VOA常速英语2014--US First Lady Set for Education-Focused Trip to China 美国第一夫人将携家人访华

 

US First Lady Set for Education-Focused Trip to China 美国第一夫人将携家人访华

WASHINGTON — U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama is set to start a week-long visit to China focusing on education. Her trip is not expected to feature controversial subjects, such as human rights.

Last week the White House announced Michelle Obama would take her mother and two daughters to China from March 19 to March 26, for a trip that will focus on culture and education.

上周白宫宣布3月19日到26日期间，米歇尔·奥巴马将带着母亲和两个女儿来中国访问，访问的重点是文化和教育方面。

While visiting a special Chinese language school in Washington this month, Mrs. Obama emphasized that no matter where she traveld, she was most concerned with education, and traveling to China would be no exception.

奥巴马夫人本月访问了华盛顿一所特殊的汉语学校，她强调说无论去哪里，她最关心的都是教育，来中国访问也不例外。

Center for Strategic and International Studies Asia Affairs Advisor¹ Bonnie Glaser believed that making visits without political overtones has been a consistent way of doing things for the first lady.

亚洲事务战略与国际研究中心顾问邦妮·格拉泽认为，不带政治色彩的访问一直是第一夫人一贯的行事风格。

"I think that Michelle Obama has made two prior trips abroad. She has not focused on controversial issues anywhere. And she has not really given public speeches. So I don't think she will give a public speech in China. I think she prefers to focus on specific issues that are important to her, and education is clearly her priority on this trip," she said.

“米歇尔·奥巴马已经出访过两次，她从未关注过争议话题。她甚至没有发表过公开演讲，我认为她也不会在中国演讲的。我认为她更加关注对她来说重要的具体事务，教育显然是她此次出访的重点。”

Glaser said that Sino-American relations were complex, but that Michelle Obama may reinforce the U.S.-China relationship in a broader way.

格拉泽说中美关系很复杂，但米歇尔·奥巴马可能会从更广泛的方面来加强中美关系。

"She will do what she can to strengthen the U.S.-China relationship. And particularly people-to-people exchanges. This is an agenda item that has been identified both by Beijing and Washington as being important for the relationship. To have more exchanges between youth, between experts and all walks of life. And so I think she will contribute to that part of the relationship," she said.

“她将尽力加强美中关系，尤其是民间往来。北京和华盛顿都已将这一议程提高高有关两国关系的重要位置，青年人、专家和各行各业将进行更多往来。我认为她将促进中美关系的发展。”

Controversial statements from a U.S. First Lady are not unheard of.

美国第一夫人发表有争议的声明也不是前所未闻。

In 1995, then-U.S. first lady Hillary Clinton visited Beijing and participated in the U.N.’s 4th World Conference on Women. While there, she caused controversy² by attacking China’s human rights record.

1995年，时任第一夫人的希拉里·克林顿访问北京，并参加了联合国第4届妇女大会，她批评中国的人权纪录，由此引发争议。

Laura Bush normally avoided controversial remarks. While visiting the Burma-Thailand border region six years ago, however, she criticized Beijing for not putting enough pressure on the then military government in Burma, also known as Myanmar.

劳拉·布什一般避免争议言论，6年前她访问了缅甸和泰国边境地区，然而，她指责北京未能对缅甸军政府施压足够的压力。

Mrs. Obama and her family will visit Beijing, Xi’an, and Chengdu. They also will meet with Peng Liyuan, the wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

奥巴马夫人及家人将访问北京、西安和成都，还将和中国国家主席习近平的妻子彭丽媛会面。

1 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

2 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。