VOA常速英语2008年-Bush Looking for Democracy in Post-Castro Cuba

By Scott Stearns
Kigali
19 February 2008

President Bush says Cuban President Fidel Castro's decision to step down should be the start of a democratic transition on the island.  Cuba's Communist party newspaper published a quote from Mr. Castro Tuesday, saying he will not accept another term as president.   VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has more on Mr. Bush's reaction.

President Bush says the United States will help the people of Cuba realize the blessings¹ of liberty.

"I believe that the change from Fidel Castro ought to begin a period of democratic transition," the president said.  "First step, of course, will be for people put in these prisons to be let out.  I have met with some of the families of prisoners.  It just breaks your heart to realize that people have been thrown in prison because they dared speak out."

After nearly half a century in power, Fidel Castro's decision to step down appears to open the way for his brother Raul, who has been acting² president since the long-time leader's intestinal³ surgery two years ago.

As power changes hands in Cuba, President Bush says some people will say U.S. policy should promote stability.  But Mr. Bush says that would be a mistake because political prisoners would continue to rot in detention⁴ and the human condition, in many cases, he says, would remain pathetic.

"Eventually this transition ought to lead to free and fair elections.  And I mean free.  And I mean fair.  Not these kind of staged elections that the Castro brothers try to foist⁵ of as being true democracy," he said.

The president spoke⁶ in Rwanda on the third stop of a five-nation tour of Africa.  At a press conference with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Mr. Bush was asked what the Cuban leader's decision means for America.  He said the question should be what does it mean for Cubans?

"They're the ones put in prison because of their beliefs.  They're the ones who have been denied their right to live in a free society," Mr. Bush said.

A new National Assembly was elected in January, and will meet for the first time Sunday to pick the governing Council of State, which will now include a new president.

1 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

3 intestinal   

adj.肠的；肠壁；肠道细菌

参考例句：

• A few other conditions are in high intestinal obstruction. 其它少数情况是高位肠梗阻。 来自辞典例句
• This complication has occasionally occurred following the use of intestinal antiseptics. 这种并发症偶而发生在使用肠道抗菌剂上。 来自辞典例句

4 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。

5 foist   

vt.把…强塞给，骗卖给

参考例句：

• He doesn't try to foist his beliefs on everyone.他不会勉强每个人接受他的信念。
• He tried to foist some inferior goods on me.他企图把一些劣质货强售给我。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。