VOA标准英语2009年-US Defends Cuba Policy Amid UN Condemnatio

By David Gollust
The State Department
28 October 2009

The Obama administration on Wednesday defended the long-running U.S. economic embargo¹ against Cuba in the face of another overwhelming U.N. General Assembly vote condemning² American policy toward the island nation. But administration officials also stressed efforts to reach out to the Cuba's communist government.

The Obama administration says it has broken with its predecessors³ in opening dialogue with Cuba on several fronts. But it also says it does not intend to reward Havana by lifting sanctions until it improves human rights conditions.

 
Cuban FM Bruno Rodriguez speaks at the UN General Assembly after it condemned⁴ the US trade embargo on Cuba, New York, 28 Oct 2009
The comments followed an overwhelming vote in the U.N. General Assembly on a non-binding resolution condemning the 47-year-old U.S. trade embargo against Cuba and urging Washington lift the restrictions⁵.

This is the 18th consecutive⁶ year that the assembly has gone on record against U.S. Cuba policy. The number of countries supporting the United States on the matter has dwindled⁷ over the years.

Wednesday's resolution was 187 votes in favor, three against and two abstentions. Only Israel and the Pacific island state of Palau sided with the United States. Two other Pacific states, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, abstained⁸.

Addressing the assembly, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez called the embargo an "act of arrogance⁹" and said it has cost the Cuban economy tens-of-billions of dollars over the years and deprived children of needed medical care.

The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations said it is wrong to blame U.S. sanctions for deprivation¹⁰ in Cuba. While calling the Cuban statement hostile and reminiscent of the Cold War, Susan Rice said the Obama administration is committed to trying to write a new chapter in relations with Cuba by engaging the Havana government.

 
US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly (File)
Briefing reporters here, State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said the "annual exercise" in the General Assembly obscures the fact that the United States is a leading source of food and humanitarian¹¹ relief aid to Cuba.

He said that since taking office in January, the Obama administration has eased various restrictions and opened new dialogue on migration¹² and postal¹³ links.

But Kelly said the administration wants to see improvement in human rights conditions and respect for fundamental freedoms in Cuba before it will consider normalized relations.

"The suggestion that were not assisting Cuba is just false. We are one of the major providers of humanitarian assistance to Cuba. But we don't believe that while there are repressive measures in place in Cuba that we should reward the government of Cuba by lifting the economic sanctions that could assist the government of Cuba in its repression¹⁴ of its own citizens."

Amid pressure from U.S. farm states, the Bush administration eased restrictions on sales of agricultural goods to Cuba. Spokesman Kelly said U.S. exports of food, lumber¹⁵ and medical items to Cuba exceeded $700 million last year.

The Obama administration has lifted limits on travel and remittances¹⁶ to Cuba by Cuban-Americans and initiated¹⁷ talks on reinstating direct postal service between the two countries for the first time since 1963.

Last month, Acting¹⁸ Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Bisa Williams became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Cuba in several years. Her trip to Havana was ostensibly to discuss the postal issue, but she extended her mission and had broader talks with Cuban officials.

1 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

2 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

7 dwindled   

v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。
• His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 abstained   

v.戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的过去式和过去分词 )；弃权（不投票）

参考例句：

• Ten people voted in favour, five against and two abstained. 十人投票赞成，五人反对，两人弃权。
• They collectively abstained (from voting) in the elections for local councilors. 他们在地方议会议员选举中集体弃权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 arrogance   

n.傲慢，自大

参考例句：

• His arrogance comes out in every speech he makes.他每次讲话都表现得骄傲自大。
• Arrogance arrested his progress.骄傲阻碍了他的进步。

10 deprivation   

n.匮乏；丧失；夺去，贫困

参考例句：

• Many studies make it clear that sleep deprivation is dangerous.多实验都证实了睡眠被剥夺是危险的。
• Missing the holiday was a great deprivation.错过假日是极大的损失。

11 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

12 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

13 postal   

adj.邮政的，邮局的

参考例句：

• A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
• Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。

14 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

15 lumber   

n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动

参考例句：

• The truck was sent to carry lumber.卡车被派出去运木材。
• They slapped together a cabin out of old lumber.他们利用旧木料草草地盖起了一间小屋。

16 remittances   

n.汇寄( remittance的名词复数 )；汇款，汇款额

参考例句：

• He sends regular remittances to his parents. 他定期汇款给他父母。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Remittances sometimes account for as much as 20% of GDP. 在这些国家中，此类汇款有时会占到GDP的20%之多。 来自互联网

17 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

18 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。