美國NBC伊拉克報道：如果這就是美國人所謂的民主，讓他見鬼去吧。

題目：美國占領軍帶來民主？伊拉克人懷疑

BAGHDAD — Sitting in a barber shop in Baghdad's Shi'ite Sadr City slum, three friends agreed after a long and hard argument that U.S. forces brought democracy to Iraq.

位於巴格達什葉派薩德爾城貧民窟的理髮店裡，三位朋友同意經過漫長和激烈的爭吵後，美軍給伊拉克帶來了民主

But they found it difficult to utter the words without raging about the flip side of what they saw as the U.S. occupation of their country.

但是他們發現很難不帶傷痛的用言語來形容他們看到的美軍占領伊拉克的另一面
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"OK, we have democracy. We can talk freely with no fear. We can demonstrate and vote freely. All these are available, and all were not before 2003," said student Hussain Ali, 20, as he waited for his haircut.

“是的，我們有民主了，我們可以自由的談話，可以上街和投票，”在等着理髮的20歲的學生Hussain Ali說

"But why don't you ask us about the other side of the story of the U.S. presence in Iraq? Why don't you ask about their crimes, atrocities, the pain and anguish that we suffered because of their military presence here?" Ali said, his face turning red with anger.

“但是為什麼你不問我們美國人在伊拉克干的另一面呢，為什麼你不問伊拉克人因為美國人的軍事存在而承受的犯罪、暴行、肉體和心靈上的傷害呢？”Ali漲紅着臉憤怒的說

On April 9, 2003, U.S. forces toppled a statue of dictator Saddam Hussein in central Baghdad, marking the end of more than 35 years of iron-fisted rule by Saddam's Baath Party.

2003年4月9日，美軍推翻獨裁者薩達姆在巴格達市中心的雕像，這標誌着超過35年的鐵腕薩達姆的阿拉伯復興社會黨統治的結束。
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Then-U.S. President George W. Bush said Iraq could become a model of democracy in the Middle East.

當時的美國布什總統說，伊拉克會成為中東民主的典範。

But Iraqis who applauded the event and dreamed of a better future were disappointed as their nation descended into vicious sectarian warfare in which tens of thousands died. Recalling those years, many talk about the prisoner abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib, and what they call the U.S. misuse of power.

但伊拉克人還沒有來得及為這件事和對美好未來的夢想高興，就發現他們的國家陷入到數以萬計人死亡的惡性教派爭鬥。回顧這些年來，很多人談論在阿布格萊布監獄的虐囚醜聞之類美國的權力濫用。

Since the invasion, Iraqis have chosen representatives in parliament and provincial councils in a series of elections deemed largely free and fair.

入侵以來，伊拉克在國會和地方議會等一系列選舉中選舉了代表被認為很大程度上是自由和公正的的。
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Newspapers and news agencies have been established. New television channels are on the air. Non-governmental organizations and new political parties have been formed.

報紙和新聞機構相繼成立，新的電視節目上的氛圍，非政府組織和政黨已經形成。

Nearly nine years after the invasion, the U.S. military presence in Iraq is quickly coming to an end. The remaining 24,000 troops are due to leave before December 31.

近9年入侵後，美國在伊拉克的軍事存在很快就要結束了。剩下的24000人12月31日之前將離開。

But political parties are at odds, sectarian divisions are rife, Sunni insurgents and Shi'ite militias threaten stability with scores of attacks each month and many people are uncertain that Iraq's brand of democracy is what they need or want.

但是政黨、教派的分歧仍很巨大，遜尼派武裝和什葉派民兵每個月仍有大量戰鬥，許多人不確定是否還需要伊拉克的民主牌
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"We got rid of Saddam, but the problem now is that we have many," said Ali's friend, Hamza Jabbar, 23, an unemployed security guard sitting in the barber shop.

“我們推翻了薩達姆，但現在問題仍然很多”，Ali的朋友，理髮店裡23歲的失業保安員Hamza Jabbar說

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi are jobless. The unemployment rate is 15 percent, with another 28 percent in part-time jobs. The government says just under a quarter of the estimated 30 million population lives in poverty.

數十萬的伊拉克人失業，失業率為15%，還有28%的人只有兼職的工作，政府說現在估計有3千萬人生活貧困

In conversations with dozens of Iraqis in Shi'ite Sadr City, all reluctantly conceded that U.S. forces had brought democracy. The teeming slum supports Moqtada al-Sadr, a fiercely anti-American Shi'ite cleric whose followers fought U.S. forces.

在和幾十名什葉派薩德爾城居民交談中，他們勉強承認美國人帶來了民主，但也帶來了擁擠的貧民窟，激進的反美什葉派神職人員，而後者的支持者與美軍交戰。
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Iraqis freely express disappointment in the performance of their own leaders since 2003 and bitterness over brutal political infighting.

從2003年以來，伊拉克人可以自由的表達對他們的領導人和殘酷的政治內訌的失望

"Americans brought democracy to Iraq. But our leaders undermine it. They exploit it for their own personal benefit," said Khalid al-Taei, 35, a computer shop owner in the northern province of Nineveh.

“美國人給伊拉克帶來了民主，但是我們的領導人消弱了它，他們用來為自己謀私利”，35歲的北部尼尼微省電腦商店店主Khalid al-Taei說

On the other side of Baghdad, in the Sunni area of Adhamiya, dozens of Sunnis had a different take on the situation.

在巴格達的另一邊，遜尼派的阿德哈米亞區，幾十名遜尼派人呈現了不同的情形
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Sunnis dominated Iraq under Saddam and have felt marginalized politically since the invasion, which propelled majority Shi'ites into power. Sunnis are part of Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's frail governing coalition but many say they are oppressed under his government.

在薩達姆時代，遜尼派控制着伊拉克，自美軍入侵以來他們感覺被政治隔離了，主要由什葉派進入了權利中心，總理馬利基維持着脆弱的政治聯盟，但很多人說他們被政府壓制。

"Do you see this soldier in this checkpoint" asked shop owner Wael al-Khafaji, 48. "He can do whatever he wants to me right now and I can't say a word. Is this democracy?"

“你看到檢查站的那個士兵了麼？”48歲的理髮店主Wael al-Khafaji說，“他可以為所欲為而我不能說一個字，這就是民主？”

"What democracy are you asking me about, when my basic rights as a human being are stolen? If this is what Americans mean by democracy, let it be damned."

“你還問我什麼民主啊，現在我連基本的做人的權利都被偷走了，如果這就是美國人所謂的民主，讓他見鬼去吧。”
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Hundreds of checkpoints still dot the landscape, and Iraqis are frustrated by a near nine-year security crackdown.

幾百個檢查站仍分布各處，伊拉克人對九年來的安全壓迫感感到失落

Nearly two years after the last national election, Khafaji is still disappointed that former premier Iyad Allawi's cross-sectarian Iraqiya bloc, which won the most seats with heavy support from Sunnis, could not form a government.

對於兩年前的最近一次政府大選Khafaji仍然感到失望，前總理阿拉維領導的跨教派“伊拉克名單”贏得了多數席位和遜尼派的支持，但仍然無法組織政府

"Can you tell me who won the vote and who formed the government? Answer my question before you ask me to answer yours. Is this democracy?

“在你問我之前，你能告訴我誰贏得了選舉，誰組織了政府？這就是民主麼？”
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"Unfortunately, we Arab nations, and not only Iraqis, do not know yet what democracy means. So we don't deserve it."

“不幸的是，我們阿拉伯國家，不僅是伊拉克人，不知道什麼是民主，所以我們不配得到它。”

Inspired by "Arab Spring" uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia and other countries, Iraqis have demonstrated this year against corruption and poor basic services, and for political reform. But when asked whether Iraq needs its own Arab Spring, many reject the idea.

在埃及、突尼斯和其他國家“阿拉伯之春”起義的鼓舞下，伊拉克人今年為了反對貪污和窮人的基本權利而舉行示威，並要求****，但是當我問到伊拉克是否需要自己的“阿拉伯之春”時，多數人拒絕了這個想法。

"It means more bloodshed, and we are fed up with this. Look at people in the countries of the Arab Spring. They are fighting each other," said Hussain Ali, at the barbers. "We can vote. And we can make change through voting."

“這意味着更多的流血事件，我們已經厭倦了這個，看看那些阿拉伯之春的國家，他們都在內鬥，Hussain Ali說，我們可以投票，我們可以通過投票改變”

"If this does not work, then there will be no option but to topple them by force," he added.

“如果這不起作用，我們別無選擇，只有用武力推翻他們”，他補充道

Looking beyond the year-end departure of U.S. troops, many Iraqis say they are worried about the fate of their democracy.

對於年底美軍撤離後的前景，多數伊拉克人擔心他們的民主的命運

"Islamic fundamentalist parties are waiting for this opportunity to swoop in and grab power," said Mosul taxi driver Mohammed Jassim, 42. "If it happens, it means bye-bye democracy."

42歲的摩蘇爾的士司機Mohammed Jassim說：“***原教旨主義各方都在等待這個機會一舉奪權，如果是這樣，那麼意味着，再見吧民主”