英语名人堂：菲德尔·卡斯特罗

 菲德尔·亚历杭德罗·卡斯特罗·鲁斯，古巴前领导人，马克思主义者，无产阶级革命家、政治家、思想家、军事家，是当今国际共产主义运动中的领导人之一。于20世纪50年代领导古巴革命，推翻了巴蒂斯塔政权，将古巴转变为社会主义国家。

2005年6月卡斯特罗因病住院，由其弟，时任第一副主席的劳尔·卡斯特罗暂代国务委员会主席职务。后劳尔·卡斯特罗正式出任国务委员会主席兼部长会议主席职务。卡斯特罗于2008年2月19日公开表示不会再寻求担任古巴国务委员会主席的职务，早在2006已把权力移交予劳尔。卡斯特罗在2011年公开文章称五年前已经辞去所有职务，即2006年已交出权力。2011年4月16至19日在哈瓦那国际会议宫举行的古巴共产党第六次全国代表大会选举出古共新的领导机构，劳尔·卡斯特罗正式当选为古巴共产党中央委员会第一书记，马查多为第二书记。卡斯特罗正式隐退。

卡斯特罗主席曾于1995年和2003年2月对中国进行国事访问。

 

Fidel Castro is a Cuban revolutionary leader who became one of the highest profile figures of the twentieth century. He was Cuba's leader from 1959 until his retirement¹ in 2008. For most of his life he has fought the political and commercial influence of the United States in Cuba. He governed his country throughout decades of a US trade embargo².

 

Castro was born on a sugar plantation³ in 1926. He had a very poor upbringing. He was an extremely bright student at school and decided⁴ to study law. In 1945, Castro entered law school at the University of Havana. He became politically active and wanted to bring social justice to his country. He thought the poverty in Cuba was wholly unnecessary.

 

Castro graduated from law school in 1950 and began practicing as a lawyer. He became well known for despising American influence in Cuban affairs. He decided revolution was the only way to advance Cuban nationalism. He went to Mexico to plan a guerilla invasion of Cuba. There he met Che Guevara, who helped shape his political beliefs and military plans.

 

Castro’s rebel forces started the revolution in December 1958. They quickly seized power of the whole of Cuba and sent President Batista fleeing. The 32-year-old Castro became prime minister in February 1959. He went to the USA but was denied a meeting with President Eisenhower. He then went to the Soviet⁵ Union and became a Soviet ally. He stood firm against the USA for four decades.

1 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

2 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。

3 plantation   

n.种植园，大农场

参考例句：

• His father-in-law is a plantation manager.他岳父是个种植园经营者。
• The plantation owner has possessed himself of a vast piece of land.这个种植园主把大片土地占为己有。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。