双语新闻(2014年11月13日)

  • 美国之音

**奥巴马有信心看到缅甸开启“新时代”**

美国总统奥巴马说,他有信心看到缅甸开启“新时代”。但是,他表示这个东南亚国家还需要进一步改革。

奥巴马是在星期四与缅甸总统吴登盛和长期致力于缅甸民主运动的昂山素季会面时作出上述评论的。

奥巴马正在对缅甸进行为期两天的访问。缅甸2011年结束了长达数十年的军事独裁统治。

白宫国家安全事务副顾问罗兹说,奥巴马打算在星期四与缅甸总统吴登盛会晤时表达对缅甸政治改革步伐和人权问题的忧虑。

一个名义上的缅甸文官政府于2011年开始执政,结束了50年的军方直接统治,但仍暴露了一些根深蒂固的问题,包括缅甸少数民族的待遇。

罗兹说,奥巴马还将提及罗兴亚穆斯林族裔的问题,该族裔成员得不到公民身份,在其他很多方面也受到限制。

奥巴马星期五将前往仰光,单独会晤诺贝尔和平奖得主、缅甸反对派议员昂山素季。

这是缅甸首次担任东盟年度峰会的东道国。

奥巴马星期四在谈到东盟峰会时表示,他期待美国与东盟建立牢固的伙伴关系。

Obama is confident of a "new day" in Myanmar

U.S. President Barack Obama says he is confident of a "new day" in Myanmar, but says there is work yet to be done to reform the Southeast Asian country.

President Obama made his comments Thursday during a meeting with top leaders, including President Thein Sein and longtime democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mr. Obama is in the middle of a two-day visit to Myanmar, also known as Burma, which is emerging from decades of authoritarian military rule.

White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes says Mr. Obama plans to raise concerns over the pace of political reforms and human rights during a one-on-one meeting Thursday with President Thein Sein.

A nominally civilian government took power in 2011, ending direct military rule but exposing deep-seated problems, including the treatment of the country's ethnic minorities.

Rhodes says Mr. Obama also will bring up the issue of the Rohingya, a mostly Muslim group that is denied citizenship and faces a wide range of other restrictions.

Mr. Obama on Friday will travel to Yangon, where he will meet separately with Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition lawmaker.

The visit is taking place during a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

It is the first time that Myanmar has hosted the annual summit.

In remarks to the summit Thursday, Mr. Obama said he is looking forward to building on what he said is a strong partnership between the U.S. and ASEAN.


**美印就粮食补贴问题达成协议**

美国和印度宣布达成一项协议,解决了有关粮食补贴的争议。这一争议使一项世界贸易协定不能获得批准。

世界贸易组织的代表们去年12月通过了这项贸易协定,希望以此提高海关规程的效率,降低在世界各地运送货物的成本。

这项协定需要得到世贸组织所有159个成员国的批准,但印度担心其中一项条款对政府提供粮食补贴规模予以限制,因此拒绝批准该协定。

白宫星期四发表声明说,美国和印度就一项条款达成一致立场。该条款规定在世贸组织成员国就粮食补贴问题达成永久性解决方案之前,不得对粮食补贴项目提出质疑。

US, India Reach Food Subsidy Deal

The United States and India have announced an agreement to resolve a dispute about food subsidies that has held up the ratification of a global trade pact.

World Trade Organization delegates approved the trade deal last December, seeking to streamline customs rules and cut the cost of shipping goods around the world.

The pact needed approval of all 159 WTO members, but India declined to ratify it because of concerns about a clause that restricts the size of food subsidies governments could provide.

The White House issued a statement Thursday saying the U.S. and India agreed on a provision that calls for WTO members not to challenge the subsidy programs until they agree on a "permanent solution" to the matter.