微軟(Microsoft)董事長、世界首富比爾o蓋茨(Bill Gates)昨日警告稱，限制進入美國的熟練工人數量的規定，已使美國的競爭力面臨風險。
　　Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft and the world’s richest man, gave warning yesterday that restrictions on the number of skilled workers allowed to enter the US put the country’s competitiveness at risk.
　　此番言論是科技行業對美國限制性移民政策的最新抨擊。美國科技行業正面臨熟練工人短缺的問題，而目前科技業對這些人技能的需求不斷上升。蓋茨在美國參議院衛生、教育、勞工及退休金委員會(Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labour and Pensions)發表演講時表示，美國移民政策的嚴格程度有所上升--部分原因是出于對恐怖主義的擔憂，這"恰好在我們最有需要時，把全球最優秀、最聰明的人趕走了"。
　　The comments marked the latest attack on restrictive US immigration policies by the technology industry, which is facing a shortage of skilled workers even as demand for their skills is increasing. Speaking before the Senate committee on health, education, labour and pensions, Mr Gates said that tighter US immigration policies - governed partly by concerns over terrorism - were "driving away the world’s best and brightest precisely when we need them most".
　　"這等于告訴訓練有素、高度熟練的工人，美國不歡迎或者不重視他們，這毫無道理，何況他們中許多人還在我們的頂尖學院和大學中受教育，"蓋茨表示，"如果美國將恰好最能幫助我們進行競爭的人關在門外，那么它將發現極難維持自己在科技方面的領導地位。"
　　"It makes no sense to tell well-trained, highly skilled individuals, many of whom are educated at our top colleges and universities, that the United States does not welcome or value them," Mr Gates said. "America will find it infinitely more difficult to maintain its technological leadership if it shuts out the very people who are most able to help us compete."
　　蓋茨表示，其它國家正利用美國的限制性移民政策，吸引高度熟練的工人，而這些人本可能選擇在美國學習、定居和工作。
　　Mr Gates said that other countries were taking advantage of restrictive US policies by catering to highly skilled workers who would otherwise choose to study, live and work in the US.
　　"我們錯失的機遇變成了它們的收獲，"蓋茨表示，"我個人在微軟幾乎每天都能看到這些政策的不利影響。"
　　"Our lost opportunities are their gains," he said. "I personally witness the ill effects of these policies on an almost daily basis at Microsoft."
　　蓋茨對美國的競爭力狀況發出了廣泛警告，上述關于移民問題的言論便是其中之一。
　　Mr Gates’s comments on immigration were part of a broader warning by the Microsoft chairman over the state of US competitiveness.
　　蓋茨表示，如果美國不迅速改善教育、投資基礎科學研究并改革移民政策，他將"深為擔憂"美國保持競爭力的能力。
　　Mr Gates said he felt "deep anxiety" about America’s ability to remain competitive if it did not act quickly to improve education, invest in basic science research, and reform its immigration policies.
　　蓋茨呼吁美國國會放寬妨礙許多外國學生在美國大學完成學業后定居美國的規定。他還建議國會縮短高度熟練工人獲得永久居民身份的時間。
　　Mr Gates called on Congress to loosen rules that prevent many foreign students from settling once their studies at US universities are complete. He also suggested that Congress speed the process of obtaining permanent resident status for highly skilled workers.
　　美國目前將簽發給外國熟練工人的簽證數量限制在每年6.5萬個，而將簽發的綠卡(即獲得永久居民身份)數量限制在每年14萬個。