VOA常速英语2015--奥巴马和国会或将在全球事务上发生矛盾（在线收听）

Obama, Republican Congress Likely to Clash on Global Affairs 奥巴马和国会或将在全球事务上发生矛盾

WASHINGTON— The new, entirely Republican-led U.S. Congress will weigh in on global hotspots and America’s response to them when lawmakers return to Washington next week. Conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East are on legislators’ minds - as are high-profile international initiatives undertaken by President Barack Obama.

International negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program resume one week after Congress gavels in. Skeptics, like Republican Senator Bob Corker, have said lawmakers will consider tougher sanctions on Tehran in case negotiations fail.

在国会复会一周后，国际上有关伊朗核项目的协商将继续。像共和党参议员鲍勃·科克这样的怀疑主义者称，一旦协商失败，议员们将考虑对伊朗采取更强硬制裁。

“There will be a desire very quickly after the first of the year for Congress to weigh in on the topic in some form or fashion. Congress will want to weigh in on the Iran deal,” he said.

“今年国会将很快希望以某种方式加入该议题的辩论，国会希望加入到伊朗协议谈判中。”

Congressional wariness over Iran’s nuclear ambitions is not new. What no one anticipated just weeks ago is that Congress would wrestle with President Obama’s surprise diplomatic opening with Cuba.

国会对伊朗核野心的谨慎并不新鲜，数周前没人预料到的是，国会将全力反对奥巴马总统做出的与古巴建交的惊人之举。

Ending the U.S. embargo of Cuba would require an act of Congress, something Democratic Senator Ben Cardin supports.

结束美国对古巴禁运将需要国会做出行动，这是民主党参议员本·卡丁所支持的。

“There will be a need for Congress to take action, hopefully, as we move to a new chapter in our Cuban relations. And it is going to be an interesting debate,” said Cardin.

“国会需要采取行动，希望在我们与古巴关系进入新阶段时采取行动，这将是个很有趣的辩论。”

Republican Senator Marco Rubio is ready for that debate.

共和党参议员马克·卢比已经准备好参加这次辩论。

“This Congress is not going to lift the embargo,” he said. “The White House has conceded everything and gained little from Havana. They gained no commitment on the part of the Cuban regime to freedom of the press, or freedom of speech, or elections.”

“国会不会取消禁运的，白宫让步很多，却从哈瓦那那里获得甚少，也没有从古巴政权那里得到有关出版、言论或选举自由的承诺。”

Republicans want to be seen as offering constructive criticism, according to political scientist William Howell.

政治科学家威廉·豪厄尔说，共和党希望被看做是建设性的批评者。

“On the one hand, they want to underscore failings on the part of the Obama administration, and on the other hand, they need to be seen as a responsible, mature party that can lead the nation,” said Howell.

“一方面，他们希望强调奥巴马政府的失败，另一方面，他们希望被看做是一个能领导这个国家的负责、成熟政党。”

Majority status in both houses of Congress will give Republicans a louder megaphone to critique the president’s handling of crises from Ukraine to the Islamic State insurgency in Iraq and Syria.

国会中多数派的地位将使得共和党发出更响亮的声音来批评总统的危机处理能力，包括乌克兰问题，伊拉克和叙利亚的IS叛乱。

Obama is also not immune to dissent from his own Democratic Party, according to political analyst Stuart Rothenberg.

政治分析家斯图尔特·罗森堡说，奥巴马同时还要面对共和党内部的不同声音。

“The president could have as many or more problems on the left, with Democrats, on international and national security issues as he could have with Republicans. There are lots of Democrats who are more concerned about the U.S. recommitting military troops,” said Rothenberg.

“在国际问题和国家安全问题上，奥巴马将面对来自民主党的不同声音不少于来自共和党的不同声音，有很多民主党更担心美国重新调遣兵力的问题。”

Whatever Congress’ concerns, the president appears determined to leave a stamp on America’s outreach to the world. In a recent interview, he said: “I believe in diplomacy. I believe in dialogue. I believe in engagement.”

无论国会如何担心，总统似乎决定在美国的对外事务中留下自己的特色，他最近在接受采访时说，“我相信民主，我相信对话，我相信对外交往。”