Thailand's prime minister vows to stay in office, despite thousands of protesters around the country demanding his resignation. The Cabinet plans to hold a national referendum on the political crisis.
尽管泰国各地数以千计的抗议者要求总理沙马辞职，沙马坚决表示要继续留任。泰国内阁计划就这场政治危机举行公民投票。
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, in a nationally broadcast address Thursday morning, dismissed reports he was preparing to stand to end weeks of anti-government protests.
泰国总理沙马星期四早上向全国发表广播讲话，否认关于他准备以辞职来结束持续数周的反政府抗议的报导。
In a defiant speech, Mr. Samak said the whole world was watching the unfolding events and he would not "abandon ship."
沙马在讲话中态度坚定，他说，全世界都在关注事态的发展，他不会“弃船逃走”。他说，他必须留下来保护民主制度，他不会辞职，也不会解散议会。
He says he will not resign and he will not dissolve parliament as he must stay to protect democracy.
Mr. Samak was elected last December, in the first elections held after a coup in 2006 ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Just hours earlier, a leading English language daily newspaper declared in a banner headline "Samak on the brink of exit" because of the foreign minister's resignation on Wednesday.
Sompop Manarangsan, an economist at Chulalongkorn University, says Mr. Samak's decision will worsen the situation.
泰国朱拉隆功大学的经济学家颂蓬说，沙马的决定会使形势进一步恶化。
"The tensions in the society are going to be much more critical from now on because a lot more people - even the businessmen, academics, lecturers around the country - even senior high school students are coming out for the government to resign or to dissolve the parliament," said Sompop.
他说：“从现在开始，社会上的紧张气氛会更严重，因为更多的人，甚至包括全国各地的商人、学者、演说家和高中学生都走上街头，要求政府辞职或者解散议会。”
Sompop warned of the protests spreading and as they do, becoming more difficult to control.
颂蓬警告说，抗议活动的范围会继续扩大，变得更难以控制。
The People's Alliance for Democracy has led the protests for nearly four months. The PAD says Mr. Samak acts as a nominee for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who recently fled to Britain to avoid trial on corruption charges. Mr. Thaksin says he is innocent.
泰国人民民主联盟近4个月来一直在领导抗议活动。该组织说，沙马是泰国前总理他信的代理人。他信不久前为了躲避腐败指控逃到英国，并声称自己是清白的。
Last week, PAD supporters escalated the protests by occupying the compound of the main government office building. They remain there, despite court orders to leave and the imposition of a state of emergency, which bans large gatherings.
上个星期，人民民主联盟的支持者占领了主要政府办公大楼的大院。虽然法庭下令他们离开，泰国政府还实施了紧急状态法，禁止多人集会，但是抗议者依然留在政府办公区内。
In a move seen as trying to de-fuse the situation, the Cabinet Thursday announced it would hold a national referendum asking voters to decide whether the government should resign or dissolve parliament. Mr. Samak says he hopes the Senate will approve the referendum quickly, so the vote could be held early next month.
泰国内阁星期四宣布将举行全民公投，让选民们来决定政府是否应该辞职和解散议会。外界认为这一措施是为了缓和局势。沙马总理说，他希望泰国参议院能尽快批准这项计划，这样在10月初就能举行公投。
Kraisak Choonhavan, a member of parliament from the opposition Democrat Party, says the protests are spreading and now are in 15 cities, while 45 labor unions pledge to support the PAD. The crisis, he says, undermines the administration of the country.
"The government is completely paralyzed and yet the stubbornness and unrighteousness and the arrogance of the prime minister remains unabated. And the only solution is the resignation of the prime minister," he said.
Despite the protests, the country is calm and operating normally. The army chief says that troops called in to enforce the state of emergency want to keep it that way. He rules out using force against demonstrators.
虽然在各地发生了抗议活动，但是泰国整体局势平静，正常运转。军方首脑表示，被调来执行紧急状态法的部队将保持国家目前的状态。他说，军方不会对抗议者使用武力。
The crisis is the most severe since 2006, when after months of massive protests, the military ousted Prime Minister Thaksin, and imposed a military-led government.
这次抗议活动是2006年以来泰国最严重的危机。在2006年，在持续了几个月的大规模抗议活动后，泰国军方把当时的总理他信赶下台，并且建立了军政府。 |