U.S. President George Bush wants Congress to approve a free trade agreement with Colombia. Opposition Democrats have delayed that vote until after November elections.
美国总统布什希望国会批准与哥伦比亚的自由贸易协定。但是国会民主党人把对这项协议的投票推迟到11月份美国总统大选之后。
Most Colombian exports enter the United States duty free. But the 9,000 U.S. businesses selling goods and services in Colombia still face stiff tariffs.
哥伦比亚的大多数出口产品是免税进入美国的，但是在哥伦比亚的9000家出售产品和服务的美国企业却面临严格的关税。
That is why President Bush says it is time for Congress to pass a free trade agreement with Colombia.
因此布什认为国会现在应该批准与哥伦比亚的自由贸易协定。
"Their goods are not taxed. Our goods are," he said. "It seems unfair to me. And people of Congress should understand how unfair it is to the workers in their districts or the farmers in their districts or the people who are working hard for a living in their districts who count upon selling goods overseas."
布什说：“他们的产品没有被征收关税，而我们的产品却被征税。在我看来，这不公平。国会议员们应该明白，这对他们选区的工人、他们选区的农场主、或是他们选区的那些辛勤工作、依赖出口产品谋生的人来说是多么不公平。”
The president says the free trade agreement has enough support in the House of Representatives to pass. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has delayed that vote until after November's presidential and legislative elections.
布什说，这项协定在众议院拥有足够的支持票，可望通过。但是众议院议长南希.佩洛西把对协定的投票推迟到11月份总统选举以及国会选举之后进行。
Pelosi says President Bush should do more to help American workers hurt by the economic slowdown before Congress passes another trade agreement. Some congressional Democrats are also raising concerns about Colombia's human rights record and its past repression of trade unionists.
佩洛西说，在国会批准另一项贸易协定之前，布什总统应该采取更多的措施来帮助那些因为经济不景气而生活困难的人。另外，也有一些国会议员提到了对哥伦比亚人权状况的担忧，以及哥伦比亚工会人员被打压的问题。
Mr. Bush says Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has addressed those issues by demobilizing thousands of paramilitary units and naming an independent prosecutor to pursue cases involving attacks against labor leaders.
布什说，哥伦比亚总统乌里韦已经在着手解决上述问题。他正在解散数千个准军事组织，并提名独立检察官处理有关工会领导人受到袭击的案子。
The president told a gathering of U.S. business leaders on the South Lawn of the White House that approving the deal is the best way to support President Uribe, who is battling rebels and illegal drug traffickers while speaking out against the anti-American rhetoric of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.
布什在白宫南草坪对在那里参加聚会的美国企业界人士说，批准这项协议是对乌里韦总统的最好的支持。乌里韦目前正在打击反政府武装以及非法毒品走私贩，同时还公开批驳委内瑞拉总统查韦斯的反美言论。
"If we were to turn our back on Colombia by rejecting the free trade agreement, it would send a terrible signal to leaders willing to be courageous. It would send a bad signal to our friends," said Mr. Bush. "In the case of Colombia, it would send a bad signal to the voices of false populism in South America."
布什说：“如果我们拒绝自由贸易协定，背弃哥伦比亚，这将向那些愿意勇敢面对一切的领导人发出可怕的信号，会向我们的朋友发出坏信号。在哥伦比亚问题上，这将会向南美那些假民粹主义的声音发出错误信号。”
Colombia is the largest export market for U.S. agricultural products in South America. Two-way trade between the countries last year totaled $18 billion.
哥伦比亚是美国农产品在南美洲的最大出口市场。去年，两国的双边贸易总额达到180亿美元。 |