U.S. congressional leaders are welcoming the surprise announcement by President Barack Obama that he will seek a vote from both chambers of Congress to authorize any military strikes against the Syrian government for alleged chemical weapons attacks.

美国国会领袖对奥巴马就打击叙利亚争取两院授权表示欢迎。据称叙利亚政府对平民使用了化学武器。

More than 140 U.S. lawmakers had signed a letter to President Obama asking him to seek congressional approval before taking any military action on Syria. But Congress is out for its summer recess until September 9, lawmakers are scattered throughout the country, and it appeared that the president was contemplating imminent action.

有140多名国会议员签署联名信，要求奥巴马总统对叙利亚动武之前寻求国会授权。不过，国会目前处于休会期，9月9日才能复会，而且，议员分散在全国各地，而奥巴马总统似乎在考虑立即行动。

But on Saturday, the president caught many by surprise by announcing he would seek a vote in Congress when lawmakers return. Obama said he did not need congressional authorization, but that he would like to have it.

然而令许多人惊讶的是，奥巴马星期六宣布要寻求国会表决。他说，他不需要国会授权，不过他希望有授权。

"Yet while I believe I have the authority to carry out this military action without specific congressional authorization, I know that the country will be stronger if we take this course, and our actions will be even more effective," he said. "We should have this debate because the issues are too big for business as usual. And this morning, John Boehner, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell agreed that this is the right thing to do for our democracy."

奥巴马总统说：“虽然我认为我有权在没有国会具体授权的情况下采取这一军事行动，但是我知道，如果我寻求国会授权，我们国家会更强大，我们的行动也会更有效。我们应该就这个问题辩论，因为事关重大，不可以按惯例行事。今天上午，贝纳、里德、佩洛西和麦康奈尔等人同意，这样做对我们的民主制度是件好事。”

In a written statement, the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives welcomed the president's decision, saying that under the Constitution, the responsibility to declare war lies with Congress. House Speaker John Boehner and his leadership team said they expect the chamber to consider a measure the week of September 9, giving the president time to make his case to Congress and the American people. A number of senators also welcomed the decision.

众议院的共和党领袖发表的书面声明说，根据宪法，宣战的权力属于国会。众议院议长贝纳和其他共和党领导人说，他们预计众议院在9月9日那个星期复会之后会考虑一项议案，使总统有时间向国会和美国人民陈述理由。一些参议院也欢迎这一做法。

Veteran political analyst Larry Sabato said he believes President Obama had a sudden and very wise change of heart.

政治分析人士萨巴托对美国之音说，他认为奥巴马突然改变了想法，而且改得好。

"President Obama was on track essentially to launch a unilateral attack on Syria. I don't even know that we would have had any allies," he said. "After the decision by the House of Commons in Britain [to reject military action against Syria], I think the president woke up to the realities."

萨巴托说：“奥巴马总统本来已经要对叙利亚发动但方面打击。我甚至不知道有哪个国家会支持我们。在英国议会下院作出反对军事行动的表决之后，奥巴马总统才认清了现实。”

Sabato and other experts say the president will have a lot of work to do to make a strong case to try to persuade Congress to vote for military action.

萨巴托和其他专家说，奥巴马需要做大量的工作来说服国会赞成军事行动。

"I don't think he has a majority right now in either house; certainly he doesn't in the House of Representatives," he said. "But even the Democratically controlled Senate has a lot of questions about this."

萨巴托说：“我认为他目前在两院都没有多数支持，在众议院当然没有多数，甚至在民主党人控制的参议院，人们也有很多疑问。”

The White House already is starting to make its case, saying that top administration officials will brief House members on Capitol Hill Sunday afternoon.

白宫已经开始准备陈述自己的理由。白宫宣布，奥巴马政府高级官员将于星期天下午在国会山向众议员通报情况。