オバマ氏２期目 米国再生へ真価が問われる

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jan. 29, 2013)
Can U.S. achieve revival during Obama's 2nd term?
オバマ氏２期目　米国再生へ真価が問われる（1月28日付・読売社説）

The coming four years will be a crucial test of Barack Obama's ability to revive the United States.
　米国再生へ成果が問われる重要な４年間だ。

After his reelection, Obama has launched his second term as U.S. president.
　再選を果たしたオバマ米大統領が、２期目のスタートを切った。

In a speech marking the inauguration of his second term, Obama touted his first-term achievements, saying: "A decade of war is now ending. An economic recovery has begun."
　オバマ氏は新たな任期に臨む就任式で「１０年に及ぶ戦争は今、終わりつつある。経済の回復も始まった」と述べ、１期目の成果を誇示した。

U.S. troops in Afghanistan will complete their combat mission shortly and pull out at the end of next year. Stock prices that nosedived after the "Lehman shock" have been rising sharply, exceeding precrisis levels. And the U.S. energy boom is surging due to the so-called shale gas revolution.
　アフガニスタン駐留米軍は戦闘任務をまもなく終え、来年末には撤収する。リーマン・ショックで急落した株価も危機前の水準を超えて大幅に上昇し、シェールガス革命でエネルギーブームだ。

Obama probably takes pride in his achievement of overcoming negative legacies of the previous Bush administration.
　オバマ氏には、ブッシュ前政権の「負の遺産」を克服したという自負心があるのだろう。

However, a bumpy road lies ahead before the United States can attain a full-scale revival.
　ただし、本格的な再生へ、前途はいばらの道である。

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Fiscal mess must be fixed

The top-priority challenge will be fiscal reconstruction.
　最重要課題は財政再建だ。

Fiscal deficits topped 1 trillion dollars (about 90 trillion yen) for four consecutive years, and government debts ballooned to exceed 16 trillion dollars.
　財政赤字は４年連続で１兆ドル（約９０兆円）を超え、政府債務残高も１６兆ドル超に膨れ上がった。

The United States has so far avoided the double threats of falling off the fiscal cliff: mandatory spending cuts and the expiration of large-scale tax breaks. A government default will likely be avoided for about three months by raising the ceiling on the issuance of U.S. Treasury bills, which limits federal borrowing.
　大型減税の失効と歳出の強制削減が重なる「財政の崖」からの転落は、ひとまず回避した。連邦政府の借り入れ枠である米国債発行枠（債務上限）を暫定的に引き上げ、デフォルト（債務不履行）も約３か月避けられる方向だ。

However, implementation of drastic fiscal reconstruction measures are being put on the back burner.
　だが、抜本的な財政再建策は先送りされている。

Obama must display strong leadership in passing necessary bills through Congress.
　オバマ氏は、議会で必要な法案が成立するよう、強い指導力を発揮しなければならない。

Partisan confrontation has been intensifying rather than subsiding under a divided Congress in which the House of Representatives is controlled by the opposition Republican Party and the Senate by the Democratic Party. Obama will face a tough job in dealing with Republican representatives on key bills.
　下院を野党・共和党、上院を民主党が制する“ねじれ議会”で、党派対立はむしろ深まっている。議会対策は容易ではあるまい。

To help overcome the challenge, Obama is replacing key Cabinet members--including secretaries of Treasury, state and defense--and has nominated seasoned politicians with broad influence in Congress to fill the posts.
　オバマ氏が、財務、国務、国防各長官ら主要閣僚を交代し、議会に顔が利くベテランを指名したのも、そのための布陣と言える。

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A host of challenges

Obama faces a host of difficult policy challenges at home. Among them are legislation for gun control in the aftermath of the shooting rampage that claimed the lives of 20 elementary school students, and reform of the immigration system to give the children of illegal immigrants conditional citizenship.
　小学生２０人が犠牲となった銃乱射事件を受けた銃規制の法整備、不法移民の子供に条件付きで市民権を付与する移民制度改革など、内政の難題は山積している。

On diplomatic and security fronts, Obama will have to cope with the ongoing nuclear development programs of North Korea and Iran. Washington's active engagement will be indispensable to promote the deadlocked Middle East peace process and deal with the turmoil stemming from the Arab Spring pro-democracy movement.
　外交・安全保障面では、進む一方の北朝鮮やイランの核開発に取り組まねばならない。停滞したままの中東和平や「アラブの春」後の混乱に対処する上でも、米国の積極的な関与は欠かせない。

Above all, the Obama administration's strategy of focusing on Asia is being put to the test.
　とりわけ、アジア重視戦略の真価が問われている。

How will the White House develop a relationship with the Chinese administration led by Xi Jinping while curbing the moves of China, which has been expanding its military and economic power? It will be essential for the United States to buttress relations with Japan and other allies to build a free, open and peaceful Asia-Pacific region.
　軍事的にも経済的にも膨張著しい中国を牽制(けんせい)しつつ、習近平政権とどういう関係を築くのか。自由で開かれた平和なアジア太平洋地域の構築へ、日本など同盟国との関係強化は不可欠である。

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit the United States next month and hold a summit meeting with Obama. We hope the two leaders will discuss how to reinforce the Japan-U.S. alliance from a strategic viewpoint focusing on China.
　安倍首相は来月、訪米し、オバマ氏と首脳会談に臨む。中国をにらんだ戦略的な日米同盟の強化策を論じ合ってもらいたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 28, 2013)
（2013年1月28日01時07分  読売新聞）