Obama To Discuss US Plan For Engagement With Cuba 摘要：美国总统奥巴马计划本周晚些时候向拉美领导人表示，美国愿意探讨与哈瓦那改善关系的途径，不过希望古巴在重返西半球经济及政治体系之前能向民主迈进。 President Barack Obama plans to tell Latin American leaders later this week that the U.S. is willing to discuss how to improve relations with Havana, but wants Cuba to take steps toward democracy before it is reintegrated into the Western hemisphere’s economic and political institutions. Cuba is likely to be at the forefront of discussions at the Summit of the Americas, a gathering of 34 heads of government that has always excluded Cuba, starting April 17 in Trinidad. Cuba’s main ally, Venezuela, as well as other countries, have said they want to use the summit to press for closer relations between Washington and Havana. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez stopped in Havana on Friday to coordinate pre-summit strategy with Cuban President Raul Castro and his ailing bother Fidel. While the U.S. wants the meeting to focus on the global economic recession, Obama administration officials said the president is ready to engage on the Cuba issue if it’s brought up by other leaders. ’We won’t duck it,’ said an official. The president is likely to ask other summit-goers to press Cuba on issues of democracy, including the release of political prisoners. The U.S. willingness to engage on Cuba is another indication of a slow, tentative warming of relations between Washington and Havana. The administration is planning soon to lift longstanding restrictions on Cuba, a move that would allow Cuban-Americans to visit families on the island as often as they like and send them unlimited funds. The White House is also considering whether to remove restrictions that limit travel to Cuba by Americans for non-degree cultural and educational purposes, administration officials said, a category under which many thousands of tourists could qualify. Another possibility is restarting direct talks with Cuba on immigration issues. It’s unclear how far a rapprochement could go, given sensitive domestic politics in both countries. A significant segment of the 1.5 million Americans with relatives in Cuba are resolutely anti-Castro and oppose easing relations. In Cuba, the government has staked much of its legitimacy for nearly 50 years on casting the U.S. as an enemy and may be unwilling to make significant changes. 美国总统奥巴马计划本周晚些时候向拉美领导人表示，美国愿意探讨与哈瓦那改善关系的途径，不过希望古巴在重返西半球经济及政治体系之前能向民主迈进。 古巴很可能将是美洲峰会的讨论焦点。美洲峰会将于4月17日在特立尼达开幕，届时将有34个国家的政府领导人参加。古巴一直被排除在美洲峰会之外。古巴的主要盟友委内瑞拉等国表示，希望利用此次峰会推进华盛顿和哈瓦那之间的关系。委内瑞拉总统查韦斯(Hugo Chavez)上周五出访哈瓦那，与古巴总统劳尔•卡斯特罗(Raul Castro)及其患病的哥哥菲德尔•卡斯特罗(Fidel Castro)协调峰会前的战略。 尽管美国希望会议的重点能放在全球经济衰退上，但奥巴马政府官员说，如果其他领导人提出古巴问题，奥巴马准备加以讨论。一位官员说，我们不会回避这个问题。奥巴马很可能会要求参加峰会的其他国家领导人能在释放政治犯等民主问题上给古巴施压。 美国愿意与古巴接触，这再次暗示出华盛顿和哈瓦那之间的关系出现了一些回暖的迹象。奥巴马政府计划很快解除长期以来对古巴的限制，这将使得美籍古巴人可以随时回古巴探亲，往家里的汇款也不再有额度限制。 美国总统奥巴马美国政府官员说，白宫也在考虑是否取消对美国人出于非求学的文化教育目的去古巴的限制，数千名游客可能属于此类。另外一种可能是重新开始与古巴有关移民问题的直接谈判。 鉴于两国敏感的国内政治形势，尚不清楚这种和睦关系可能会发展到什么程度。在古巴有亲属的150万美国人中有相当一部分坚决反对卡斯特罗政府，反对缓和关系。近50年来，古巴政府的政策基石一直是把美国当作敌人，因此它可能不愿对此进行重改变。 1. reintegrate 再重新完整,复兴 Several organisations help the CSD provide services to help inmates reintegrate into the community. 多个机构协助惩教署提供服务，帮助释囚重新融入社会 2. hemisphere n. 半球 地球的半球 voracious pisciverous pike of waters of northern hemisphere 北半球水域中多种以小鱼为食的梭鱼 3. ailing 久病不起的；每况愈下的 The child is always ailing. 这孩子体弱多病。 As a junior, you should go to visit your ailing uncle. 作为晚辈，你理该去看望生病的叔叔。 4. recession n. 经济衰退；不景气；后退； 撤退； 撤回 Many businesses have closed down because of the recession. 因经济衰退许多企业纷纷倒闭 5. tentative adj. 试探性的；试验的；尝试性的 We’ve made a tentative plan for the vacation but haven’t really decided yet. 我们拟定了一个度假计划, 但是没有真正定下来。 6. rapprochement n. (外交)(尤指两国间的)友好关系恢复 At last there are signs of a rapprochement between our two countries. 最后我们两国间出现了重新修好的迹象。 7. resolutely adv. 毅然地，坚决地 This should be done resolutely and wholeheartedly despite all interference. 这件事情，任何时候都不要受干扰，必须坚定不移地、一心一意地干下去 8. legitimacy n. 合法(性)，正统(性)，正确(性)，合理(性) Immediately after the handover, the legitimacy of the Provisional Legislature was challenged. 政权交接之后，临时立法会的合法地位立即受到挑战