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President Reagan today nominated a career foreign service officer to become the first black U.S. ambassador to South Africa.
今天，里根總統提名了一位職業外交官為第一位美國駐南非大使。
The long expected move comes as the Senate gets to vote tomorrow
這次舉措是外界期待已久的，而且明天參議院將通過投票決出
on overriding President Reagan's veto of a bill that would impose more economic sanctions on South Africa.
是否通過里根總統否決的議案。該議案若通過，將會對南非實施經濟制裁。
The newly named envoy is Edward Perkins.
新任命的大使名為愛德華·珀金斯。
He is now the American Ambassador to the west African nation of Liberia.
現在，鉑金斯是美國駐西非國家利比里亞大使。
NPR's Phyllis Crockett has a report:
下面請聽美國國家公共電臺菲利斯·克羅克特為您發回的報道。
It's been three months since President Reagan first indicated his desire to appoint a black to this sensitive post.
3個月前，李根總統首次表達了自己想要欽點黑人擔此重任的想法。
Perkins is the President's third choice.
鉑金斯是里根總統的第三個選擇。
In July, the President had planned to name a black ambassador during a televised speech on South Africa.
今年7月，里根總統曾在有關南非的一次電視講話中計劃任命一位黑人大使。
But the man under consideration, businessman and former Nixon-aide Robert Brown,
但李根總統考慮的這個人，也就是商人兼前尼克松助手羅伯特·布朗
withdrew his name after questions were raised about his business dealings.
在眾人對自己的商業行為存疑后就主動退出。
Then the administration's next choice, Terrence Todman, Am-bassador to Denmark, turned down the job,
隨后，里根政府有了第二個人選，美國駐丹麥大使特倫斯·托德曼，但此人拒絕了這份工作，
apparently because he disagrees with the Reagan Administration policy towards South Africa.
有一個明顯的原因是：他不認同里根政府對南非的政策。
In contrast to the President plan to name his first choice in a national speech, today's announcement came with no fanfare.
與全國性講話中宣布第一個人選時的總統計劃不同，今天宣布的風格非常低調。
There was no news conference, no press briefing, no opportunity for questions today.
今天既沒有新聞發布會、記者招待會，也沒有給任何提問的機會。
Instead, a notice was handed out to reporters at the White House that Perkins was the President's choice.
取而代之的是給白宮的記者們人手發了一份通知，宣布鉑金斯是里根總統的人選。
Apparently, the low key announcement was a response to the earlier embarrassment of some top White House officials
顯然，這次宣布之所以低調是因為此前兩次十分尷尬：一些白宮官員認為，
who felt the first two names became public before adequate scrutiny.
頭兩個人選在沒有經過充分的審查后就公之于眾了。
They expect Perkins to be easily confirmed by the Senate.
他們希望鉑金斯能夠輕而易舉地得到參議院的肯定。
Perkins has been a foreign service officer for twenty-eight years. He has served in Taiwan, Thailand, Ghana and in Washington, D.C.
鉑金斯從事涉外服務已有28年之久。他曾在中國臺灣、泰國、加納、華盛頓特區任職過。
In 1981, he became the 2nd in command at the U.S. Embassy in Liberia.
1981年，鉑金斯成為美國駐利比里亞大使館的二把手。
In 1985, he became Ambassador. He is fifty-eight years old. His wife is Chinese. They have two children.
1985年，鉑金斯成為大使，那時候他58歲。他的妻子是中國人，他們有一雙兒女。
When President Reagan first indicated his intention to appoint a black ambassador,
里根總統首次表示他想任命黑人擔任駐南非大使時，
blacks and whites in South Africa said that naming a black will make little different if U.S. policy remains the same.
南非的黑人和白人都表示，黑人大使的上任不會產生什么改變，除非美國改變對南非的政策。
The Perkins announcement comes one day after President Reagan offered to impose strong sanctions against the South African government
任命鉑金斯的宣布對外公布前的一天，
if Congress drops its stronger sanctions.
里根總統要求減輕對南非政府的制裁。
Secretary of State, George Shultz, told Republican senators today that a vote to override the President's veto of a sanctions bill
今天，國務卿舒茲在與共和黨議員談話時表示，不顧里根總統對制裁提案的否決會
would undermine his negotiating position in next month's summit meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
減少里根總統下個月與蘇聯領導人戈爾巴喬夫會談時的籌碼。
The House overrode the veto yesterday. The Senate is expected to take it up tomorrow.
昨日，眾議院已否決里根總統的反對。參議院將于明天進行投票。
I'm Phyllis Crockett in Washington.
感謝收聽菲利斯·克羅克特為您從華盛頓發回的報道。
