VOA常速英语2017--美国庆祝宗教自由日（在线收听）

Today, as we observe Religious Freedom Day, we note the recent successes and accomplishments of the U.S. State Department in promoting religious liberty, said Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom David Saperstein:

今天，当我们庆祝宗教自由日(Religious Freedom Day)之时，我们也注意到近来国务院在提升宗教自由方面所取得的成功和成就，美国国际宗教自由无任所大使大卫萨佩斯坦(DavidSaperstein)说。

“Clearly as you look back on my two years at the State Department our ability to assist Secretary of State Kerry in his findings that ISIL's activities in Iraq constitute a genocide against Christian, Yezidis, Shia communities and crimes against humanity against the Kakai and the Mandeans and other minority groups was a very important achievement here and had the impact of grabbling the attention of the international community.”

“显然，如果大家回首我在国务院工作这2年的历程就会发现，我们协助国务卿克里发现了IS在伊拉克的活动存在对基督教徒、耶西迪人、什叶派的种族灭绝行为，以及IS针对Kakai人、曼达派和其他少数群体的反人道罪。我们的发现不仅对这里是重要的成就，同时也对吸引国际社会注意力产生了影响。”

This world-wide attention made it possible to hold two pledging conferences that helped raise over $2.2 million from countries around the world to help make it possible for these religious minorities return home safely.

而全球的关注又促成了2个拨款会议的开办，这2次会议帮助从全球多国募集到了220多万美元的资金，让这些宗教少数群体得以安全返乡。

The United States as a country will continue its commitment to the principle of religious freedom at home and abroad, said Ambassador Saperstein:

美国作为一个国家，将继续奉行其对国外内宗教自由原则的承诺，萨佩斯坦说。

“I'm very optimistic that the robust efforts on behalf of religious freedom that has marked the last several administrations, Republican and Democrat, will remain a hallmark of our foreign policy moving into the future. . . .It really shows the consensus view that religion plays such an influential role in foreign policy issues that we confront and must be addressed more effectively, must engage religious communities around the world on behalf of the values that we promulgate.”

“我相信，过去几届美国政府以宗教自由之名所做的卓绝努力，无论是共和党还是民主党，依然会是我国未来外交政策的标志……这无疑证明了大家的共同观点，即宗教在我们所面临的外交政策事宜上发挥了如此重要的影响，并需要以我们所宣传的价值观之名，发动全球各地的宗教社群以更加有效的方式加以解决。”

Religious liberty is one of America's great contributions to the world, said Ambassador Saperstein. “And as an American I'm extraordinarily proud to see how many countries join us in that vision of the fundamental rights of people to live equally as citizens without regard to their religion.”

宗教自由是美国对世界所作的巨大贡献之一，萨佩斯坦说。“而同时，作为一名美国人，我极为骄傲地看到很多国家加入了我们的愿景——信仰任何宗教的公民都有平等生活的根本权利。”

The United States is making a difference in the world on this issue and will continue to do so.

在这个议题上，美国正有所作为，并将继续坚持。