U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates flew out of Bahrain Saturday afternoon after meeting with the king and crown prince about political reforms, and just ahead of another demonstration in Manama.
美国国防部长盖茨星期六下午飞离巴林。此前，他与巴林国王和皇太子就政治改革问题举行了会议。在盖茨离开后不久，麦纳麦爆发了又一次示威活动。
There was a large protest on Friday in Manama and on Saturday thousands of protesters marched near the royal family's palaces. As the secretary headed home he said he believes the kingdom's leaders are serious about responding to the protests with real political reforms.
星期五，麦纳麦发生了大规模抗议。星期六，几千名抗议者在皇家宫殿附近举行游行。盖茨部长在返回美国的途中说，他认为巴林领导人是认真地要以真正的政治改革来对抗议活动作出反应。
After riding past the site of Friday's large protest and street battle with police, Secretary Gates spent nearly two hours with Bahrains' top leaders, including ten minutes alone with the king. On the flight home, the secretary said the region's leaders need to respond to the protests with more than what he called "baby steps."
盖茨乘坐汽车经过了星期五爆发大规模抗议以及和警察进行巷战的地点后，与巴林最高领导人会晤了近两个小时，其中有10分钟是单独与巴林国王会面。盖茨在返回美国的飞机上说，这一地区的领导人需要迈出更大的步伐来回应抗议活动，而不是他所说的“婴孩似的步伐”。
"I believe, based on the things that I've heard from the crown prince and the king, that they are prepared to do more than just, as I put it, baby steps," he said.
他说：“根据我从皇太子和国王那里所听到的，我认为他们准备要做更多的工作，而不仅如我所说的‘婴孩步伐’。”
Secretary Gates urged the Bahraini leaders to respond to their people's political and economic grievances with "real reform." He said they have already made some changes and would like to move faster with what he called "more far-reaching steps."
盖茨部长敦促巴林领导人以“真正的改革”来对巴林人们在政治和经济上的不满作出反应。他说，他们已经做出了一些改变，并愿意以所谓“更深远的措施”更快地行动。
But he said one problem is that some opposition elements have refused to join a dialogue offered by the crown prince, a frustration the prince also expressed to reporters at the start of meeting. Gates said U.S. diplomats have met with opposition leaders to try to convince them to participate in talks.
但是盖茨说，目前的一个问题是，一些反对派分子拒绝参加皇太子提议的对话。皇太子在会议的开始也向记者表达了这样失望情绪。盖茨说，美国外交人员与反对派领导人举行了会面，试图说服他们参加会谈。
One reason for the reluctance could be found Saturday morning at the headquarters of the protesters, Pearl Roundabout in Manama. While Gates was at the royal palaces meeting the king and the crown prince, a tent city of protesters and vendors was awakening after a day in which police fired tear gas, and according to some reports rubber bullets, to break up a large protest after Friday prayers.
不愿参加会谈的其中一个原因或许可以从星期六早上麦纳麦的明珠广场上找到一些答案。明珠广场是巴林反对派的总部所在地。正当盖茨和巴林国王及皇太子在皇宫会面时，住在帐篷城市中的抗议者和小商贩们也在经历了前一天与警方的冲突后迎来了早晨。警方发射了催泪瓦斯，一些记者说，他们还发射橡皮子弹来驱散星期五祈祷后爆发的大规模抗议活动。
The police were reportedly joined by pro-government gangs armed with pipes and swords. Some protesters threw stones, while others tried to make them stop and chanted for a peaceful approach by both sides.
据报导，携带着钢管和刀剑的亲政府团伙加入了警方的行动。一些示威者投掷石块，其他人则试图让他们停下来，并高呼双方都应采取和平的方式。
One protester, a teacher who identified himself only as Nabil, says he is not interested in any dialogue with the royal family. "Our grandfathers tried them in [the] 20s and 50s and 60s and 70s, we had a problem with them. And in 80s, 90s and now as well. They say, 'OK, let's sit at a table and see what you want.' And we believe them every time. And every time they lie. So no trust for this family now," said Nabil.
一名只称自己为纳比勒的教师是抗议者之一。他说，他对和皇室进行对话没有任何兴趣。他说：“我们的祖辈在20年代、50年代、60年代和70年代都试图和他们进行对话。那时我们就和他们有问题。80年代、90年代，以及今天也是一样。他们说，‘好，让我们坐下来，看看你们想要什么。’我们每次都相信他们，可是他们每次都说谎。所以我们现在不再信任这个家族。”
Also on the roundabout were several women in traditional black abayas, including a nurse named Badria.
在明珠广场上还有几名妇女穿着传统的黑色长袍，其中一名是叫芭德丽亚的护士。
When asked why she is supporting the protests, she said, "Because we are suffering here in Bahrain. All our rights are not given to us. Even our grains they are now wishing us to sign that we are with the king. Otherwise, they will not give us our grain."
记者问：“你能告诉我为什么你支持抗议？”芭德丽亚说：“我支持抗议是因为巴林人民正在受苦。我们并没有应当拥有的权利，我们甚至没有自己的粮食。他们现在要我们签字表示站在国王一边。不然的话他们就不会给我们粮食。”
The mostly Shi'ite Muslim protesters' top complaint Saturday was about foreign workers, Sunni Muslims brought in by the country's Sunni leaders to do manual labor and given citizenship, a situation the country's Shi'ite majority says is changing the political balance and depriving them of jobs. Badria says she is worried about the future for her four small children.
大多数什叶派穆斯林示威者星期六抗议的主要不满是外籍工人。巴林逊尼派领导人将逊尼派穆斯林引入国内从事体力劳动并获得公民身份。巴林的什叶派穆斯林多数说这危及政治平衡，也剥夺了他们工作的权利。芭德丽亚说，她担心她四个小孩的未来。
"I am educating them. Who will give them work? Nobody! If the situation is still like this, my children will not get jobs. They will not get any place to stay," she said.
她说：“我正在教育他们。但是谁会给他们工作?没有人!如果局势仍然是这样，那么我的孩子不会得到任何工作。他们将没有地方居住。”
The protests in Bahrain pose a strategic problem for the United States. The U.S. Navy's fifth fleet is based there, providing support to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. And there are concerns that if Bahrain becomes unstable it could affect another key ally, neighboring Saudi Arabia, where another Sunni royal family rules.
巴林的示威给美国带来一个战略性问题。美国海军第五舰队驻扎在那里，为伊拉克和阿富汗的美军提供支持。也有人担忧如果巴林局势不稳，那么这有可能影响另一个主要盟友，即另一个逊尼派皇室家族统治的沙特阿拉伯。
In addition, Secretary Gates said he told the Bahraini leaders if they allow the already month-old unrest to continue, it could create an opportunity for Iran.
除此之外，盖茨说他告诉巴林领导人说，如果他们允许这个已经持续一个月的示威继续下去，那么这可能会给伊朗创造机会。
"I expressed the view that we had no evidence that suggested that Iran started any of these popular revolutions or demonstrations across the region, but there is clear evidence that as the process is protracted, particularly in Bahrain, that the Iranians are looking for ways to exploit it and create problems. And so, I told him that in this instance time is not our friend," he said.
盖茨说：“我们没有证据显示伊朗掀起了这个地区的革命和示威，但是有明确的证据显示伊朗试图利用这个机会来制造混乱。所以我告诉国王现在时间是不利于我们的。”
Gates said he told the Bahraini leaders the widespread demand for reform in the Middle East will not allow for a return to the status quo before the protests began, and the United States wants its friends to lead the process, rather than have change imposed on them by potentially destabilizing popular uprisings.
盖茨说，他告诉巴林领导人，中东普遍要求改革的大规模示威不会允许局势回到示威开始前的情况，而美国希望它的朋友来领导这个进程，而不是让导致混乱的示威将变革强加于他们。 |