U.S. First Lady Laura Bush says the United States will do all it can to help the victims of the cyclone that hit Burma on Saturday. Mrs. Bush also said it is troubling that many Burmese learned about the cyclone only when foreign broadcasters like the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia sounded the alarm. There are fears in the Bush administration that Burma's military leaders will not accept the aid.
美国第一夫人劳拉.布什说，美国将尽最大努力帮助星期六遭受热带风暴袭击的缅甸灾民。但是，布什政府担心缅甸军政府领导人不接受美国的援助。
First ladies normally do not appear at the White House podium to talk about events abroad.
美国第一夫人通常不会在白宫讲台上谈论外国局势。
But Mrs. Bush has made the cause of the Burmese people her own. And it somehow seemed fitting that she became the face of the administration's response to Cyclone Nargis, which Burmese officials say could claim as many as 10,000 lives.
但是布什夫人把缅甸人民的事情当成了自己的事情，而由她出面代表美国政府对纳尔吉斯热带风暴做出反应看来相当得体。缅甸官员说，纳尔吉斯可能导致了1万5千人死亡。
"The U.S. has offered financial assistance through our embassy," said Mrs. Bush. "We will work with the UN and other international non-governmental organizations to provide water, sanitation, food and shelter."
布什夫人说：“美国通过大使馆提出财政援助建议。我们将同联合国和其它国际非政府组织一道，提供水、卫生设备、食品和住所。”
For now, the money is coming out of the embassy's $250,000 emergency fund. The first lady says the United States wants to do more, but the next step is up to Burma's military leaders.
目前，资金出自美国大使馆25万美元的紧急款项。第一夫人说，美国希望提供更多帮助，但下一步取决于缅甸军政府领导人。
"The United States stands prepared to provide an assistance team and much needed supplies to Burma as soon as the Burmese government accepts our offer," said Laura Bush. "The government of Burma should accept this team quickly as well as other offers of international assistance."
布什夫人说：“美国随时准备著，只要缅甸政府接受我们的帮助，我们将立即派遣一支救援队伍和急需的物资前往缅甸。缅甸政府应当迅速接受这支救援队伍和其它国际援助。”
She says this is an opportunity for the Burmese regime to show it does care about the welfare of its people.
布什夫人说，这是缅甸政府表明它关心自己人民福祉的一个机会。
She says the government's performance in the lead up to the storm shows Burma's leaders are inept.
她说，缅甸政府在风暴到来之前的所作所为显示了缅甸领导人的无能。
"I think in front of their own people and in front of the world, if they don't accept aid from the United States and from all the rest of the international community that wants to help the people of Burma that that is just another way the military regime looks so cut off and so unaware of what the real needs of their people are," she said.
布什夫人说：“我认为，面对人民，面对世界，如果他们不接受美国和整个国际社会对缅甸人民的帮助，就会从另一方面显示军政府完全不了解实际情况，完全不了解人民真正的需要。”
Mrs. Bush says the Burmese government seems to value its own survival above all else. She says despite all the havoc created by the cyclone, the regime is going forward with a referendum scheduled for this Saturday on a new constitution drafted without input from opposition and minority groups.
布什夫人指出，缅甸政府似乎把自己的生存看得重于一切，尽管热带风暴造成了巨大的破坏，但缅甸政府仍旧要按计划在这个星期六就一部没有征求反对党和少数派组织意见的宪法草案举行公投。
"Burma's ruling generals have had their chance to implement the good government they promised to their people," said Mrs. Bush. "If it proceeds under current conditions, the constitutional referendum they have planned should not be seen as a step towards freedom, but rather as a confirmation of the unacceptable status quo."
布什夫人说：“缅甸执政的将军们有过履行诺言、实施良政的机会。如果缅甸政府在目前情况下仍要按计划举行公投，那么这次公投就不应当被看作是迈向自由的步伐，而是要保持目前这种不能为人接受的现状。”
Mrs. Bush stresses the United States has already placed sanctions on the Burmese government, and urges other countries to do the same. She makes clear Washington will keep the pressure on, noting President Bush will sign legislation Tuesday setting the stage for Burmese democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi to be presented with a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the U.S. Congress.
布什夫人强调指出，美国已经对缅甸政府采取了制裁措施，她敦促其他国家也这样做。她明确表示，华盛顿将保持压力。布什总统星期二将签署议案，为缅甸民主斗士昂山素季接受美国国会金质奖章铺平道路。这是美国国会给予平民的最高荣誉。 |