US President Barack Obama's birth certificate that was released by the White House in Washington April 27, 2011.(Agencies) |
President Barack Obama on Wednesday released a longer version of his birth certificate to answer Republican charges he was not born in America, and blasted "carnival barkers" who refuse to let the issue die. Obama took the unusual step of making a statement in the White House press briefing room to comment on the controversy, which has been raised most recently by real estate tycoon Donald Trump, who is considering a 2012 run for the Republican presidential nomination. "We do not have time for this silliness," Obama said in an easy-going appearance that turned serious when he addressed what he called a distraction from the real issues. US television networks broke into their regular programing for Obama's statement, giving him valuable air time just as the 2012 campaign is beginning to stir. "I can't get the networks to break in on all kinds of other discussions," the president said with a smile as he stepped onto the podium. Obama in his two years in office has had to deal with charges that he does not meet the constitutional requirement that a president must be U.S. born, and separately, some have said he was a Muslim, when in fact he is a Christian. The new document confirms what a shorter version released in 2008 has said, that Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 4, 1961, the son of father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas. Trump, speaking in New Hampshire, told reporters that he was "really happy" that Obama addressed the issue and is ready to debate other issues. "I feel I've accomplished something really, really important and I'm honored by it," Trump said in remarks shown live on CNN. Some conspiracy theorists have tried to make the case that the "Certificate of Live Birth" released in the 2008 campaign was insufficient and that Obama was in fact born in Kenya, even though the short form issued by the Hawaiian state government was all that was necessary for official business like obtaining a driver's license. (Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies)
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美國總統(tǒng)貝拉克?奧巴馬本周三公布了一份完整版的出生證明,以回應(yīng)共和黨有關(guān)自己不是在美國出生的質(zhì)疑,并諷刺那些揪住這個問題不放的人是“嘉年華小丑”。 與以往不同的是,奧巴馬此次選擇在白宮召開新聞發(fā)布會來澄清這一質(zhì)疑。房產(chǎn)大亨唐納德?特朗普最近再次翻出此事。特普朗有意競選2012年美國大選共和黨候選人。 奧巴馬表現(xiàn)得很放松,但在談到這會讓人從要事中分心時,轉(zhuǎn)而嚴(yán)肅地說,“我們可沒空處理這種蠢事?!?/p> 美國多家電視臺插播了這則消息,這使奧巴馬在2012年大選前有了寶貴的時間澄清此事。 奧巴馬走上臺,笑著說:“要是因為其它問題,我就沒法讓電視臺打斷節(jié)目了。” 在就職的兩年多時間里,一直有人質(zhì)疑他的身份問題,認(rèn)為他不符合參選總統(tǒng)的條件。根據(jù)美國憲法,只有在美國出生的人才能就任總統(tǒng)。還有些人甚至稱他是穆斯林,而事實上他信仰基督教。 新的出生證明確認(rèn)了2008年公布的一份簡短證明中所寫的內(nèi)容:奧巴馬于1961年8月4日在夏威夷檀香山出生,父親是肯尼亞人,母親是美國堪薩斯人。 特朗普在新罕布什爾州告訴記者,他“很高興”奧巴馬回應(yīng)了出生地問題,而且準(zhǔn)備好與奧巴馬就其它問題展開辯論。 特朗普在接受美國有線新聞網(wǎng)直播采訪時說:“我感覺完成了一件重要的事情,我對此很驕傲?!?/p> 雖然夏威夷州政府出具的簡要出生證明已經(jīng)足以作為辦駕照等事務(wù)時的憑證,但某些陰謀論者還是試圖證明2008大選時奧巴馬公布的“出生證明”信息不足,以及奧巴馬出生在肯尼亞。 相關(guān)閱讀 奧巴馬抱怨當(dāng)總統(tǒng)沒隱私 懷念平民生活 (中國日報網(wǎng)英語點津 Julie 編輯: 馮明惠) |
Vocabulary: carnival barker: 在嘉年華等游樂場所門口招徠顧客的人,常打扮成小丑的樣子 |