VOA常速英语:U.S. Withdraws From UNESCO

The United States has announced it will withdraw from UNESCO at the end of 2018. UNESCO is the Paris-based UN body whose mission is to coordinate international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication.A well-known part of its job is to help protect the world’s important cultural and natural heritage sites through the World Heritage program.
美国宣布将在2018年底退出联合国教科文组织。联合国教科文组织是总部设在巴黎的联合国机构，主要负责协调教育、科学、文化和交流领域的合作。它最为熟知的一项工作是通过世界遗产计划协助保护世界重要文化和自然遗产。

State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said the decision to withdraw from UNESCO came after a long and deliberative process. The decision was based on a number of concerns.
国务院发言人希瑟·诺尔特说美国经过一个长期审议过程后，决定退出联合国教科文组织。该决定也是基于若干考虑作出的。

The United States is in arrears to UNESCO in the amount of almost 550 million dollars.That’s because under federal legislation passed in the 1990’s,the United States is required to stop sending funds to any UN agency that grants Palestinians recognition as a full member state. The fact is such a move disregards the necessity for negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis that will result in a Palestinian state making a real difference in the lives of both peoples.In 2011, UNESCO made such a move, and the United States, as legally required, cut off its funding to the organization.
美国拖欠联合国教科文组织会费近5.5亿美元。这是因为20世纪90年代通过的联邦立法，它规定美国不得向任何认定巴勒斯坦为完全会员国的联合国机构提供资金。事实上这一举动没有考虑到巴勒斯坦人和以色列人之间进行谈判的必要性，这将对巴勒斯坦国中的巴勒斯坦人和以色列人的生活产生重大影响。在2011年，联合国教科文组织采取这一行动，按法律规定美国减少其对该组织提供的会费。

A second concern governing the U.S. decision to withdraw is the increasing politicization, including anti-Israel bias, at UNESCO.In July, for example, as the US Mission to the United Nations noted,UNESCO made its latest politically biased decision designating the Old City of Hebron and the Tomb of the Patriarchs as part of Palestinian territory.Such an action is an outrageous attempt to separate Israel and the Jews from their history of thousands of years.
促使美国决定退出的第二个原因是联合国教科文组织日益政治化，包括反以色列偏见。例如在7月份，如美国驻联合国代表团指出的，联合国教科文组织最近作出的有政治偏见的决议，针对的是巴勒斯坦领土上的希伯伦老城和族长之墓。这种行为是要将以色列和犹太人与他们数千年历史分离开的可恶尝试。

Finally, Spokesperson Nauert cited the need for fundamental reform at UNESCO,as President Donald Trump has called for across the United Nations.
最后，发言人诺尔特表示联合国教科文组织应该进行根本改革，随着总统唐纳德·特朗普呼吁整个联合国都要进行根本改革。

She added, however, that the United States wants to remain engaged with UNESCO and will seek to become a non-member observer state, “in order to contribute U.S. views, perspectives and expertise on some of the important issues undertaken by the organization.”
然而，她补充道，美国仍想参与联合国教科文组织的事务，并将寻求成为观察员国，“为了向该组织开展的一些重要问题贡献美国的见解、观点和专业知识。”

The decision to withdraw will also not alter U.S. policy supporting international cooperation in educational, scientific, cultural, communication and information activities where there are benefits to the United States.
退出决定不会改变美国在教育、科学、文化、交流和信息活动方面支持国际合作的政策，这些领域会为美国带来利益。