VOA常速英语:A Challenge for the Hemisphere

Next, an editorial reflecting the views of the United States government.
接下来，是一篇反映美国政府观点的社论。

Speaking at the Organization of American States, Vice President Mike Pence quoted the Charter of the OAS:“Representative democracy is an indispensable condition for stability, peace and development.” Free nations throughout the hemisphere, he stated, can attest to that truth.But there are places in the hemisphere under a “dark cloud of tyranny,” Vice President Pence said: among them, Cuba, where the police state imposed by the Castro family remains;and Nicaragua, where hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets to demand a return to democratic order only to be met in some instances with deadly force.
在美洲国家组织发表的讲话中，美国副总统迈克·彭斯援引美洲国家组织宪章中的话：“代议制民主是稳定、和平、发展的必要条件。”他称，西半球的自由国家都能证明这一真理。但西半球还有一些地区在“暴政乌云”的笼罩下，副总统彭斯称：其中，古巴依然是卡斯特罗家族控制的极权国家；在尼加拉瓜，成千上万人涌向街头要求恢复民主秩序，在某些情况下他们会遭遇到致命武力。

It is in Venezuela, however, where the tragedy of tyranny is on full display.Grinding poverty, corruption, oppression and exile are the results of authoritarian misrule by President Nicolas Maduro, who has replaced the country’s “once-great democracy with dictatorship.” If the Venezuelan people had the chance, they would choose a better path.
然而，暴政的悲剧在委内瑞拉得到充分展示。极度贫困、腐败、镇压和流亡是委内瑞拉总统尼古拉斯·马杜罗独裁暴政的结果，他用独裁替换了该国曾经伟大的民主。如果委内瑞拉人民有机会，他们会选择更好的道路。51.860.364.568.9
The Vice President called the upcoming May 20th elections in Venezuela “a fraud and a sham.” The regime callously portions out access to affordable food to manipulate votes.The courts and the electoral Council are packed with Maduro cronies; major parties have been banned; opposition leaders have been barred from running; and dissidents jailed:“That’s why today we call on Maduro and his regime: Suspend this sham election…Give the people of Venezuela real choices, because the Venezuela people deserve to live in democracy once again.”Vice President Pence noted that in order to hold the Maduro regime responsible for the chaos it has caused, the U.S. has imposed, among other measures, strict financial sanctions on more than 50 current and former senior officials, and has barred the “Petro” digital currency from the U.S. financial system.
副总统将5月20日在委内瑞拉举行的选举称作是“一场骗局。”该政权无情地分配人们可获得的食物以操纵选举。法院和选举委员会挤满了马杜罗的亲信；主要党派被禁止参加大选；反对派领导人被禁止参加总统竞选；持不同政见者被拘禁。这就是为什么我们今天呼吁马杜罗及其政权：暂停这一虚假选举的原因。给委内瑞拉人民真正的选择，因为委内瑞拉人民应再次享受民主。副总统彭斯指出为使马杜罗政权对其引起的混乱负责，除其他措施外，美国已经对50多名现任和前任高级官员实施严格的财政制裁，并禁止委内瑞拉数字货币——“石油币”进入美国金融体系。

Vice President Pence called on nations in the Western Hemisphere to do more to stand with Venezuela’s people by suspending Venezuela from membership in the organization;cutting off Venezuela’s corrupt leaders from laundering money through their countries’ financial systems, and enacting visa restrictions that prevent Venezuela’s leaders from entering their nations.
副总统彭斯呼吁西半球国家付出更多努力支持委内瑞拉人民，通过暂停委内瑞拉在美洲国家组织的成员国资格；阻止委内瑞拉的腐败领导人通过他们国家的财政体系进行洗钱交易，制定签证限制条件，防止委内瑞拉领导人进入他们的国家。131.0134.6140.0146.1
“The people of Venezuela deserve democracy,” Mr. Pence said. “The people of Venezuela deserve to regain their liberated.”
“委内瑞拉人民应该获得民主，”彭斯指出。“委内瑞拉人民应该重获他们的自由城。”