VOA慢速英語：委內瑞拉人抗議總統(tǒng)重制憲法的決定

Venezuelans Protest President's Decision to Rewrite Constitution

委內瑞拉人抗議總統(tǒng)重制憲法的決定

Venezuelans blocked streets in Caracas Tuesday to protest the president's call for a new constitution.
周二，委內瑞拉人封鎖了加拉加斯市的街道，抗議該國總統(tǒng)提出的制定新憲法的要求。

Protesters filled streets with pieces of metal and building materials. Others set fire to small mountains of trash.
抗議者用金屬條和建筑材料塞滿了街道，別的人則點燃了小垃圾山。

On Monday, President Nicolas Maduro signed a decree to begin the process of rewriting the constitution. The declaration orders the formation of a constitutional assembly.
周一，馬杜羅總統(tǒng)簽署了一項法令，開啟了重制憲法的進程。該宣言下令組建制憲大會。

In a speech, Maduro said some of the assembly's 500 members would be elected by "workers" to replace the document.
馬杜羅在發(fā)言中表示，制憲大會500名成員中的部分人將由“工人們”選出。

The Venezuelan constitution was last changed in 1999, under the rule of then-president Hugo Chavez.
委內瑞拉憲法最后一次修訂是1999年在查韋斯總統(tǒng)的領導下完成的。

"The day has come, brothers," Maduro said. "Don't fail me now. Don't fail Chavez and don't fail your motherland." The Associated Press reported his comments.
馬杜羅表示，“兄弟們，這一天已經來臨，不要辜負我，不要辜負查韋斯，不要辜負祖國。”美聯社報道了他的言論。

Fewer than half of the assembly's members would be elected, Maduro said. He added that political parties would not be involved.
馬杜羅表示，制憲大會少于半數成員將由選舉產生。他補充說，政黨不會參與其中。

Maduro's opponents and some observers say the measure is part of a plan to postpone elections set for later this year and presidential elections in 2018.
馬杜羅的反對者和一些觀察家表示，該措施是拖延原定于今年晚些時候舉行的選舉和2018年舉行的總統(tǒng)大選的計劃的一部分。

Opposition leaders urged Venezuelans to ignore Maduro and to continue the protests that have lasted for more than a month.
反對派領導人督促委內瑞拉人無視馬杜羅，繼續(xù)進行這波持續(xù)了一個多月的抗議。

"We must continue fighting," said Julio Borges, president of the National Assembly. He said Maduro's move was "a scam to deceive the Venezuelan people."
國民議會主席朱利奧·博爾赫斯（Julio Borges）表示：“我們必須繼續(xù)戰(zhàn)斗。”他說馬杜羅的行為是“欺騙委內瑞拉人民的一場騙局。”

Borges urged Venezuelans to fill Caracas' streets for two hours on Tuesday. He called for larger demonstrations on Wednesday.
博爾赫斯督促委內瑞拉人周二把加拉加斯的街道堵塞兩個小時。他呼吁周三進行更大規(guī)模的示威游行。

Thousands of Maduro's supporters marched in Caracas on Monday in a show of support for the president.
數千名馬杜羅的支持者星期一在加拉加斯舉行游行示威表達對這名總統(tǒng)的支持。

The current political tensions started last July, when Venezuela's Supreme Court announced a ruling to cancel the National Assembly's legislative powers.
當前緊張的政治局勢始于去年7月，當時委內瑞拉最高法院宣布撤銷國民議會的立法權。

Years of political and economic problems have led to shortages of food, medicine, and other goods.
多年的政治和經濟問題導致了食品、藥品和其它物資短缺。

Demonstrators are asking for the return of democratic ideas, including recognizing the National Assembly's decisions, releasing political prisoners and permitting humanitarian aid.
示威者要求恢復民主理念，包括承認國民議會的決定，釋放政治犯和允許人道主義援助。

I'm John Russell.
約翰·羅素報道。