周二，委内瑞拉人封锁了加拉加斯市的街道，抗议该国总统提出的制定新宪法的要求。
Protesters filled streets with pieces of metal and building materials. Others set fire to small mountains of trash.
抗议者用金属条和建筑材料塞满了街道，别的人则点燃了小垃圾山。
On Monday, President Nicolas Maduro signed a decree to begin the process of rewriting the constitution. The declaration orders the formation of a constitutional assembly.
周一，马杜罗总统签署了一项法令，开启了重制宪法的进程。该宣言下令组建制宪大会。
In a speech, Maduro said some of the assembly's 500 members would be elected by "workers" to replace the document.
马杜罗在发言中表示，制宪大会500名成员中的部分人将由“工人们”选出。
The Venezuelan constitution was last changed in 1999, under the rule of then-president Hugo Chavez.
委内瑞拉宪法最后一次修订是1999年在查韦斯总统的领导下完成的。
"The day has come, brothers," Maduro said. "Don't fail me now. Don't fail Chavez and don't fail your motherland." The Associated Press reported his comments.
马杜罗表示，“兄弟们，这一天已经来临，不要辜负我，不要辜负查韦斯，不要辜负祖国。”美联社报道了他的言论。
Fewer than half of the assembly's members would be elected, Maduro said. He added that political parties would not be involved.
马杜罗表示，制宪大会少于半数成员将由选举产生。他补充说，政党不会参与其中。
Maduro's opponents and some observers say the measure is part of a plan to postpone elections set for later this year and presidential elections in 2018.
马杜罗的反对者和一些观察家表示，该措施是拖延原定于今年晚些时候举行的选举和2018年举行的总统大选的计划的一部分。
Opposition leaders urged Venezuelans to ignore Maduro and to continue the protests that have lasted for more than a month.
反对派领导人督促委内瑞拉人无视马杜罗，继续进行这波持续了一个多月的抗议。
"We must continue fighting," said Julio Borges, president of the National Assembly. He said Maduro's move was "a scam to deceive the Venezuelan people."
国民议会主席朱利奥·博尔赫斯（Julio Borges）表示：“我们必须继续战斗。”他说马杜罗的行为是“欺骗委内瑞拉人民的一场骗局。”
Borges urged Venezuelans to fill Caracas' streets for two hours on Tuesday. He called for larger demonstrations on Wednesday.
博尔赫斯督促委内瑞拉人周二把加拉加斯的街道堵塞两个小时。他呼吁周三进行更大规模的示威游行。
Thousands of Maduro's supporters marched in Caracas on Monday in a show of support for the president.
数千名马杜罗的支持者星期一在加拉加斯举行游行示威表达对这名总统的支持。
The current political tensions started last July, when Venezuela's Supreme Court announced a ruling to cancel the National Assembly's legislative powers.
当前紧张的政治局势始于去年7月，当时委内瑞拉最高法院宣布撤销国民议会的立法权。
Years of political and economic problems have led to shortages of food, medicine, and other goods.
多年的政治和经济问题导致了食品、药品和其它物资短缺。
Demonstrators are asking for the return of democratic ideas, including recognizing the National Assembly's decisions, releasing political prisoners and permitting humanitarian aid.
示威者要求恢复民主理念，包括承认国民议会的决定，释放政治犯和允许人道主义援助。
I'm John Russell.
我是约翰·罗素。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利，未经授权请勿转载，违者必究！)