President Barack Obama said Friday he's hopeful the robust political debate in Iran in connection with its presidential election will advance prospects for U.S.-Iranian engagement. Administration officials say plans to engage Tehran will go forward regardless of who wins the election.
美国总统奥巴马星期五说，他希望伊朗在大选中开展的生气勃勃的辩论将促使美国和伊朗有相互交往的前景。美国政府官员说，不管是谁赢得这次伊朗大选，都将推行与伊朗当局交往的计划。
Obama administration officials have been careful not to take sides in public statements on the hotly contested multi-candidate race, led by incumbent Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the relatively-moderate former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi.
奥巴马政府官员都小心谨慎，在公开声明中不偏向参与伊朗竞争激烈竞选的任何一名候选人，在这场角逐中居领先地位的是现任总统艾哈迈迪内贾德和立场相对温和的前总理穆萨维。
But they have made no effort to conceal their fascination over the process, which featured acrimonious televised debates on major policy issues and massive public rallies.
但是美国政府官员都毫不隐瞒自己对伊朗竞选过程的惊喜，这次竞选的特色包括就重大政策问题展开言辞尖锐的电视辩论以及大型群众大会。
In comments to reporters at the White House, President Obama said he was excited to see what appears to be a robust debate taking place in Iran, only days after he renewed his overture for dialogue with that country in his June 4 policy address in Cairo.
"Obviously after the speech that I made in Cairo, we tried to send a clear message that we think there's the possibility of change," he said. "And you know ultimately the election is for the Iranians to decide. But just as has been true in Lebanon, what can be true in Iran as well is that you're seeing people looking at new possibilities."
奥巴马说：“我在开罗讲演之后，显然我们试图发出我们认为可能发生变化的明确信息。要知道这次选举最终得由伊朗人来决定。然而正如黎巴嫩所发生的情况那样，伊朗的确也可能发生同样的情况，也就是你会看到人民在展望新的可能性。”
Mr. Obama said that whoever wins the election, the fact that there's been a vigorous debate will hopefully enhance the United States ability to engage Iranians "in new ways."
奥巴马说，不论谁赢得大选，曾经有一场生气勃勃的辩论这一事实可望将以新的方式提高美国与伊朗交往的能力。
There were similar comments from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who at a photo session with Ecuadoran Foreign Minister Fander Falconi Benitez said it is "a very positive sign" that the Iranian people want their voices and their votes to be heard and counted.
美国国务卿克林顿发表了类似的评论，克林顿在与厄瓜多尔外长凡德尔.法尔孔尼.贝尼特斯摄影留念时说，伊朗人民希望表达自己的意见、并利用自己的投票权，这是积极的迹象。
Meanwhile, a senior State Department official who spoke to reporters on terms of anonymity said the administration's determination to seek dialogue with Iran is not dependent on any specific election outcome, and that the United States will seek to engage whoever wins.
与此同时，一位不愿透露姓名的国务院高级官员说，不论选举的具体结果如何，奥巴马政府都决心寻求与伊朗开展对话，不论是谁赢得大选，美国都将寻求与此人联络。
The Obama administration, like its predecessor, has sharply condemned comments by Iranian President Ahmadinejad threatening Israel with destruction and seeming to deny the World War II Nazi extermination campaign against European Jews.
奥巴马政府与布什政府一样，都大力抨击伊朗总统艾哈迈迪内贾德发表的某些评论，他曾威胁要毁灭以色列，并且似乎要否认二战时纳粹曾有灭绝欧洲犹太人的行动。
But, under questioning, the senior official said an Ahmadinejad victory is "not necessarily" a setback to the administration's engagement hopes.
但是当这位国务院高级官员被追问时，他又说，艾哈迈迪内贾德赢得选举胜利不一定意味着奥巴马政府接触政策的希望暗淡。
He said U.S. officials believe the process will be complex and difficult regardless of the election outcome because of lingering distrust of the United States and the fact that unelected clerical leaders in Tehran may wield more power than the president on key foreign policy matters and the country's nuclear program.
He said once Iran completes the election process, which could include a presidential runoff vote, the Obama administration expects a response from Tehran to its April invitation to return to nuclear negotiations in which the United States will be a full participant.
The official said he expects senior U.S. and Iranian diplomats to be together at multi-lateral meetings in the coming months on Iraq, Afghanistan and other issues. But he said the administration's ultimate aim is a direct bilateral discussion with an Iranian interlocutor who speaks authoritatively on the country's nuclear program and other issues. |