時事新聞:奧巴馬即將訪問緬甸

President Barack Obama will visit Myanmar this month, the first trip to the country by a U.S. president, in another step toward engagement with the long-isolated nation.

美國總統奧巴馬(Barack Obama)本月將訪問緬甸，這是美國總統首次訪緬，也是美國朝着與長期孤立的緬甸接觸的方向邁進了一步。

The trip underscores a remarkable transformation by Myanmar as a country under its leader, President Thein Sein, who in less than two years has taken his nation from pariah status to host of a U.S. presidential visit.

Reuters今年9月，奧巴馬在美國白宮的總統辦公室會見緬甸反對黨領袖昂山素季。奧巴馬即將訪緬凸顯了該國在總統吳登盛(Thein Sein)的帶領下發生的顯著轉變。在不到兩年的時間裏，吳登盛把緬甸從一個受到孤立的邊緣國家變成了一個準備迎接美國總統到訪的東道國。

Mr. Obama announced the U.S. would resume ties with Myanmar, also known as Burma, on his last trip to Asia, a year ago.

奧巴馬在一年前的亞洲之行時宣佈，美國將恢復與緬甸的關係。

At that time, he said Mr. Thein Sein had made enough progress in opening up his country, a military dictatorship just two years ago, to justify sending Secretary of State Hillary Clinton there for a diplomatic visit.

奧巴馬當時說，吳登盛總統在開放緬甸一事上已取得足夠進展，令他認爲有必要派遣美國國務卿克林頓(Hillary Clinton)對緬甸進行外交訪問。僅僅兩年前緬甸還是一個軍事獨裁國家。

The Clinton trip, the first by a U.S. secretary of state in more than 50 years, paved the way toward easing U.S. financial sanctions on Myanmar and restoration of full diplomatic ties.

克林頓訪緬是美國國務卿逾半個世紀以來對緬甸的首次訪問。此次訪問爲美國放寬對緬甸的經濟制裁並恢復全面外交關係鋪平了道路。

But the visit by Mr. Obama constitutes a further advance in U.S. relations with Myanmar and comes amid a debate about whether the Obama administration is moving too quickly or too slowly in coaxing the government toward greater openness.

但奧巴馬訪緬是美國與緬甸關係的更深進展，且這次訪問也正值一場討論熱烈展開之際，即奧巴馬政府在勸說緬甸政府加大開放力度一事上進展是太快還是太慢？

While there, Mr. Obama plans to meet with Mr. Thein Sein, who has helped move his nation toward reforms and engagement with the West. He will also meet with political activist and Nobel Peace Price winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who has encouraged Mr. Obama to more rapidly open U.S. ties to her country.

到達緬甸之後奧巴馬計劃會見吳登盛。吳登盛把緬甸推向了改革和與西方國家接觸的道路上。奧巴馬還將同緬甸政治活動人士、諾貝爾和平獎得主昂山素季(Aung San Suu Kyi)會面。昂山素季一直鼓勵奧巴馬加快放開美國和緬甸的各種關係。

He also will speak to civil-society groups 'to encourage Burma's ongoing democratic transition,' the White House said.

白宮說，奧巴馬還會向緬甸的民間社會團體發表演說，以鼓勵緬甸正在進行的民主過渡。

'It's an opportunity to support the democratic transition in Burma and build a bilateral relationship,' a White House official added.

一名白宮官員補充說，這是支持緬甸民主過渡、建立雙邊關係的一個機會。

Some human-rights campaigners, though, fear the U.S. has moved too quickly and opened the possibility that Myanmar's military will be the largest beneficiary of increased investment in the country.

但一些人權活動家擔心美國動作太快，且緬甸軍方可能成爲該國投資不斷增加的最大受益者。

At the same time, long-simmering ethnic conflict in the country has flared recently, underscoring that Mr. Thein Sein still has much work to do to satisfy U.S. conditions for further engagement.

與此同時，持續發酵的種族衝突最近在緬甸愈演愈烈，凸顯爲了滿足美國就進一步接觸所提出的要求，吳登盛還有很多工作要做。

Myanmar has pledged to end its military ties with North Korea -- but it isn't clear it has yet, fueling American weapons-proliferation concerns.

緬甸已承諾結束與朝鮮的軍事關係，但目前尚不清楚其是否已經做到，這加深了美國對武器擴散問題的憂慮。

Mr. Obama's four-day Asia trip, which begins Nov. 17, will include visits to Thailand and Cambodia, the White House said Thursday. The White House said the Thailand trip will mark 180 years of diplomatic relations and reaffirm the alliance.

白宮週四表示，奧巴馬定於11月17日開始的爲期四天的亞洲之行將包括對泰國和柬埔寨的訪問。白宮方面說，奧巴馬訪問泰國正值美國與泰國建交180週年，將再次確認雙方的友好關係。

In Cambodia, Mr. Obama plans to attend the East Asia Summit and meet with Asian leaders attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering. The White House said that topics on Mr. Obama's agenda in Cambodia will include trade, energy, security cooperation and human rights.

在柬埔寨，奧巴馬計劃參加東亞峯會，並會見出席東南亞國家聯盟(Association of Southeast Asian Nations)會議的亞洲國家領導人。白宮說，奧巴馬在柬埔寨的議程包括貿易、能源、安全合作和人權等問題。

The engagement with Myanmar also has implications for American efforts to counter Chinese influence in the region. Washington has seen the political opening in Myanmar as a unique opportunity to partner with a country that has traditionally been among China's closest allies.

同緬甸接觸也會對美國試圖對抗中國在該地區影響力的種種努力造成影響。華盛頓方面已經將緬甸的政治開放視作一個獨特的機會，美國藉此機會同一個歷來就是中國最親密盟友的國家建立了夥伴關係。

At the East Asia summit a year ago, the U.S. supported smaller nations in the region in their effort to contest China's territorial claims to the South China Sea, another move seen as a challenge to the Asian superpower.

在一年前的東亞峯會上，美國支持該地區中小國家挑戰中國對南中國海（中國稱南海）的領土訴求。此舉被視爲美國挑戰中國這一亞洲超級大國的又一行爲。