VOA常速英语2008年-Fidel Castro Retires as Cuban President

Washington
19 February 2008

Fidel Castro has resigned as Cuba's president, ending his nearly 50-year rule of the Caribbean nation.  VOA's Sean Maroney reports with details from Washington.

The newspaper Granma quotes Mr. Castro as saying he will not aspire¹ to nor accept another term as president when the country's newly-elected National Assembly meets, Sunday.

Fidel Castro has not appeared in public since undergoing intestinal² surgery in July, 2006.  Since then, his brother Raul has served as acting³ president.

As the 81-year-old leader ages, rumors⁴ have circulated about the state of his health.  Since ceding⁵ power to his brother, Mr. Castro has been seen in photographs and videos.  He has not had any public appearances.

Mr. Castro said in a December letter that he did not want to stay in power forever.  He wrote that his duty is not to hold on to positions or block the path of younger people, but to share the experiences and ideas from his life.

The Cuban leader has forged close ties with Bolivian President Evo Morales as well as Venezuela's leftist president, Hugo Chavez.  Mr. Chavez has made several trips to visit the ailing⁶ leader and has sold 53,000 barrels of crude oil daily to Havana at below-market prices.

The Cuban leader seized power in a 1959 revolution against dictator Fulgencio Batista.

Speaking during his trip to Rwanda, U.S. President George Bush said he now hopes for the beginning of a democratic transition in Cuba.

1 aspire   

vi.(to，after)渴望，追求，有志于

参考例句：

• Living together with you is what I aspire toward in my life.和你一起生活是我一生最大的愿望。
• I aspire to be an innovator not a follower.我迫切希望能变成个开创者而不是跟随者。

2 intestinal   

adj.肠的；肠壁；肠道细菌

参考例句：

• A few other conditions are in high intestinal obstruction. 其它少数情况是高位肠梗阻。 来自辞典例句
• This complication has occasionally occurred following the use of intestinal antiseptics. 这种并发症偶而发生在使用肠道抗菌剂上。 来自辞典例句

3 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。

4 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 ceding   

v.让给，割让，放弃( cede的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was ceding line but more slowly all the time. 他正在放出钓索，然而越来越慢了。 来自英汉文学 - 老人与海
• Settlement would require ceding some Egyptian territory. 解决办法将要求埃及让出一些领土。 来自辞典例句

6 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。