VOA慢速英語：美國拒絕向參加機(jī)器人大賽的岡比亞、阿富汗隊員提供簽證

[00:01.29]The United States has denied visas to a team of Gambian [00:06.21]students to attend a major international robotics competition. [00:13.31]The event takes place in Washington, D.C. later this month. [00:20.28]Mucktarr M.Y. Darboe is the Gambian team's leader and [00:26.18]a government official in education. He told the Associated [00:32.17]Press (AP) that the students were not given a reason for [00:38.33]the visa denials. He called the decision “disappointing and unfair.” [00:46.93]The Gambia team is not alone. A few days ago, the U.S. [00:52.61]Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan also denied visas for an [00:59.39]all-girls robotics team. The Afghan team was also not given a reason. [01:08.99]Fatoumata Ceesay is a member of the Gambian robotics team. [01:15.52]She said, "It's very disappointing knowing that we are the [01:22.42]only two countries that aren't going to take part in the competition." [01:29.27]The robotics of the two teams will still be part of the [01:35.83]competition. But the teams can only watch the event over [01:40.04]Skype after spending months working on their projects. [01:46.51]"It would be an experience to see and discover other robots [01:52.48]and ask questions and exchange ideas with others. It's more than [01:59.07]160 countries so we'd have the chance to mingle," Ceesay said. [02:06.68]The Gambian and Afghan students are especially confused because [02:12.18]teams from Iran and Sudan, and a group of Syrian refugees, received visas. [02:20.74]All three Muslim-majority countries are on President Donald Trump's travel ban. [02:28.73]Afghanistan and Gambia are not. [02:33.66]Lida Azizi is a 17-year old from Herat, Afghanistan. She calls the [02:41.54]visa rejection "a clear insult for the people of Afghanistan." [02:49.20]The U.S. embassies in Afghanistan and the Gambia and the State [02:58.31]Department say they cannot discuss visa requests. [03:01.64]The Associated Press reported that the Gambia’s government [03:06.37]has provided money for a second round of U.S. visa applications [03:12.82]for the team. It costs more than $160 for each student to travel [03:21.38]and apply for the visa interview. [03:25.72]The students were scheduled to have these visa interviews on Wednesday. [03:33.43]“We will go for an interview and hope for the best,” Darboe told AP. [03:34.49]I'm Alice Bryant.

00:00

00:00

MP3下載 文本下載

https://online2.tingclass.net/lesson/shi0529/0008/8694/as_it_is_20170706d.mp3

https://image.tingclass.net/statics/js/2012

US Denies Visas for Gambian, Afghan Robotics Teams

美國拒絕向?qū)葋?，阿富汗的機(jī)器人大賽隊員提供簽證

The United States has denied visas to a team of Gambian students to attend a major international robotics competition.

美國拒絕向?qū)葋喴魂爩W(xué)生簽發(fā)參加國際重大機(jī)器人大賽的簽證。

The event takes place in Washington, D.C. later this month.

該活動在本月下旬在華盛頓特區(qū)舉行。

Mucktarr M.Y. Darboe is the Gambian team's leader and a government official in education. He told the Associated Press (AP) that the students were not given a reason for the visa denials. He called the decision “disappointing and unfair.”

Mucktarr M.Y. 達(dá)博是岡比亞隊的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人和教育政府官員。 他告訴美聯(lián)社（AP），學(xué)生沒有被給予簽證拒絕的理由。 他稱之為“令人失望和不公平”的決定。

The Gambia team is not alone. A few days ago, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan also denied visas for an all-girls robotics team. The Afghan team was also not given a reason.

岡比亞隊并不是唯一被拒絕簽證的國家。 前幾天，美國駐阿富汗的喀布爾大使館也拒絕了一名全女童機(jī)器人隊的簽證。 阿富汗隊也被給予任何說法。

Fatoumata Ceesay is a member of the Gambian robotics team. She said, "It's very disappointing knowing that we are the only two countries that aren't going to take part in the competition."

Fatoumata Ceesay是岡比亞機(jī)器人團(tuán)隊的成員。 她說：“令人非常失望的是知道我們是唯一不能參加比賽的兩個國家。”

The robotics of the two teams will still be part of the competition. But the teams can only watch the event over Skype after spending months working on their projects.

兩隊的機(jī)器人仍將是比賽的一部分。 但是，幾個月的辛苦鉆研，團(tuán)隊只能通過Skype觀看賽事。

"It would be an experience to see and discover other robots and ask questions and exchange ideas with others. It's more than 160 countries so we'd have the chance to mingle," Ceesay said.

Ceesay說：“看到和發(fā)現(xiàn)其他機(jī)器人，并提出問題并與他人交流想法將是一個很珍貴的經(jīng)歷，有超過160個國家會參加，所以我們有機(jī)會一起討論交流。

The Gambian and Afghan students are especially confused because teams from Iran and Sudan, and a group of Syrian refugees, received visas. All three Muslim-majority countries are on President Donald Trump's travel ban. Afghanistan and Gambia are not.

岡比亞和阿富汗的學(xué)生特別感到困惑，因為來自伊朗和蘇丹的隊伍和一群敘利亞難民都獲得了簽證。 所有三個穆斯林多數(shù)國家都是唐納德·特朗普總統(tǒng)的旅行禁令。而阿富汗和岡比亞不是。

Lida Azizi is a 17-year old from Herat, Afghanistan. She calls the visa rejection "a clear insult for the people of Afghanistan."

利達(dá)阿齊齊，今年17歲。來自阿富汗赫拉特 她呼吁“拒簽”是明顯侮辱阿富汗人民。

The U.S. embassies in Afghanistan and the Gambia and the State Department say they cannot discuss visa requests.

美國駐阿富汗大使館，岡比亞和國務(wù)院表示不會就簽證請求進(jìn)行討論。

The Associated Press reported that the Gambia’s government has provided money for a second round of U.S. visa applications for the team. It costs more than $160 for each student to travel and apply for the visa interview.

美聯(lián)社報道說，岡比亞政府為該團(tuán)隊提供了第二輪美國簽證申請。 每個學(xué)生旅行和申請簽證面試費(fèi)用超過160美元。

The students were scheduled to have these visa interviews on Wednesday. “We will go for an interview and hope for the best,” Darboe told AP.

學(xué)生計劃被安排在星期三進(jìn)行簽證面試。 達(dá)博對美聯(lián)社表示：“我們會采訪，希望能有最好的結(jié)果。”

I'm Alice Bryant.

愛麗絲·布萊恩特報道。

[page]英文[/page]　　

　　The United States has denied visas to a team of Gambian students to attend a major international robotics competition.

　　The event takes place in Washington, D.C. later this month.

　　Mucktarr M.Y. Darboe is the Gambian team's leader and a government official in education. He told the Associated Press (AP) that the students were not given a reason for the visa denials. He called the decision “disappointing and unfair.”

　　The Gambia team is not alone. A few days ago, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan also denied visas for an all-girls robotics team. The Afghan team was also not given a reason.

　　Fatoumata Ceesay is a member of the Gambian robotics team. She said, "It's very disappointing knowing that we are the only two countries that aren't going to take part in the competition."

　　The robotics of the two teams will still be part of the competition. But the teams can only watch the event over Skype after spending months working on their projects.

　　"It would be an experience to see and discover other robots and ask questions and exchange ideas with others. It's more than 160 countries so we'd have the chance to mingle," Ceesay said.

　　The Gambian and Afghan students are especially confused because teams from Iran and Sudan, and a group of Syrian refugees, received visas. All three Muslim-majority countries are on President Donald Trump's travel ban. Afghanistan and Gambia are not.

　　Lida Azizi is a 17-year old from Herat, Afghanistan. She calls the visa rejection "a clear insult for the people of Afghanistan."

　　The U.S. embassies in Afghanistan and the Gambia and the State Department say they cannot discuss visa requests.

　　The Associated Press reported that the Gambia’s government has provided money for a second round of U.S. visa applications for the team. It costs more than $160 for each student to travel and apply for the visa interview.

　　The students were scheduled to have these visa interviews on Wednesday. “We will go for an interview and hope for the best,” Darboe told AP.

　　I'm Alice Bryant.

　　______________________________________________________________

　　Words in This Story

　　disappointing – adj. making someone unhappy by not being as good as expected or by not doing something that was hoped for or expected

　　mingle – v. to move around during a meeting, event, or party and talk informally with different people

　　contaminant – n. something that makes a place or a substance (such as water, air, or food) no longer suitable for use