Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Message
新加坡总理李显龙国庆致辞

August 8 2013
2013年8月8日

My fellow Singaporeans,
亲爱的同胞：

I am speaking to you from the new SAFRA clubhouse in Toa Payoh. This is where SAFRA built its very first clubhouse in 1975. We have just rebuilt it with better facilities for NSmen and your families. It is a small gesture to thank you for your many contributions and sacrifices. It is also an example of how we are upgrading our amenities and environment as Singapore develops, year by year.
我是在战备军人协会崭新的大巴窑俱乐部和大家讲话。1975年，战备军协的第一个俱乐部就设在这里。不久前，大巴窑俱乐部经过重建后重新开放，为战备军人和家属提供更好的设施，这是感谢大家为国家做出贡献和牺牲的一点心意。随着国家的发展，我们也一步步改善我们的环境和设施，翻新战备军协俱乐部是其中一个例子。

We have made steady progress this past year. We have cleared the queue for HDB flats, stabilised BTO prices and tightened up on property speculation and excessive borrowing. We have added more buses and increased the number of bus routes. We are trying out free early morning MRT rides into the city. We will add more trains to the existing lines. Phase One of the Downtown Line will open in December, and more MRT lines after that. We also celebrated several successes in the arts and sports, including our LionsXII team winning the Malaysian Super League.
过去一年，我们的努力取得了成绩。在房屋方面，我们缩短了申购新组屋的等候时间，首次申请者不再需要等候多年才买得到新组屋。我们也稳住预购组屋价格，并采取措施抑制房地产投机活动和过度借贷的问题。在交通方面，我们扩大巴士车队和增加新巴士路线。为了舒缓早上繁忙时段的人潮，我们试验推行（在限定时间）免费乘搭地铁进市区的计划。接下来，我们还会为现有地铁线添置更多列车。地铁市区线的第一阶段路线将在今年12月通车。之后，还会有更多地铁线陆续通车。另外，我们在艺术和体育方面也获得成就，包括我国12狮足球队赢得马来西亚超级足球联赛冠军。

We are tackling longer term issues too, especially marriage and parenthood, as well as population. The White Paper on Population in January provoked strong reactions, but the debate helped us to understand the issues better. We face difficult choices: We need foreign workers to serve our economy and Singaporeans’ needs, and immigrants to make up for our shortfall of babies. But we also worry about crowding and congestion, and maintaining our Singaporean identity. So we are feeling our way forward carefully, conscious both of our needs and our limits, and seeking the best outcome for Singaporeans.
我们也正在着手处理一些长期课题，尤其是国人结婚生子和国家人口的课题。今年一月发布的人口白皮书引起了激烈的反应，不过这些讨论确实让我们更加了解有关课题。我们面对困难的抉择：一方面，我们需要引进外国劳工从事经济活动和应付国人的需要，也需要外来移民填补低生育率造成的人口不足；可是另一方面，我们又担心移民涌入造成拥挤问题，以及如何维系新加坡人对国家的认同感和归属感。所以，我们很小心地探索前方的路，我们知道我们的需要和我们面对的挑战，并希望为新加坡人寻求最好的结果。

Our economy is holding steady amidst global uncertainties. We are attracting more quality investments. Unemployment remains low. We grew by 2.0% in the first half of 2013, and expect to grow by 2.5-3.5% this year, higher than previously expected. Even as we tighten up on foreign workers and immigration, we must maintain investor confidence and keep Singapore open for business.
在全球经济不明朗的情况下，我国经济保持稳定。我们吸引到更多优质的投资项目，失业率也保持在低水平。今年上半年，我国经济增长2%，全年很可能达到2.5%到3.5%的增长。在紧缩外劳和移民政策的同时，我们必须让投资者对我们保有信心，确保新加坡仍然是具有吸引力的经商之地。

The world is changing rapidly and unpredictably. Technology is transforming our lives. Societies everywhere feel under pressure: Jobs have become less secure, wages are rising more slowly or even stagnating, families are working harder, and parents worry whether their children will do better than themselves.
世界变得很快，也难以预测。科技给我们的生活带来巨大变化。在很多国家，社会压力正在加剧，工作少了保障, 工资增长缓慢甚至停滞下来，人们更卖力工作、为人父母者担心下一代的前景不如自己这一代。

Singapore is changing too. The economy is maturing and our population is ageing. Different groups in society now have more diverse and even conflicting interests. Older Singaporeans worry about healthcare and costs of living. Younger ones aspire to wider education opportunities and more affordable homes.
新加坡也在改变中。我国经济已趋向成熟，人口日渐老化，而社会各群体的诉求也更加多样化，甚至会互相抵触。年长国人担心医药保健和生活费的问题，年轻国人则渴望有更多更广的升学途径，以及价格更大众化的房子。

Our road ahead will be different from the road we have travelled. So we must reassess our position, review our direction, and refresh our strategies to thrive in this new world.
前方的路跟我们走过的路将会是不同的。因此，我们必须重新思考我们的定位、检讨我们的方向、和更新我们的策略，改善我们在这个新世界里的生活。

In my Message last year, I said that Singapore should always be our best Home, with Heart and Hope. We launched Our Singapore Conversation to define our shared future together. Many have participated actively and passionately. We heard many valuable suggestions. Thank you for taking part in this effort.
我在去年的国庆献词中曾说，新加坡是我们共有的家园，我们必须努力把她建设成一个富有爱心、充满希望，永远最美好的家。为此，我们开展了“我们的新加坡全国对话”，一起勾画我们共同的未来。许多国人积极热烈地参与讨论，我们听到了很多宝贵的意见。非常感谢你们的参与。