近来，美国南部得克萨斯州遭遇强烈冬季风暴，不少民众断水断电陷入困境。然而，得州共和党籍国会参议员特德•克鲁兹却在此时离开得州，携家人前往墨西哥坎昆度假。
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社交媒体上有照片显示，克鲁兹面戴口罩、拖着行李箱，在休斯敦登上飞机。同行航班乘客也拍到了他的照片。
One photo on social media showed Ted Cruz wearing a mask and pulling carry-on luggage as he boarded a plane in Houston. People on the flight also took photos of Cruz and put them on social media.
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这些照片引发轩然大波，民众质疑当得州陷入危机时，他怎么能就此离开。一天之后，面对民众呼声，克鲁兹乘飞机回到了休斯敦。
Photos of the Republican lawmaker on Wednesday fuelled outrage at how he had left Texas during a crisis. On Thursday, after the trip drew widespread ridicule and outrage on social media, Cruz was on a plane to return to Houston.
克鲁兹发表声明称，去坎昆并非是为了度假，而是为了陪伴两个女儿和她们的朋友，“当个好爸爸”。他决定“前一天晚上陪同她们去，今天下午就飞回来”。 “工作人员和我一直与得州及当地负责人保持联络，了解情况。我们希望可以恢复电力、饮水和供暖。”
He issued a statement explaining that he wasn't on a vacation for himself in Cancun, but chaperoning his daughters, ages 12 and 10, and their friends on the flight. "Wanting to be a good dad," Cruz said, he decided to fly "with them last night and am flying back this afternoon". “My staff and I are in constant communication with state and local leaders to get to the bottom of what happened in Texas,” he continued. “We want our power back, our water on, and our homes warm.”
路透社以一个民主党政治团体获取的短消息为来源报道称，克鲁兹的妻子海迪曾经邀请邻居同行，写道“有人能或者想出去过这周吗？”她提及坎昆的豪华酒店丽思卡尔顿酒店一晚房费“309美元不含税”。
In text messages obtained by American Bridge, a Democratic political group, Cruz’s wife Heidi asked neighbors whether they wanted to accompany the family to Cancun.“Anyone can or want to leave for the week?” she wrote, noting that rooms at the city’s Ritz Carlton cost “$309 plus tax.”
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《纽约时报》的报道则指出，这些信息给出了克鲁兹“政治错误”的细节。逃离受灾的得州，让克鲁兹备受指摘，妻子的短信显示，他们匆忙制定旅行计划，逃离“寒冷的家”。
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在《纽约时报》评论区，读者批评克鲁兹“临阵脱逃”；得州天寒地冻，自己却跑到了温暖的度假胜地：“这不是得州精神所在”。网友还质疑得州私有化能源行业政策以及相关部门救灾不力。
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值得注意的是，克鲁兹曾于上周一对得克萨斯州民众表示：“这一周内，我们可能会看到上百人在得州失去生命，所以不要冒险，为了家人安全，请留在家中，拥抱你的孩子。”
Last Monday, Cruz said to Texans, "We could see up to a hundred people lose their lives this week in Texas, so don't risk it, keep your family safe, and just stay home and hug your kids."
尽管没有为这次旅行道歉，但是在随后ABC13台的采访中，克鲁兹称此举是“一个错误”。
Cruz did not apologise for making the trip amid the state of emergency in Texas, but in a later interview with broadcaster ABC13, he said it was "a mistake".
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“很明显这是个错误，事后想想，我不该去。我只是想当好爸爸。”
“It was obviously a mistake, and in hindsight, I wouldn’t have done it. I was trying to be a Dad.” he said.
克鲁兹在推特上转发了媒体的相关报道。
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据美联社报道，尽管当前局势对克鲁兹的政治生涯没有好处，但也不会立刻对他产生危害。他现在的任期要到2025年初，而共和党候选人的非官方初选要到两年后才会开启。
While the situation will not help Cruz’s political future, the two-term senator is not in any immediate political danger. His current term expires in early 2025, and the unofficial beginning of the next Republican presidential primary election is two years away.
此外，克鲁兹的办公室暂时没有回应他返回得州后是否会自我隔离。美国疾病控制和预防中心建议，有旅行史的人返回当地后3至5天接受新冠病毒检测，无论检测结果如何，都要隔离一周。
Cruz’s office did not immediately say whether the senator would self-quarantine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises people who have traveled during the pandemic to get a coronavirus test three to five days after their return and to quarantine for a full week, regardless of the test results.
综合来源：新华网，美联社，CNN，BBC，CGTN，China Daily微信公众号
