Statement by the President on Syria
奧巴馬總統(tǒng)就敘利亞問題發(fā)表的聲明

Rose Garden
玫瑰園

August 31, 2013
2013年8月31日

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. Ten days ago, the world watched in horror as men, women and children were massacred in Syria in the worst chemical weapons attack of the 21st century. Yesterday the United States presented a powerful case that the Syrian government was responsible for this attack on its own people.
各位下午好。10天前，全世界看到了男女老幼在敘利亞發(fā)生的21世紀(jì)最殘忍的化學(xué)武器襲擊中慘遭屠殺的駭人場面。昨天，美國確鑿地說明了敘利亞政府應(yīng)為這次攻擊本國人民的事件負(fù)責(zé)。

Our intelligence shows the Assad regime and its forces preparing to use chemical weapons, launching rockets in the highly populated suburbs of Damascus, and acknowledging that a chemical weapons attack took place.
我們獲取的情報表明，阿薩德政權(quán)及其軍隊(duì)曾準(zhǔn)備使用化學(xué)武器、向大馬士革近郊人口稠密的地區(qū)發(fā)射火箭彈，并承認(rèn)發(fā)生了一起化學(xué)武器襲擊。

And all of this corroborates what the world can plainly see -- hospitals overflowing with victims; terrible images of the dead. All told, well over 1,000 people were murdered. Several hundred of them were children -- young girls and boys gassed to death by their own government.
所有這些都證實(shí)了全世界清楚地看到的情況——醫(yī)院里滿是受害者；死者的畫面令人驚駭?？傆嬘羞h(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過1,000人慘遭殺害。其中有數(shù)百名兒童——年幼的男孩和女孩被他們自己的政府用毒氣害死。

This attack is an assault on human dignity. It also presents a serious danger to our national security. It risks making a mockery of the global prohibition on the use of chemical weapons.
這次襲擊是對人類尊嚴(yán)的踐踏。它還對我們的國家安全構(gòu)成了嚴(yán)重威脅。它有可能令全球禁止使用化學(xué)武器的禁令受到嘲弄。

It endangers our friends and our partners along Syria’s borders, including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq. It could lead to escalating use of chemical weapons, or their proliferation to terrorist groups who would do our people harm.
它使與敘利亞相鄰的我們的友邦和伙伴國處境危險，其中包括以色列、約旦、土耳其、黎巴嫩和伊拉克。它可能導(dǎo)致化學(xué)武器的使用升級，或?qū)е禄瘜W(xué)武器在妄圖傷害我們?nèi)嗣竦目植乐髁x團(tuán)伙中擴(kuò)散。

In a world with many dangers, this menace must be confronted.
在一個存在多種危險的世界中，這種威脅必須得到遏制。

Now, after careful deliberation, I have decided that the United States should take military action against Syrian regime targets. This would not be an open-ended intervention. We would not put boots on the ground.
現(xiàn)在，在經(jīng)過審慎斟酌之后，我已決定美國應(yīng)當(dāng)采取軍事行動打擊敘利亞政權(quán)目標(biāo)。這不會是一場曠日持久的干預(yù)。我們不會派出地面部隊(duì)。

Instead, our action would be designed to be limited in duration and scope. But I’m confident we can hold the Assad regime accountable for their use of chemical weapons, deter this kind of behavior, and degrade their capacity to carry it out.
我們的行動將被制定為在時間和范圍上都是有限度的。但我相信，我們能夠追究阿薩德政權(quán)使用化學(xué)武器的罪責(zé)，遏制這類行徑，并削弱他們采取這種行動的能力。

Our military has positioned assets in the region. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs has informed me that we are prepared to strike whenever we choose.
我們的軍隊(duì)已在該地區(qū)部署力量。參謀長聯(lián)席會議主席已經(jīng)向我報告，我們已準(zhǔn)備好在我們選擇的時間發(fā)起行動。

Moreover, the Chairman has indicated to me that our capacity to execute this mission is not time-sensitive; it will be effective tomorrow, or next week, or one month from now. And I’m prepared to give that order.
此外，參謀長聯(lián)席會議主席還告訴我，我們執(zhí)行這項(xiàng)使命的能力不受時間限制；明天、下個星期或從現(xiàn)在開始一個月以后都將具備效力。我已準(zhǔn)備好下達(dá)這項(xiàng)命令。

But having made my decision as Commander-in-Chief based on what I am convinced is our national security interests, I’m also mindful that I’m the President of the world’s oldest constitutional democracy.
但是，在作為軍隊(duì)統(tǒng)帥基于我所確信的我國國家安全利益作出決定的同時，我也牢記我是全世界歷史最悠久的憲政民主國家的總統(tǒng)。

I’ve long believed that our power is rooted not just in our military might, but in our example as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. And that’s why I’ve made a second decision: I will seek authorization for the use of force from the American people’s representatives in Congress.
長久以來，我一直深信，我們的實(shí)力不僅源于我們的軍事威力，更源于我們作為一個民有、民治、民享的政府的典范力量。正因?yàn)槿绱?，我還作出了第二項(xiàng)決定：我將征求國會中美國人民的代表給予使用武力的授權(quán)。

Over the last several days, we’ve heard from members of Congress who want their voices to be heard. I absolutely agree. So this morning, I spoke with all four congressional leaders, and they’ve agreed to schedule a debate and then a vote as soon as Congress comes back into session.
近幾天來，我們聽到了想公開發(fā)表意見的國會議員的聲音。我對此完全贊同。今天上午，我同全部4位國會領(lǐng)袖進(jìn)行了交談，他們同意在國會復(fù)會后立即制定舉行辯論和投票的日程。

In the coming days, my administration stands ready to provide every member with the information they need to understand what happened in Syria and why it has such profound implications for America’s national security. And all of us should be accountable as we move forward, and that can only be accomplished with a vote.
在今后幾天中，本屆政府隨時準(zhǔn)備向每一位議員提供他們所需的信息，以便了解在敘利亞發(fā)生的事件以及它對美國國家安全影響重大的原因。我們所有人在向前推進(jìn)的過程中都應(yīng)當(dāng)接受問責(zé)，而投票是作到問責(zé)的唯一途徑。

I’m confident in the case our government has made without waiting for U.N. inspectors. I’m comfortable going forward without the approval of a United Nations Security Council that, so far, has been completely paralyzed and unwilling to hold Assad accountable.
我確信我國政府不等聯(lián)合國核查人員調(diào)查完畢便已得出的結(jié)論。我相信可以在沒有聯(lián)合國安理會批準(zhǔn)的情況下采取行動，因?yàn)榈侥壳盀橹梗怖頃淹耆萑氚c瘓，不愿追究阿薩德的罪責(zé)。

As a consequence, many people have advised against taking this decision to Congress, and undoubtedly, they were impacted by what we saw happen in the United Kingdom this week when the Parliament of our closest ally failed to pass a resolution with a similar goal, even as the Prime Minister supported taking action.
因此，很多人還提出反對將這個決定提交國會，毫無疑問，他們受到了我們這個星期所看到的在英國發(fā)生的情況的影響，我們最親密的盟國的議會未能通過一項(xiàng)抱有類似目標(biāo)的決議案，盡管英國首相支持采取行動。

Yet, while I believe I have the authority to carry out this military action without specific congressional authorization, I know that the country will be stronger if we take this course, and our actions will be even more effective.
不過，雖然我相信我有權(quán)在沒有得到國會明確授權(quán)的情況下執(zhí)行這項(xiàng)軍事行動，但我知道如果我們采取這個步驟，我們的國家將更加強(qiáng)大，我們的行動將更有效力。

We should have this debate, because the issues are too big for business as usual. And this morning, John Boehner, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell agreed that this is the right thing to do for our democracy.
我們應(yīng)當(dāng)展開這場辯論，因?yàn)榇耸率玛P(guān)重大，不可一如往常。今天上午，約翰?博納、哈里·里德、南希·佩洛西和米奇·麥康奈爾一致認(rèn)為這是為我們的民主制度而采取的正確步驟。

A country faces few decisions as grave as using military force, even when that force is limited. I respect the views of those who call for caution, particularly as our country emerges from a time of war that I was elected in part to end.
國家派遣軍隊(duì)屬于重大決策，很少有其他事務(wù)能與之相比，即使軍隊(duì)的數(shù)量很有限也是如此。有些人呼吁保持謹(jǐn)慎，特別是因?yàn)槲覈鸩阶叱鰬?zhàn)爭時期，我當(dāng)選現(xiàn)職在某種程度上也是為了結(jié)束戰(zhàn)爭。我尊重這些人的看法。

But if we really do want to turn away from taking appropriate action in the face of such an unspeakable outrage, then we must acknowledge the costs of doing nothing.
但是面臨如此罄竹難書的罪惡暴行，我們?nèi)绻拇_想袖手旁觀，不采取適當(dāng)?shù)男袆?，就必須承?dān)不采取行動的代價。