thing.

這些美國民眾和數百萬人都在期望國會作出正確的事

And I will do everything I can to make sure they do. Thanks.

我也會儘我所能來確保他們做到。謝謝大家

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