菲德尔·卡斯特罗拒绝奥巴马的建议

AS IT IS 2016-03-31 Fidel Castro Rejects Obama’s Advice 菲德尔·卡斯特罗拒绝奥巴马的建议

Former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro has rejected President Barack Obama’s efforts to improve relations between the two countries.

Castro wrote a column in state-run media, saying, “We do not need the empire to give us any presents.”

Castro is 89 years old. He turned over control of the communist island nation to his brother Raul in 2008. Raul is now 84.

Fidel Castro was not seen during Obama’s recent three-day visit to Cuba. It was the first visit to that island nation by an American president still in office in almost 90 years.

In Havana, Obama said more than 50 years of hostility¹ between the countries had ended. He said “it is time now for us to leave the past behind.”

But earlier this week, in a column called “Brother Obama,” Castro wrote: “I imagine that any one of us ran the risk of having a heart attack on hearing these words from the president of the United States.”

Castro wrote about exiled Cubans, or those who fled the island when Castro took power in 1959. A group of those exiles were trained by the U.S., returned to Cuba in 1961, and attempted to overthrow² Castro. But the overthrow attempt – called the Bay of Pigs operation -- failed, deeply embarrassing President John F. Kennedy.

Cuba is 145 kilometers south of the United States. There is a U.S. naval³ base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Terrorists suspected of acting⁴ against the U.S. are held there.

The two countries have reopened embassies in Washington and Havana, but a U.S. trade embargo⁵ remains⁶ in place. Obama has improved economic relations between the two countries.

More than 50 years ago, Castro seized American businesses on the island. By the end of this year, U.S. airlines will begin up to 110 flights to Cuba every day. And some American businesses are beginning to operate in Cuba.

Fidel Castro seemed angry about the renewed business relations. He wrote: “No one should pretend that the people of this noble and selfless country will renounce⁷ its glory and its rights. We are capable of producing the food and material wealth that we need with work and intelligence of our people.”

Castro suggested that Obama not try "to develop theories about Cuban politics.”

Presidential spokesman Josh Earnest said, “The fact that the former president felt compelled to respond so forcefully to the president's visit, I think, is an indication of the significant impact of President Obama's visit to Cuba.”

Words in This Story

column - n. a commentary or opinion piece in a newspaper

pretend - v. to act if something is true when it is untrue

compelled - v. forced to do something

respond - v. to say or write something in answer to something else

indication - n. a sign or evidence of something

1 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

2 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

3 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

4 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

5 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。