Former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are joining with President Barack Obama to aid the earthquake-stricken people of Haiti. The two former presidents returned to the White House to discuss what they and the American people can do to help.
美国前总统克林顿和布什与美国现总统奥巴马一起为遭受地震灾难的海地民众提供援助。这两位前总统回到白宫，讨论他们与美国人民能如何帮助海地灾民。
President Obama says the Haitian earthquake relief effort will not be measured in days or weeks, but in months and even years.
奥巴马总统说，海地地震救援工作不是一朝一夕或者几星期的事情，而是成年累月的工作。
Mr. Obama stood between his two predecessors Saturday and said they have answered his call to coordinate efforts to involve more Americans in helping Haiti recover and rebuild.
奥巴马星期六站在两位前总统中间时表示，他俩响应他的呼吁，为使更多美国人帮助海地克服灾难，从事重建进行协调。
"Presidents Bush and Clinton will help the American people to do their part, because responding to a disaster must be the work of all of us. Indeed, those wrenching scenes of devastation remind us not only of our common humanity, but also of our common responsibilities," he said.
奥巴马说：“布什总统和克林顿总统将帮助美国人民发挥自己的作用，因为对一场灾害作出反应务必是我们所有人的共同使命。的确，那些令人痛苦的灾难景象唤起了我们共有的人道主义精神，也唤醒我们的共同责任感。”
The president says by coming together, Mr. Bush, a Republican, and Mr. Clinton, a Democrat, send an unmistakable message that the U.S. stands united with the people of Haiti.
奥巴马总统说，布什是一位共和党人，克林顿是民主党人，他们在一起共同努力发出了一个不容置疑的信息，那就是美国和海地人民团结一心。
"As the scope of the destruction became apparent, I spoke to each of these gentlemen, and they each asked the same simple question, 'How can I help?'. In the days ahead they will be asking everyone what they can do," he said.
奥巴马说：“随着地震造成的大规模破坏历历在目，我和他们两位分别进行了谈话，他们都问了同样一个简单的问题：那就是‘我能提供什么样的帮助？’。在未来几天里，他俩也将问每个人他们能做什么。”
Mr. Bush says the main thing Americans can do is to send money, rather than other forms of assistance. The two former presidents have started the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, which is accepting donations online. Mr. Bush promised that he and Mr. Clinton will see that the money is spent wisely.
布什说，美国人能做的主要一件事就是捐款，而不是其它形式的援助。这两位前总统已经创立了克林顿-布什基金会，从网上接收捐款。布什承诺，他和克林顿将监督这笔资金被明智地使用。
"We have all seen that, first hand, when Americans responded to the tsunami or to Katrina, or the earthquake in Pakistan. And President Clinton and I are going to work to tap that same spirit of giving to help our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean," he said.
布什说：“我们都亲眼目睹美国人是如何对海啸、卡特里娜飓风或者巴基斯坦地震作出反应的。克林顿总统和我将努力振奋这种乐于助人的精神，来帮助我们在加勒比海的兄弟姐妹。”
Mr. Clinton says this cause has great personal meaning for him. He is the United Nations special envoy to Haiti. And as president in 1994, he sent U.S. troops there to restore democratically elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who had been ousted in a military coup.
前总统克林顿表示，这项使命对他个人来说有特殊的意义。他是联合国海地特使。1994年在担任美国总统时，他派兵帮助被军事政变罢黜的海地民选总统阿里斯蒂德恢复总统职位。
"I was in those hotels that collapsed. I had meals with people who are dead. The cathedral church that Hillary and I sat in 34 years ago is a total rubble. But what these men have said is true. It is still one of the most remarkable, unique places I have ever been. And they can escape their history and build a better future if we do our part," he said.
克林顿说：“我曾经住过的旅馆现在倒塌了。曾经与我一起吃饭的人在地震中死去了。我跟希拉里34年前曾去过的大教堂变成了一片瓦砾。但是这些人跟我说的话是对的。海地仍然是我所去过的最非凡的、最特别的地方之一。如果我们尽力做出贡献，他们就能从过去的阴霾中走出来，创造一个更美好的明天。”
Meanwhile, Mr. Clinton's wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, arrived in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, Saturday. After meeting with Haiti's president, Rene Preval, she offered the administration's support to the Haitian people.
与此同时，这位前总统的夫人、现任国务卿希拉里·克林顿正在前往海地首都太子港的路上。她将与海地总统勒内·普雷瓦尔以及美国援助工作者会晤，讨论如何更好的帮助灾后重建工作。
"As President Obama has said, we will be here today, tomorrow and for the time ahead," she said.
Massive relief efforts from the U.S., other countries and the United Nations are arriving in Haiti. But distribution is being slowed by congestion at the Port-au-Prince airport, rubble-filled streets and security problems.
美国和其他国家以及联合国的大批援助正陆续不断抵达海地。但是由于首都太子港的机场过于拥挤，加上路上满布碎石以及安全问题，分发援助物资的工作进展缓慢。 |