奥巴马总统关于改变对古巴政策的讲话（中英对照）

英文版：Statement by the President on Cuba Policy Changes.doc 

中文版：总统关于改变对古巴政策的讲话.doc 

Statement by the President on Cuba Policy Changes

总统关于改变对古巴政策的讲话

 

Cabinet Room

内阁会议室

 

December 17, 2014

 2014年12月17日

 

Good afternoon.  Today, the United States of America is changing its relationship with the people of Cuba.

 

下午好。今天，美利坚合众国将改变与古巴人民的关系。

 

In the most significant changes in our policy in more than fifty years, we will end an outdated approach that, for decades, has failed to advance our interests, and instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries.  Through these changes, we intend to create more opportunities for the American and Cuban people, and begin a new chapter among the nations of the Americas.

 

通过我们50多年来最大的政策改变，我们将结束已经过时而且几十年来未能推进我们利益的做法，并且将开始让两国关系正常化。通过这些改变，我们希望为美国和古巴人民创造更多的机会，并开创美洲国家间的新篇章。

 

There’s a complicated history between the United States and Cuba.  I was born in 1961 – just over two years after Fidel Castro took power in Cuba, and just a few months after the Bay of Pigs invasion, which tried to overthrow his regime. Over the next several decades, the relationship between our countries played out against the backdrop of the Cold War, and America’s steadfast opposition to communism.  We are separated by just over 90 miles. But year after year, an ideological and economic barrier hardened between our two countries.

 

美国和古巴之间有着复杂的历史。我出生于1961年，是菲德尔·卡斯特罗在古巴刚刚上台两年后不久，是试图推翻其政权的猪湾入侵事件发生几个月之后。在接下来的几十年里，我们两国关系始终处于冷战和美国坚决反对共产主义的背景中。我们仅仅90英里之隔，但年复一年，在我们之间形成了坚硬的意识形态和经济屏障。

 

Meanwhile, the Cuban exile community in the United States made enormous contributions to our country – in politics and business, culture and sports.  Like immigrants before, Cubans helped remake America, even as they felt a painful yearning for the land and families they left behind.  All of this bound America and Cuba in a unique relationship, at once family and foe.

 

与此同时，流亡美国的古巴人为我们国家作出了巨大的贡献，无论是在政治、商业、文化还是体育领域。像以前的其他移民一样，古巴移民——尽管心怀对阔别的祖国和家庭的痛苦思念——帮助重新塑造了美国。所有这些都让美国和古巴多年来处于一种既亲近又敌对的独特关系之中。

 

Proudly, the United States has supported democracy and human rights in Cuba through these five decades. We have done so primarily through policies that aimed to isolate the island, preventing the most basic travel and commerce that Americans can enjoy anyplace else.  And though this policy has been rooted in the best of intentions, no other nation joins us in imposing these sanctions, and it has had little effect beyond providing the Cuban government with a rationale for restrictions on its people.  Today, Cuba is still governed by the Castros and the Communist Party that came to power half a century ago.

 

让我们引以自豪的是，美国过去50年来一直支持古巴的民主和人权。我们的方式主要是实行旨在孤立这个岛国的政策，美国人被禁止在那里从事他们可在其他任何地方从事的最基本的旅游和商业活动。虽然这项政策是基于良好的愿望，但是没有其他国家加入我们实行制裁。这项政策除了给古巴政府提供对其人民实行限制的理由之外，影响甚微。今天，古巴仍然是在卡斯特罗家族和在半个世纪前当政的共产党的统治下。

 

Neither the American, nor Cuban people are well served by a rigid policy that is rooted in events that took place before most of us were born.  Consider that for more than 35 years, we’ve had relations with China – a far larger country also governed by a Communist Party.  Nearly two decades ago, we reestablished relations with Vietnam, where we fought a war that claimed more Americans than any Cold War confrontation.

 

这项僵硬的、基于我们大多数人尚未出生前的事件而实施的政策，无论对美国人民还是对古巴人民都没有良好效益。人们可以想一想过去35年来，我们和中国发展了关系——中国比古巴大得多，同样是共产党统治的国家。将近20年前，我们也与越南重新建立了关系，而我们曾在那里打过一场战争，牺牲的美国人比在任何冷战交锋中都多。

 

That’s why – when I came into office – I promised to re-examine our Cuba policy.  As a start, we lifted restrictions for Cuban Americans to travel and send remittances to their families in Cuba.  These changes, once controversial, now seem obvious. Cuban Americans have been reunited with their families, and are the best possible ambassadors for our values.  And through these exchanges, a younger generation of Cuban Americans has increasingly questioned an approach that does more to keep Cuba closed off from an interconnected world.

 

这就是为什么当我上任时，我承诺要重新审视我们对古巴的政策。一开始，我们取消了限制古巴裔美国人去古巴旅行和汇款给古巴家人的政策。这些政策的变化在当时虽有争议，但现在看来毋庸置疑。古巴裔美国人已经在和家人团聚，而他们是传播美国价值观的最佳民间大使。通过这些交流，年轻一代的古巴裔美国人越来越对这种以古巴一直与世界隔绝为主要效果的政策提出质疑。

 

While I have been prepared to take additional steps for some time, a major obstacle stood in our way – the wrongful imprisonment, in Cuba, of a U.S. citizen and USAID sub-contractor Alan Gross for five years.  Over many months, my administration has held discussions with the Cuban government about Alan’s case, and other aspects of our relationship.  His Holiness Pope Francis issued a personal appeal to me, and to Cuba’s President Raul Castro, urging us to resolve Alan’s case, and to address Cuba’s interest in the release of three Cuban agents who have been jailed in the United States for over 15 years.

 

虽然我准备采取更多的步骤已有一段时间，但我们遇到一个重大障碍，那就是五年来古巴一直非法监禁着美国公民艾伦·格罗斯，他是美国国际发展署下的分包合同雇员。很多个月来，美国政府就艾伦的情况以及两国关系的其他方面与古巴政府进行了商谈。教皇弗朗西斯也向我和古巴总统劳尔·卡斯特罗发出了私人呼吁，要求我们解决艾伦的问题，并处理古巴希望让已在美国监禁15年以上的3名古巴特工人员获释的问题。

 

Today, Alan returned home – reunited with his family at long last.  Alan was released by the Cuban government on humanitarian grounds.  Separately, in exchange for the three Cuban agents, Cuba today released one of the most important intelligence agents that the United States has ever had in Cuba, and who has been imprisoned for nearly two decades.  This man, whose sacrifice has been known to only a few, provided America with the information that allowed us to arrest the network of Cuban agents that included the men transferred to Cuba today, as well as other spies in the United States.  This man is now safely on our shores.

 

如今，艾伦在长期分离后终于返回家园，与家人团聚。艾伦是被古巴政府基于人道理由释放的。另外，作为对美国释放三名古巴特工的交换，古巴今天释放了美国有史以来在古巴最重要的情报人员之一，他已经在古巴被关押了近20年，如今安全地来到我们这里。他所作的牺牲至今鲜为人知，他为美国提供的情报使我们捕获了古巴特工网成员，其中包括今天转交给古巴的几个人以及其他在美国的间谍。

 

Having recovered these two men who sacrificed for our country, I’m now taking steps to place the interests of the people of both countries at the heart of our policy.

 

在成功地救出了这两位为我们国家作出牺牲的人士后，我现在要采取措施把两国人民的利益置于我们政策的核心。

 

First, I’ve instructed Secretary Kerry to immediately begin discussions with Cuba to reestablish diplomatic relations that have been severed since January of 1961.  Going forward, the United States will reestablish an embassy in Havana, and high-ranking officials will visit Cuba.

 

首先，我已经指示克里国务卿立即开始讨论与古巴重建自1961年1月断绝的外交关系，美国将重新建立在哈瓦那的大使馆，并安排高级官员访问古巴。

 

Where we can advance shared interests, we will – on issues like health, migration, counterterrorism, drug trafficking and disaster response.  Indeed, we’ve seen the benefits of cooperation between our countries before.  It was a Cuban, Carlos Finlay, who discovered that mosquitoes carry yellow fever; his work helped Walter Reed fight it.  Cuba has sent hundreds of health care workers to Africa to fight Ebola, and I believe American and Cuban health care workers should work side by side to stop the spread of this deadly disease.

 

在我们能够推进共同利益的方面，我们将予以推进，例如卫生健康、移民、反恐、贩毒和救灾等。事实上，我们以前曾见证过两国间合作的好处。古巴人卡洛斯·芬利发现了蚊子携带黄热病，正是他的工作帮助沃尔特·里德征服这一疾病。古巴派出了数百名医护人员到非洲抗击埃博拉，我认为美国和古巴医护人员应为阻止这种致命疾病的蔓延并肩努力。

 

Now, where we disagree, we will raise those differences directly – as we will continue to do on issues related to democracy and human rights in Cuba.  But I believe that we can do more to support the Cuban people and promote our values through engagement.  After all, these 50 years have shown that isolation has not worked.  It’s time for a new approach.

 

在我们存在分歧的方面，我们也会直接提出，正如我们将在有关古巴民主和人权的问题上继续这样做。但我相信，我们可以通过接触，为古巴人民提供更多的支持和倡导我们的价值观。毕竟，50年的孤立政策已被证明无效，现在是采用新方法的时候了。

 

Second, I’ve instructed Secretary Kerry to review Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.  This review will be guided by the facts and the law.  Terrorism has changed in the last several decades.  At a time when we are focused on threats from al Qaeda to ISIL, a nation that meets our conditions and renounces the use of terrorism should not face this sanction.

 

其次，我已经指示克里国务卿对将古巴列为支持恐怖主义的国家的决定给予重新审议。此项审议将根据事实和法律进行。恐怖主义在过去几十年中发生了变化。当我们集中力量面对基地组织和伊斯兰国恐怖主义威胁的时候，一个符合我们的条件并且放弃使用恐怖主义的国家不应该再受这样的制裁。

 

Third, we are taking steps to increase travel, commerce, and the flow of information to and from Cuba.  This is fundamentally about freedom and openness, and also expresses my belief in the power of people-to-people engagement.  With the changes I’m announcing today, it will be easier for Americans to travel to Cuba, and Americans will be able to use American credit and debit cards on the island.  Nobody represents America’s values better than the American people, and I believe this contact will ultimately do more to empower the Cuban people.

 

第三，我们正在采取措施以增加旅游、商贸和往来于古巴的信息流动。这从根本上讲是一个有关自由和开放的问题，并表达了我对各国民间交往所具有的威力的信念。我今天所宣布的政策变化会让美国人更容易到古巴旅行，将能在这个岛国使用美国信用卡和借记卡。没有人能比美国人更好地代表美国的价值观，我相信这样的接触最终将更有利于让古巴人民拥有自主权益。

 

I also believe that more resources should be able to reach the Cuban people.  So we’re significantly increasing the amount of money that can be sent to Cuba, and removing limits on remittances that support humanitarian projects, the Cuban people, and the emerging Cuban private sector.

 

我也认为应该让更多的资源到达古巴人民的手中。因此，我们将大幅放宽对古巴的汇款限额，并取消对支持人道项目和古巴人民以及古巴新兴私营企业的汇款限制。

 

I believe that American businesses should not be put at a disadvantage, and that increased commerce is good for Americans and for Cubans.  So we will facilitate authorized transactions between the United States and Cuba.  U.S. financial institutions will be allowed to open accounts at Cuban financial institutions.  And it will be easier for U.S. exporters to sell goods in Cuba.

 

我认为，美国企业不应该被迫处于劣势地位，增加商务往来对美国人民和古巴人民都有益。因此，我们将促进美国和古巴之间获得许可的交易。美国金融机构将获得在古巴金融机构开设账户的许可，便于美国出口商在古巴出售产品。

 

I believe in the free flow of information.  Unfortunately, our sanctions on Cuba have denied Cubans access to technology that has empowered individuals around the globe.  So I’ve authorized increased telecommunications connections between the United States and Cuba.  Businesses will be able to sell goods that enable Cubans to communicate with the United States and other countries.

 

我信奉信息自由流动的原则。不幸的是，我们对古巴的制裁使古巴人民无法接触到增进全球人民自主权的技术。所以，我已经授权增加美国和古巴之间的通讯联系。美国企业将能够出售有助于古巴与美国和其他国家相互沟通的产品。

 

These are the steps that I can take as President to change this policy.  The embargo that’s been imposed for decades is now codified in legislation.  As these changes unfold, I look forward to engaging Congress in an honest and serious debate about lifting the embargo.

 

这些是我作为总统能为改变政策采取的步骤。对古巴实行了几十年的禁运目前仍是法律。随着这些变化的进展，我期待就解除禁运与国会进行开诚布公和认真的讨论。