Former President Barack Obama has inked a deal that will bank him $400,000 to speak to a Wall Street firm, placing him on the money train that caused his would-be successor Hillary Clinton problems in her presidential campaign.
美国前总统贝拉克·奥巴马已经签署了一份协议,将以40万美元为报酬到华尔街一家公司做演讲,此举将奥巴马也变成了捞钱大军的一员--而这一问题也让本以为将成为他继任者的希拉里·克林顿,在竞选总统过程中麻烦重重。
The speaking fee, for a health care conference being run by Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald LP, equals the salary Obama earned for an entire year as president.此次演讲是由华尔街一家名叫康托·菲茨杰拉德的公司举办的一次医疗保健会议,而奥巴马得到的演讲费相当于他当总统时一整年的工资。The former president will be the keynote speaker at a luncheon at a health care conference in September, Fox Business reported, citing sources at the firm.《福克斯商业》援引这家公司的消息人士的话称,奥巴马将会在九月份这场医疗保健会议上发表主题演讲。The network reported that Obama has signed the contract, but some details were still being worked out.据报道,奥巴马已经签署了这份协议,但是某些细节仍然在议定当中。"I did not run for office to be helping out a bunch of fat cat bankers on Wall Street," Obama said in 2009, while the country was still in the grip of a financial crisis that many blame in part on Wall Street's own freewheeling practices.
奥巴马曾在2009年时说道:“我竞选总统不是为了帮助华尔街那群肥佬。”当时美国仍然深陷金融危机,许多人都谴责,是由于华尔街的为所欲为才导致了这场危机。Obama is following in the path of several other recent presidents who found they were able to easily monetize the experiences they gained in the world's most powerful elected position.但是奥巴马并不是美国历史上第一个这么做的总统。在他之前还有好几位总统发现,他们可以很轻松地利用从那个全世界最有权势位置上得来的经验而挣到钱。Politico reported two years ago that George W. Bush commands up to $175,000 a speech, delivering in excess of 200 paid speeches.《政客》两年前曾报道,乔治·W·布什一场演讲的明码标价为17.5万美元,其收费演讲的次数超过了200场。Hillary Clinton took heat throughout her primary battle against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for her own paid speeches, which included talks to Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street firms.而在希拉里于总统初选与佛特蒙州参议员伯尼·桑德斯较量时,她就因为曾收费做演讲而深受诟病--其中就包括为高盛和其他华尔街公司所做的演讲。As former secretary of state and a possible future candidate, Hillary Clinton commanded about the same amount for speeches to business and association groups.当时作为前国务卿和未来有可能的总统候选人,希拉里向企业和协会团体演讲的要价和奥巴马一样高。