VOA常速英语:Venezuela’s New Anti-hate Law Derided as Censorship

Up to 20 years in jail, that’s the maximum punishment under a new anti-hate law passed by Venezuela’s Pro-government Constituent Assembly this week.The law bans Venezuelans from spreading violent or hateful content through TV radio or social medium platforms.Government leaders say the law promotes peaceful dialogue but it’s being heavily criticized by free speech advocates and the US States Department.
本周，委内瑞拉亲政府组成的议会通过了一项新的反仇恨法，惩罚为最高可达20年的监禁。法律禁止委内瑞拉人通过电视、收音机或社会媒体平台传播暴力或仇恨的的内容。政府领导人说，这项法律促进了和平对话，但它受到了言论自由倡导者和美国国务院的严厉批评。

The regime put the law into effect immediately.As long as the Maduro regime conducts itself as a dictatorship,we will continue to bring the full weight of American economic and diplomatic power to bear in support of the Venezuelan people.This is why the United States today announced targeted sanctions against Venezuelan government officials involved in ongoing efforts to undermine democracy in Venezuela.
该政权立即实施了这项法律。只要马杜罗政权体现出它的独裁性，我们将继续把美国的经济和外交力量作为全力支持委内瑞拉人民的后盾。这就是为什么美国今天宣布有针对性地制裁委内瑞拉政府官员，因为他们正在进行破坏委内瑞拉的民主进程。

Those sanctions are part of a larger effort to crack down on fraud and corruption according to a statement released by Treasury officials on Thursday.
财政部官员星期四发表声明称，这些制裁是更为大规模的打击欺诈和腐败的努力的一部分。

Critics of President Maduro are calling the latest anti-hate law a tool to stifling dissent.Maduro proposed the legislation this year after millions took to the streets in protests and clashes that were sparked by the country’s worsening economic and political crisis.
评论称总统马杜罗利用最新的反仇恨法来扼杀国内的反对声音。马杜罗今年提案立法后，数百万人走上街头抗议，引起冲突，该局面是由该国近年来不断恶化的经济和政治危机引发。

The latest tensions represent what some analysts see as a particularly difficult chapter in the country’s history.
最新的紧张局势表明了某些分析家所说的该国历史上极其艰难的一章。

Venezuela was once one of the richest countries in Latin America with a well-educated workforce,rich natural endowments including of course the world’s largest oil reserve and so that they’ve gotten to this point is a great tragedy for the people of Venezuela.
委内瑞拉曾经是拉丁美洲最富有的国家之一，拥有受过良好教育的劳动力，拥有丰富的自然资源，包括世界上最大的石油储备，因此，他们目前的这个局面，对该国人民来说，这是一个巨大的悲剧。

Elizabeth Cherneff, VOA News, Washington.
美国之音新闻，Elizabeth Cherneff，华盛顿报道。