(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
President Barack Obama announced a major change in United States' policy toward Cuba this week. He said he wants Congress to ease more than 50 years of U.S. sanctions against the island nation. And he said the two nations should once again formally recognize one another.
"I've instructed Secretary (of State John) Kerry to immediately begin discussions with Cuba to re-establish diplomatic relations that have been severed since January of 1961."
Mr. Obama said he also wants to see the easing of restrictions on banking, business activities and travel by U.S. citizens to Cuba. And representatives of the two countries will meet to talk about reopening the U.S. embassy in Havana.
The surprising announcement was made as Cuba released Alan Gross, an American citizen who worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development. Mr. Gross was arrested in Havana in 2009 and charged with bringing communications equipment to Cuba. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
President Obama said Mr. Gross was returning home as part of a prisoner exchange with the Cuban government. He said Mr. Gross and a man described as "one of the most important (U.S.) intelligence agents" were exchanged for three Cuban spies. The three were said to have spent more than 10 years in U.S. prisons.
In Cuba, President Raul Castro spoke to the nation. He praised Mr. Obama's move to normalize relations.
He said "This decision by President Obama deserves the respect and recognition of our people."
The announcement that the two countries would normalize relations followed more than a year of secret talks between the two long-time enemies. Canadian officials and Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, also took part in the discussions. The pope expressed his "warm congratulations" on the re-establishment of diplomatic ties.
One opinion survey found that Americans are generally supportive of the change in policy. Many agreed with President Obama that the sanctions against Cuba have failed to help U.S. interests. Some of the measures have lasted more than half a century. To cancel the restrictions, the president needs approval from the United States Congress. When Congress begins debating the issue next year, it will be controlled by Republicans, who generally oppose the policies of President Obama, who is a Democrat.
Critics of the decision say improving relations with Cuba will be a sign of support for the country's government. One of those critics is Marco Rubio, a United States Senator from Florida. Mr. Rubio is a Cuban-American and a member of the Republican Party. He reacted quickly and strongly to the announcement.
"This president is the single worst negotiator we've had in the White House in my lifetime -- who has basically given the Cuban government everything it asked for and received no assurances of any advances in democracy and freedom in return."
Many Cubans fled to the United States in the years after Fidel Castro came to power. Some of those who fled have long supported a policy of separating Cuba from the rest of the world. They approved of actions against Cuban officials and travel bans, even if it meant their family members could not return to Cuba.
I'm Christopher Cruise.
词汇解释
1.sever vt. 割断，断绝；分开；使分离 vi. 断；裂开；分离
She severed her ties with her homeland.
她断绝了与自己祖国的联系。
2.normalize vt. 使正常化；使规格化，使标准化
The two governments were close to normalizing relations.
两国政府即将使关系正常化。
3.deserve vi. 应受，应得 vt. 应受，应得
These people deserve to make more than the minimum wage.
这些人应该得到高于最低工资的报酬。
内容解析
1....who has basically given the Cuban government everything it asked for and received no assurances of any advances in democracy and freedom in return.
in return 作为回报；作为…的报酬；作为交换
He was motivated by love,and expected nothing in return.
他是出自爱心，并不指望得到任何回报。
I'll sell at a discount in return for a speedy sale.
为了尽快售出，我会打折销售。
参考译文
巴拉克·奥巴马本周宣布美国对古巴政策的重大改变，他说希望国会能放松美国对这个岛国50多年的制裁，他说两国应该再次相互官方承认。
“我已要求国务卿约翰·克里立即开始与古巴的对话，希望能重建自1961年1月就断绝的外交关系。”
奥巴马说他还希望看到放缓对美国赴古巴公民在银行、商业活动和旅行方面的限制，两国代表将商谈在哈瓦那重开美国大使馆的事宜。
这个令人吃惊的消息宣布时，古巴正释放了就职于美国国际开发署的美国公民艾伦·格罗斯，格罗斯2009年在哈瓦那被捕，被控向古巴运送通讯设备，他被判刑15年徒刑。
奥巴马总统称，格罗斯回国是与古巴政府进行的囚犯交换项目的部分内容，他说格罗斯和一名被称为“极为重要的美国情报人员”已获释，交换条件是是三名古巴间谍获释，据悉这三人已在美国监狱呆了10多年。
在古巴，总统劳尔·卡斯特罗将全国发表讲话，他赞扬了奥巴马将两国关系正常化的举措。
他说“奥巴马总统此举值得我国人民尊敬和赞扬”。
在宣布两国关系将正常化后，这两个长期的敌对国将进行一年多的秘密谈判。加拿大官员和罗马天主教堂领袖方济各教皇也参加了会谈，教皇对两国恢复外交关系表示了“热烈的祝贺”。
民调显示美国人普遍上支持这一政策改变，很多人很赞同奥巴马总统的观点，认为对古巴采取制裁未能成就美国的利益，有的措施已经实施了半个多世纪。为了取消限制，总统需要得到美国国会的批准。在国会明年就该问题进行辩论时，届时国会将由共和党控制，一般来说，共和党反对民主党总统奥巴马的政策。
该决定的批评者称改善与古巴关系将意味着支持该国政府，其中一位批评者是来自佛罗里达州的美国参议员马可·卢比奥，他是古巴裔美国人，也是共和党人，他对该声明立即表示了强烈反对。
“这位总统是我有生以来见到的最糟糕白宫协商者，基本上来说，古巴政府要什么，他就给什么，却没有得到古巴方面任何推进民主和自由的保证。”
在菲德尔·卡斯特罗执政后，很多古巴人逃到美国，有的人一直支持一项将古巴与世界其他国家隔离的政策，他们支持对古巴官员实行的措施和旅行限制，即使这意味着其家人可能无法返回古巴。
我是克里斯多夫·克鲁斯。
