VOA慢速英语:Venezuela Mourns President Hugo Chavez

Venezuelans are remembering President Hugo Chavez, who died after a heart attack earlier this week. The president had not been seen in public since December.
委内瑞拉人民正在追忆本周早些时候心脏病发作后去世的总统乌戈•查韦斯。从去年12月以来，查韦斯总统就没有在公众场合露面。

For the past two years, Hugo Chavez battled pelvic cancer. He returned to Venezuela last month following medical treatment in Cuba. He was unable to attend swearing-in ceremonies for another term in office in January.
在过去的两年里，查韦斯与盆腔肿瘤作斗争。他上个月在古巴接受治疗后返回委内瑞拉。他无法参加在一月份举行的新一任总统宣誓就职仪式。

On Tuesday, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced the death of President Chavez.
周二，委内瑞拉副总统尼古拉斯•马杜罗宣布了查韦斯总统的死讯。

"We're going to miss him until the last day of our lives but we carry on his legacy here and we will carry it on with strength.''  
"我们会终生想念他，我们继承了他的遗产，并加强其传承。”

Mr. Maduro said the leader’s body will be treated so people can see it for many years to come. He accused Venezuela’s enemies of attacking the president with cancer. He did not say how that could have been done.
马杜罗先生说，查韦斯的遗体将进行处理，这样人们在今后多年里还可以看到他。他指责委内瑞拉的敌人用癌症攻击查韦斯总统，但他没有说明这点怎么可能实现。

Hugo Chavez dreamed of playing major league baseball in the United States, but instead chose to join the Venezuelan army. He was jailed in 1992 for leading an unsuccessful attempt to oust then-president Carlos Andres Perez.
查韦斯梦想到美国打职业棒球大联盟，但却选择加入了委内瑞拉军队。1992年他因为企图推翻当时的总统Carlos Andres Perez失败而被关押。

In 1998, Hugo Chavez was himself elected president after promising to end poverty and corruption.
在1998年，查韦斯在承诺消除贫困和腐败之后自己当选为总统。

To help finance social programs, he nationalized, or seized control of, major businesses, including oil companies. Millions of Venezuelans loved him for using the country’s oil wealth to provide low-cost food, free medical care and other programs. However, the United States and much of Latin America criticized President Chavez for his social policies and for nationalizing companies. They also disapproved of his ties with Cuba, Iran and Libya.
为了资助社会福利计划，他把包括石油公司在内的主要业务收归国有。数以百万计的委内瑞拉人因为他利用该国的石油财富提供廉价食物、免费医疗和其它项目而爱他。然而，美国和许多拉美国家批评查韦斯总统的社会政策和国有化公司的行为。他们也不赞成他和古巴、伊朗以及利比亚的关系。

Observers are wondering what will happen to relations between Venezuela and the United States in the coming months. After the Venezuelan leader’s death, President Obama said the United States was re-confirming its support for the Venezuelan people. President Chavez repeatedly accused the United States of working against his socialist revolution. In 2002, the Bush administration supported an effort to oust the Venezuelan leader. The overthrow attempt failed.
观察家们想知道未来几个月内委内瑞拉和美国之间的关系会发生什么事。委内瑞拉领导人逝世后，美国总统奥巴马说，美国已重新确认其对委内瑞拉人民的支持。查韦斯总统曾多次指责美国针对他的社会主义革命工作。2002年，布什政府支持了推翻委内瑞拉领导人的努力。推翻企图最终失败。

Over the years, Venezuela has remained a major supplier of oil to the United States. It also provides free heating oil to poor Americans through a non-profit group.
多年来，委内瑞拉仍然是美国主要的石油供应国。它还通过一个非营利组织向美国穷人提供免费的取暖用油。

Philip Brenner is with American University in Washington. He says relations between the nations would be better if the United States recognized Venezuela’s actions and not symbolic speech.
Philip Brenner在华盛顿的大学工作。他说，如果美国承认委内瑞拉的行动而不是象征性言论，国家之间的关系会更好。

"I think the important thing to remember about Venezuela is that they have never even threatened to cut off our oil. Venezuela has done nothing to actually harm U.S. interests except to challenge U.S. dominance."
“我认为，有关委内瑞拉重要的是要记住，他们甚至从来没有威胁过要切断我们的石油供应。除了挑战美国的主导地位，委内瑞拉没有做任何损害美国利益的事情。

Shortly after the death of President Chavez, Vice President Maduro announced the expulsion of two American diplomats. He said they were planning to weaken the Venezuelan government. The United States has rejected his claim.
查韦斯总统去世不久之后，副总统马杜罗宣布驱逐两名美国外交官。他说他们打算削弱委内瑞拉政府。美国否认了他的说法。