VOA慢速英語:Comment Could Settle Syria Crisis or Make it Worse

From VOA Learning English, this is In the News.
這里是美國之音慢速英語新聞報道。

What seemed like an unplanned comment about Syria's chemical weapons had a major effect on world events this week. American Secretary of State John Kerry spoke last Monday at a press conference in London. He was reacting to questions about possible American action to answer a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria. One reporter asked the secretary whether there is anything Syria's president can do to avoid an American military strike.
一段就敘利亞化學武器貌似無意的評論對本周全球事件產(chǎn)生了重大影響。美國國務(wù)卿約翰·克里（John Kerry）上周一在倫敦記者招待會上做了發(fā)言，他當時回應了美國對敘利亞疑似化學武器攻擊可能會采取什么行動的問題。一名記者問到，敘利亞總統(tǒng)是否能做點什么以避免美國的軍事打擊。

"Sure, he can turn over every single bit of his chemical weapons to the international community in the next week."
克里說，“當然，他可以下周將他所有化學武器移交給國際社會。”

Mr. Kerry made clear he was speaking theoretically, and did not expect anything like that to happen.
克里先生明確表示他只是從理論上這么說，并未期望這樣的事情會發(fā)生。

"But he is not about to do that, cannot be done, obviously."
克里說，“但顯然他（指敘利亞總統(tǒng)）不打算那么做。”

But Russia seized on the idea and persuaded Syria to do the same. That brought plans for American congressional votes on military action to a halt. It also led France to suggest a United Nations Security Council resolution on chemical weapons in Syria. President Obama has said he would accept a diplomatic solution if it can be carried out. But that would likely take weeks, at least.
但俄羅斯抓住了克里的這個想法，并說服了敘利亞照辦。這使得美國國會投票的計劃陷入停頓。它還導致法國就敘利亞化學武器提出了一項聯(lián)合國安理會決議。奧巴馬總統(tǒng)已表示，如果可能，他愿意接受外交途徑解決。但那樣做可能至少需要數(shù)周時間。

Some officials in the United States and overseas are concerned. They fear that Syria and Russia will use Mr. Kerry's comment to direct attention away from the reported chemical attack and to avoid American action.
美國和國外的一些官員很是擔憂。他們擔心敘利亞和俄羅斯會利用克里先生的評論將全球注意力從已報道的化學武器攻擊上轉(zhuǎn)移走，以避免美國的打擊行動。

Mr. Obama has said the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must be punished for violating the nearly century old ban on the use of chemical weapons. He called for American action to prevent future use of chemical weapons in Syria. He proposed limited airstrikes on government targets. The airstrikes could happen quickly if Congress approves.
奧巴馬總統(tǒng)曾說，敘利亞阿薩德政權(quán)違反了近一個世紀之久的化學武器使用禁令，必須受到懲罰。他呼吁美國采取行動防止敘利亞未來繼續(xù)使用化學武器，并提出對敘利亞政府目標進行有限空襲。如果國會批準，空襲可能很快就會進行。

Joanna Kidd is a security expert with London's King's College. She says any move to place Syria's chemical weapons under international control would take a long time, if it could be done at all.
喬安娜·基德(Joanna Kidd)是倫敦國王學院的一名安全專家。她表示，如果能完全做到，任何將敘利亞化學武器置于國際控制下行動都將需要很長時間。

"It is a job that would take several months to do. And, of course, one should not forget that obviously there is a civil war going on in Syria, which would greatly complicate the process."
她說，“這項工作可能需要數(shù)月時間。當然我們不應該忘記的一點是，敘利亞顯然正在內(nèi)戰(zhàn)，這將使得這一過程更為復雜。”

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons could provide inspectors to document controls on Syria's chemical weapons. But experts say there may not be enough inspectors to cover all of Syria. And they say the organization may not be willing to send them into the middle of the civil war.
禁止化學武器組織可以提供檢查人員記錄管理敘利亞的化學武器。但專家表示，可能沒有足夠多的檢查人員來覆蓋敘利亞全境。他們還表示，該組織可能不會愿意將檢查人員置于敘利亞內(nèi)戰(zhàn)中。

Late this week, the Syrian government took its first step toward joining the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention. The convention bans the development, production and use of chemical weapons. Until now, only seven countries, including Syria, have failed to approve the treaty.
本周晚些時候，敘利亞政府走出了加入1993年《禁止化學武器公約》的第一步。該公約禁止發(fā)展、生產(chǎn)和使用化學武器。截至目前，只有包括敘利亞在內(nèi)的7個國家未批準該條約。

Mr. Assad says his country is now ready to give its approval. But he says Syria cannot be "brought to the final stage" while it is under the threat of an American missile strike.
阿薩德表示，敘利亞已經(jīng)準備好批準該條約。但他表示，在敘利亞處于美國導彈襲擊的威脅期間，敘利亞不會在這件事上屈服。

In a related development, Secretary Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met in Geneva. Mr. Kerry said they held what he called "constructive" talks on ending Syria's chemical weapons program. He said they also agreed to do "homework" as part of an effort to get Syria's warring sides to a conference on a temporary government.
另一方面，美國國務(wù)卿克里和俄羅斯外長謝爾蓋·拉夫羅夫（Sergei Lavrov）在日內(nèi)瓦舉行會談。克里表示，他們就結(jié)束敘利亞化學武器計劃進行了有建設(shè)性的會談。他說，雙方同意繼續(xù)努力讓敘利亞交戰(zhàn)各方回到就臨時政府的會談上來。