President Bush says Cuban President Fidel Castro's decision to step down should be the start of a democratic transition on the island. Cuba's Communist party newspaper published a quote from Mr. Castro Tuesday, saying he will not accept another term as president.

美国总统布什说，古巴国务委员会主席卡斯特罗决定辞职，应该是古巴民主转变的开端。古巴共产党报纸星期二援引卡斯特罗的话说，他不会继续担任下届主席的职务。

President Bush says the United States will help the people of Cuba realize the blessings of liberty.

布什总统说，美国会帮助古巴人民实现自由的上帝赐福。

"I believe that the change from Fidel Castro ought to begin a period of democratic transition," the president said. "First step, of course, will be for people put in these prisons to be let out. I have met with some of the families of prisoners. It just breaks your heart to realize that people have been thrown in prison because they dared speak out."

他说：“我相信菲德尔.卡斯特罗带来的改变应该开启古巴向民主过渡的阶段。第一步当然是释放囚犯。我已经会见了一些囚犯的家人。当人们仅仅因为敢于发表看法而被投入大牢时，你会感到伤心。”

After nearly half a century in power, Fidel Castro's decision to step down appears to open the way for his brother Raul, who has been acting president since the long-time leader's intestinal surgery two years ago.

卡斯特罗在位接近半个世纪之后决定辞职，似乎为兄弟劳尔继任铺平了道路，劳尔在卡斯特罗两年前接受肠胃手术后就一直代理主席职务。

As power changes hands in Cuba, President Bush says some people will say U.S. policy should promote stability. But Mr. Bush says that would be a mistake because political prisoners would continue to rot in detention and the human condition, in many cases, he says, would remain pathetic.

布什总统在古巴政权更换之际说，一些人会说美国的政策应该是促进古巴稳定。但是布什总统说，那会是一个错误，因为政治犯会继续把牢底坐穿，而且他说古巴的人权在很多情况下都令人悲哀。

"Eventually this transition ought to lead to free and fair elections. And I mean free. And I mean fair. Not these kind of staged elections that the Castro brothers try to foist of as being true democracy," he said.

布什说：“这个过渡最终应该导致产生自由与公正的选举。我的意思是自由的，公正的。不是卡斯特罗兄弟两人推出的那类伪装的民主选举。”

The president spoke in Rwanda on the third stop of a five-nation tour of Africa. At a press conference with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Mr. Bush was asked what the Cuban leader's decision means for America. He said the question should be what does it mean for Cubans?

布什总统在卢旺达发表了这些讲话。他在那里进行本此非洲5国之行第三站的访问。布什在同卢旺达总统共同举行记者会时，被问到古巴领导人辞职对美国来说意味著什么。他说，问题应该是，这对古巴人民意味著什么。

"They're the ones put in prison because of their beliefs. They're the ones who have been denied their right to live in a free society," Mr. Bush said.

布什说：“古巴民众是因为信仰而被关进监狱的人。古巴民众是被剥夺在自由社会中生存权力的人。”

A new National Assembly was elected in January, and will meet for the first time Sunday to pick the governing Council of State, which will now include a new president.

古巴新一届全国人民政权代表大会今年1月选出，并将在星期天选举国务委员会。这个委员会现在将产生1名新主席。