奥巴马开始对古巴进行历史性访问

AS IT IS 2016-03-21 Obama Begins Historic Visit to Cuba 奥巴马开始对古巴进行历史性访问

President Barack Obama has arrived in Cuba, becoming the first American president to visit the island nation in almost 90 years while still in office.

Moments after the president’s plane landed at Jose Marti airport in Havana in the rain, he sent a Tweet that said “?Que bolá Cuba? Just touched down here, looking forward to meeting and hearing directly from the Cuban people.” “?Que bolá?” is an informal Cuban expression that means “How are you?”

At the airport, American and Cuban officials met Obama. CNN reported that some of the Cuban officials who greeted Mr. Obama had been forced to leave the United States after being accused of spying for Cuba. Cuban President Raul Castro did not welcome President Obama at the airport.

Michelle Obama and their two daughters joined the president for the three-day-visit.

A new beginning

The president says the trip will be a new beginning in the relationship between the former Cold War enemies. At the State Department last week, he said “diplomacy -- including having the courage to turn a page on the failed policies of the past -- is how we’ve begun a new chapter of engagement with the people of Cuba.”

In Havana, workers put up American and Cuban flags along with a new coat of paint in Old Havana.

Cubans have eagerly awaited the president’s visit as a sign of change for the country.

Yohana is a 45-year-old lab specialist in Havana. She says that the embargo¹ has caused much damage to the Cuban health system. Jan Carlos, a 14-year-old student, hopes the visit will lead to improved communications between countries and better access to the internet and social media.

Hector Artigas is a 70-year-old retired² worker in Havana. He says Cuban should be alert despite improved relations with the U.S.

Obama hopes his visit to Cuba this week will strengthen efforts between the two countries to improve their diplomatic and economic relations 55 years after they ended.

The two countries restarted diplomatic relations eight months ago.

Obama believes the restarting of relations with Cuba is one of the most important foreign policy decisions of his presidency³. He has said that the policy of trying to isolate⁴ Cuba has failed.

Obama to meet Raul Castro and to address Cuban people

?On Monday, the president is to meet with Cuban President Raul Castro. He will then meet with Cubans who are operating their own businesses to talk about economic ties between the U.S. and Cuba.

Tuesday morning, he will speak to the Cuban people on state-run television. He will tell them how he wants the relationship between the two countries to develop.

Ben Rhodes is the president’s deputy national security advisor⁵. He told reporters that the speech will also be a chance for the president to discuss the difficult history of relations between the United States and Cuba. Rhodes said the president will tell “how the United States and Cubans can work together (and) how the Cuban people can pursue a better life.”

Obama will meet with human rights activists⁶ during his trip. The Cuban government opposes the meetings, but the Obama administration said it refused to negotiate with Cuban officials about who the president would meet and what they would talk about.

The Cuban government recently released some political prisoners and has let some people use the Internet. But in 2015, Human Rights Watch reported that Cuba “continues to rely on arbitrary detention⁷ to harass⁸ and intimidate⁹ individuals who exercise their fundamental rights.” The rights group said detentions¹⁰ had increased since the two countries restarted diplomatic relations.

Continued opposition¹¹ at home

Some of President Obama’s political opponents also say Cuba is guilty of rights abuses. They have strongly criticized the president’s visit to the Communist nation.

Representative Ed Royce is the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. In a statement, he said canceling the embargo “will further prop¹² up a communist regime in Cuba that has a long record of brutal¹³ human rights abuses.”

On Friday, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said “this is a regime that provides safe harbor to terrorists and fugitives¹⁴."

Because the president’s political opponents control both the House and Senate, experts say it is not likely that Congress will approve the cancellation¹⁵ of the embargo.

But five Republican lawmakers are traveling to Cuba with Obama. And at least 15 Republican senators have said restrictions¹⁶ on travel to and trade with Cuba should be eased.

Words in This Story

turn a page on – expression to restart a relationship

chapter – n. a period of time that is very different from the period of time before it

engage – v. to become involved with (someone or something)

isolate – v. to put or keep (someone or something) in a place or situation that is separate from others

spur – v. to cause (something) to happen or to happen more quickly

pursue – v. to try to get or do (something) over a period of time

arbitrary – adj. done without concern for what is fair or right

harass – v. to annoy or bother (someone) in a constant or repeated way

intimidate – v. to make (someone) afraid

fundamental – adj. forming or relating to the most important part of something

regime – n. a form of government (usually negative)

safe harbor – expression a place of safety and comfort

1 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

2 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

3 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

4 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

5 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

8 harass   

vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰

参考例句：

• Our mission is to harass the landing of the main Japaness expeditionary force.我们的任务是骚乱日本远征军主力的登陆。
• They received the order to harass the enemy's rear.他们接到骚扰敌人后方的命令。

9 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

10 detentions   

拘留( detention的名词复数 )； 扣押； 监禁； 放学后留校

参考例句：

• Teachers may assign detention tasks as they wish and some detentions have been actually dangerous. 老师可能随心所欲指派关禁闭的形式，有些禁闭事实上很危险。
• Intimidation, beatings and administrative detentions are often enough to prevent them from trying again. 恐吓，拷打和行政拘留足以阻止请愿者二次进京的脚步。

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 prop   

vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山

参考例句：

• A worker put a prop against the wall of the tunnel to keep it from falling.一名工人用东西支撑住隧道壁好使它不会倒塌。
• The government does not intend to prop up declining industries.政府无意扶持不景气的企业。

13 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

14 fugitives   

n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Three fugitives from the prison are still at large. 三名逃犯仍然未被抓获。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Members of the provisional government were prisoners or fugitives. 临时政府的成员或被捕或逃亡。 来自演讲部分

15 cancellation   

n.删除，取消

参考例句：

• Heavy seas can cause cancellation of ferry services.海上风浪太大，可能须要取消渡轮服务。
• Her cancellation of her trip to Paris upset our plan.她取消了巴黎之行打乱了我们的计划。

16 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制