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　　In his Middle East policy speech, President Barack Obama said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad faces the choice of either leading a democratic transition in his country or getting out of the way. The comment came a day after the U.S. administration imposed sanctions on the Syrian leader and key aides.
奥巴马总统在他就中东和北非问题发表的讲话中针对叙利亚的局势做出如下表示。他说，叙利亚总统阿萨德目前所面临的选择是，或者引导叙利亚民主转型，或者让位。美国星期三宣布对叙利亚总统阿萨德和他手下的一些内阁成员进行具体的制裁。
President Barack Obama's comments stopped short of an outright¹ demand Syria's leader step down. But the remarks were another sign of diminishing U.S. patience with President Bashar al-Assad, whose reform promises have been contradicted by an ongoing² brutal³ crackdown on protesters.
奥巴马总统在星期四的讲话中没有明确表示要阿萨德下台，但是，从奥巴马在叙利亚问题上的措辞，明显可以看出，美国方面对阿萨德已经逐渐失去耐心。
"The Syrian people have shown their courage in demanding a transition to democracy," said Obama. "President Assad now has a choice: he can lead that transition, or get out of the way. The Syrian government must stop shooting demonstrators and allow peaceful protests, release political prisoners and stop unjust arrests, they must allow human rights monitors to have access to cities like Daraa, and start a serious dialogue to advance a democratic transition."
奥巴马总统说：“叙利亚人民在要求国家向民主转型方面，表现出了相当的勇气。阿萨德总统现在仍然可以选择：或者是领导国家向民主转型，或者是让路。叙利亚政府必须要停止对抗议民众开枪，必须要允许和平抗议示威、释放政治犯、停止不当的拘捕行为。叙利亚政府必须允许人权观察人士去到达拉等城市，并且要展开严肃、真诚的对话，朝着民主转型迈进。”
President Obama said Syria has followed its ally Iran and sought assistance from Tehran in what he termed the "tactics of suppression." He said that speaks to the "hypocrisy⁴ of the Iranian regime," which he says professes⁵ support for the rights of protesters abroad, but suppresses its people at home.
奥巴马总统说，叙利亚一直听从其盟国伊朗，并且在具体如何镇压方面，从伊朗政府那里寻求帮助。奥巴马总统说，伊朗政府的表现是“虚伪”的，一方面说坚决支持其他国家人民抗议的权利，另一方面又在本国对民众进行打压。
On the eve of President Obama's speech, the administration announced new sanctions on Syria that for the first time directly target President Assad and key advisers⁶.
就在奥巴马总统发表有关中东和北非问题重要讲话的前一天，美国政府宣布对叙利亚进行新一轮制裁，并且首次将叙利亚总统阿萨德和他的几位亲信列为制裁目标。
The measures, which freeze any U.S. assets the Syrians may have and forbid U.S. business dealings with them, may have little immediate⁷ effect on al-Assad.
具体的制裁内容包括冻结阿萨德及其亲信在美国的资产，并且严禁美国公司与这些人做生意。
But analysts⁸ say the U.S. action has high symbolic⁹ value, and could lead to major hardship for the Syrian ruling circle if the European Union, as expected, follows the U.S. lead in expanding sanctions.
虽然这些制裁措施可能一时间不会在阿萨德身上产生明显的作用，但是分析人士表示，美方所采取的制裁行动有着极其重要的象征意义。与此同时，假如欧盟国家也像美国一样出台类似或者是同样的制裁措施的话，那么，叙利亚统治阶层的日子恐怕就不那么好过了。
Middle East expert Robert Satloff, the executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, says the Obama language is an "important step" toward a flat U.S. demand for Syrian regime change, and says it is highly unlikely that al-Assad will heed¹⁰ calls for reform.
美国的一位中东问题专家、华盛顿近东问题研究所的执行主任罗伯特·萨特罗夫在接受美国之音采访时说，奥巴马总统星期四的讲话，是美方在政策上又向前迈进的“重要一步”；如果叙利亚政府继续一意孤行的话，美国下一步很可能就会要阿萨德下台。
"I think the more powerful message is that the administration has begun what is an almost-inexorable move toward calling on Assad to leave," Satloff explained. "If the administration is indeed serious that the standard for Syria will be reform towards an open, democratic, human-rights-respecting government, or leave, I think it is absolutely improbable that Assad will meet that standard."
萨特罗夫说：“在我看来，美方目前发出的一个非常重要、而且强有力的信号，那就是，这边已经在开始调整方向和口径，为接下来要阿萨德下台做准备了。假如白宫方面真是要阿萨德实施开放、民主的政治体制、尊重人权、否则就主动下台的话，那么，我想阿萨德很可能做不到前者。”
Satloff said whether or when U.S. policy moves to a demand for the president to step down depends largely on whether Syrian crowds continue to defy the regime. Satloff added that said by personally targeting Assad in sanctions, the Obama administration may be testing whether the Syrian army or political elite¹¹ might be inclined turn against the President.
In his address, President Obama said unless the Syrian leader starts a process for democratic transition, "his regime will continue to be challenged from within and isolated¹² abroad."
奥巴马总统在讲话中说，除非叙利亚领导人开始民主转型的过程，否则，“这一政府将继续不断地在国内受到挑战，并且在国外孤立无援。”