VOA常速英语2013--美国国会议员质疑暂停对埃及的援助决定（在线收听）

US Lawmakers Question Wisdom of Withholding Aid to Egypt 美国国会议员质疑暂停对埃及的援助决定

STATE DEPARTMENT — Some U.S. lawmakers think President Obama's decision to withhold some military assistance to Egypt, pending what the administration calls "credible progress" toward a democratically-elected government following a July coup, may undermine U.S. security interests in the Middle East.

美国国务院—— 一些美国国会议员认为奥巴马暂停对埃及的一些军事援助的决定，可能会削弱美国在中东的安全利益。在埃及七月政变之后，等待政府所谓的“可信的进步”朝向民选政府。

With the violence in Egypt continuing, Democratic Congressman Eliot Engel and other lawmakers are questioning the timing of Washington's decision to hold back major weapons from a long-time ally.

埃及国内暴力事件持续不断，民主党议员艾略特?恩格尔和其他国会议员质疑在这个时期华盛顿暂停向这个长期盟友提供重要武器的决定。

"The region is falling apart. Syria is spiraling out of control. Iran looms as a significant threat. It just seems to me it's not very wise to risk alienating our traditional allies and friends," said Engel.

恩格尔说：“这个地区正四分五裂，叙利亚局势失控，伊朗组织是最大的威胁，而这个时候疏远我们传统的盟友是很不明智的。”

Withholding tanks and attack helicopters punishes a military that toppled an increasingly-authoritarian Muslim Brotherhood-led government, said Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher.

共和党国会议员达纳·罗拉巴克认为，扣押坦克和武装直升机是在惩罚推翻了日益独裁的穆斯林兄弟会领导政府的埃及军队。

"We're hanging General [Abdel Fattah] al-Sissi and the people that we are applauding for defeating radical Islam in Egypt, we're leaving them hanging out to dry," said Rohrabacher.

罗拉巴克说：“我们正在绞杀国防部长塞西将军和我们鼓掌为打败了埃及激进的伊斯兰教派的那些人，任凭他们干涸消亡。

Despite Rohrabacher’s comments, the administration has taken a more nuanced view of the ouster of Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president.  Since his overthrow, human rights groups have deplored the crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood supporters, mass arrests and other widespread abuses.  

不考虑罗拉巴克的言论，政府对穆尔西埃及第一位自由选举产生的总统的下台已经采取了一些微妙的看法。自从他下台之后，人权组织已经谴责对穆斯林兄弟会支持者的镇压、大规模的逮捕和其他滥用权力的行为。

The U.S. says the decision to hold back tanks, missiles, and attack helicopters does not affect its support for counter-terrorism efforts in the lawless Sinai peninsula, which borders Israel.

美国说，暂停交付坦克、导弹和武装直升机的决定不影响美国支持在与以色列相邻的西奈半岛的反恐势力。

"They have considerable operational capability in the Sinai that they are using, and we are assisting them with sustaining those weapons systems that they do have which do overpower the extremists," said Assistant Secretary of Defense Derek Chollet.

助理国防部长德里克乔列特说：“他们所使用的武器有相当强的作战能力，我们正帮住他们维持这些武器系统，他们拥有可以压制极端分子的武器。

Since Morsi's ouster, the Obama administration has been trying to reassure both pro-democracy activists and the military-led government that replaced him, says American University professor Akbar Ahmed.  Ahmed feels that trying to play to both groups weakens U.S. standing in Cairo.

美国大学教授阿克巴·艾哈迈德说，自从穆尔西下台，奥巴马政府一直试图安抚民主活动人士和取代他的军阀领导的政府。艾哈迈德觉得这削弱了美国在开罗的地位。

“If Egypt has a vacuum of power, authority, finances, someone is going to fill that.  It's going to be either Russia, maybe China, or more immediately the Saudis," said Ahmed.

艾哈迈德说：“如果埃及出现权力、权威、财政真空，那么将有人去填补,。这个人要么是俄罗斯,也许是中国,或者沙特阿拉伯速度更快。”

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have both moved to help fund Egypt's interim government.

沙特阿拉伯和阿拉伯联合酋长国都向埃及临时政府提供资金帮助。

Considering the levels of funding coming from the Gulf monarchies, Democratic Congressman Ted Deutch feels the U.S. must take action to maintain relevance.

"Given the vast resources that Gulf states have provided to the interim government, we must act in a way to preserve our influence.  Part of that is through assistance.  Part of that is continuing to advocate for democracy," said Deutch.

民主党众议员特德·多伊奇说:“考虑到海湾国家为埃及临时政府提供的大量资源，我们必须采取行动，一部分通过援助，一部分通过继续推动民主。

Nonetheless, Acting Assistant Secretary of State Beth Jones says Washington is pushing for democracy.

尽管如此,代理助理国务卿贝丝·琼斯说,华盛顿正在推动民主。

"We have explained this in great detail to the interim government.  And as we re-calibrated our assistance, [we] focused on core national interests of the United States," said Jones.

琼斯说：“我们已对临时政府作了详细说明。当我们再重新评估我们的援助时,[我们]关注的核心是美国的国家利益。”

The Obama administration says its partnership with Egypt will be strongest when there is an inclusive, democratically elected civilian government based on the rule of law. 

奥巴马政府表示，当埃及出现一个有包容性的、建立在法治基础上的民选文官政府时，美国与埃及的关系将是最牢固的。