介绍:
The United States and Cuba 美国和古巴
An American invasion 美国的糖衣炮弹
主播: 凤梨君 个人微信号： fenglisama 微信公众号 EnglishQiPa 奇葩说英语
Barack Obama brings a message of friendship and human rights
Mar 26th 2016 | From the print edition
FOR more than half a century Fidel Castro ordered Cubans to be prepared to resist an American invasion. When it finally came this week it took the peaceful and friendly form of President Barack Obama, his wife and daughters, nearly 40 members of Congress and some top business leaders. Even so, many residents of Havana, Cuba’s capital, had to pinch themselves when they saw Air Force One fly over the city on March 20th and the “Beast”, as Mr Obama’s armoured limousine is dubbed, ply the streets. Cubans turned out spontaneously to greet him.
1 invasion |ɪnˈveɪʒn| 武装入侵；侵略；侵犯 2 resist |rɪˈzɪst|抵制；阻挡3 resident |ˈrezɪdənt| 居民；住户 4 Havana . 哈瓦那雪茄，古巴雪茄烟 哈瓦那（古巴首都）5 pinch |pɪntʃ| 拧；捏；掐
6 armoured |ˈɑ:məd; 美 ˈɑ:rmərd| 有装甲的 7 limousine |ˈlɪməzi:n; ˌlɪməˈzi:n| 大型高级轿车；豪华轿车 8 dub |dʌb| 把…戏称为；给…起绰号 9 ply |plaɪ| 定时往来；定期行驶
10 spontaneous |spɒnˈteɪniəs; 美 spɑ:n-| 自发的；非筹划安排的
Mr Obama’s visit could truly be called historic. It set the seal on his dramatic move to restore diplomatic relations with the communist island and to loosen the economic embargo imposed in 1960 after Fidel Castro’s revolution.
1 seal |si:l| 密封; 印章; 海豹; 封条; 2 set the seal on sth 使某事万无一失；使某事圆满 3 restore |rɪˈstɔ:(r)| 恢复（某种情况或感受）
In 48 hours of walkabouts, meetings and speeches, the American president delivered the same message, politely and respectfully, but firmly: that he had come to “bury the last remnant of the cold war in the Americas” and “to extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban people” but also to make plain that Cuba needs to change.
1 walkabout |ˈwɔ:kəbaʊt| （要人的）出巡 2 remnant |ˈremnənt| 残余部分；剩余部分
Raúl Castro, Fidel’s brother and Cuba’s president since 2008, treated Mr Obama with warmth and stressed that both sides should respect their differences. He also called for the lifting of the embargo (only the United States Congress can do that) and for the return to Cuba of the naval base at Guantánamo Bay.
1 lift 撤销法律 / 规则 2 naval |ˈneɪvl| 海军基地 / 军官；海战
Mr Obama’s message rang out most clearly in the speech he gave on March 22nd in Havana’s newly renovated Grand Theatre, the same venue where the last sitting American president to visit Cuba, Calvin Coolidge, spoke 88 years ago. Mr Obama voiced his support for the right of Cubans “to speak their mind”, to “protest peacefully” and “to choose their governments in free and democratic elections”.
1 ring out 清晰可闻；发出清脆的响声 2 renovate |ˈrenəveɪt| 修复；翻新；重新粉 3 venue|ˈvenju:| 聚会地点（如音乐厅、体育比赛场馆、会场）
Calvin Coolidge卡尔文-柯立： elected Vice President and succeeded as 30th President of the United States when Harding died in 1923 (1872-1933)
The speech was broadcast live to the Cuban nation. So was a press conference the previous day at which Mr Castro crustily replied to a question about political prisoners by saying “give me the list right now” and he would order their release. Human-rights groups responded by circulating lists of 40 or so on social media. Mr Obama later met with dissidents, some of whom had been briefly arrested hours before his visit.
1 crustily [&`&krʌstɪlɪ] 粗鲁地，粗暴地; 2 circulate |ˈsɜ:kjəleɪt; 美 ˈsɜ:rk-| 传播；流传；散布 3 dissident |ˈdɪsɪdənt| 持不同政见者
Mr Obama’s Cuba opening is popular at home. Some of his Republican opponents criticised the visit as cosying up to America’s enemies. That is to understate its significance. It was the first time that a visiting head of state in Cuba has called so openly for democracy. Mr Obama may well have planted a seed that will germinate after Mr Castro steps down in 2018.
1 cosy up to sb 献殷勤；cosy |ˈkəʊzi; 美 ˈkoʊzi|取悦 舒适的，惬意的; 畅快的; 亲切友好的; 2 understate |ˌʌndəˈsteɪt; 美 -dərˈs-| 轻描淡写；避重就轻地说 3 significance |sɪgˈnɪfɪkəns| （尤指对将
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