President Barack Obama said Monday he has yet to order military engagement in Syria but that decision would change if the U.S. determines the government of President Bashar al-Assad is moving toward using chemical weapons.
美国总统奥巴马(Barack Obama)周一表示，他还没有下令对叙利亚进行军事干预，但如果美国认定阿萨德(Bashar al-Assad)政府有使用化学武器的动向，其决定可能会改变。
'A red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moved around or being utilized,' Mr. Obama said during an impromptu news conference at the White House. 'That would change my calculations significantly.'
奥巴马在白宫的一次临时新闻发布会上说，如果我们开始看到大量化学武器被部署或是使用，这将为我们拉响警报。这也将大大改变我对形势的判断。
Mr. Obama said the U.S. is 'monitoring that situation very carefully' and has 'put together a range of contingency plans.'
奥巴马说，美国正非常仔细地关注着形势的发展，并制定了一系列应急方案。
The use of chemical weapons, he said, is only a concern not within Syria but also would impact the U.S. and its close allies in the region, including Israel.
他说，使用化学武器不仅在叙利亚内部是一个引人担忧的问题，也会对美国以及包括以色列在内的美国在该地区的亲密盟友造成影响。
Mr. Obama said the U.S. continues to provide humanitarian assistance to Syria and is in close consultation with the opposition about a government transition.
奥巴马说，美国仍在为叙利亚提供人道主义援助，并且正在与叙利亚反对派就政权过渡问题进行密切磋商。
In terms of his and international community's calls for Mr. Assad to step down, he was pessimistic, saying: 'At this point the likelihood of a soft landing seems pretty distant.'
在谈到其本人和国际社会对阿萨德下台的呼吁时，奥巴马态度悲观地说，在目前形势下，软着陆的可能性似乎非常渺茫。