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　　U.S. President George Bush heads to the Middle East Tuesday for a five-day trip to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. What the president hopes to accomplish.
美国总统布什将在下星期二前往中东地区，对以色列、沙特阿拉伯和埃及进行为期五天的访问。那么，布什总统此行想要达成哪些目标呢？
President Bush returns to the region hoping to build on the latest round of Israel-Palestinian peace efforts that he began last year with a conference outside Washington.
布什总统去年在华盛顿郊外主持召开中东和平会议，开始了新一轮以色列和巴勒斯坦和平努力。他这次再次访问中东地区，希望能在去年会议的基础上推进和平进程。
"Today, Palestinians and Israelis each understand that helping¹ the other to realize their aspirations² is key to realizing their own aspirations. Both require an independent, democratic, viable³ Palestinian state," he said.
布什说：“如今，巴勒斯坦和以色列都明白，只有帮助对方实现目标才能达到自己的目标。而且，双方都要求建立一个独立使以色列国和巴勒斯坦国共存。
This two-state solution is the centerpiece of the president's strategy, and he wants the boundaries of a Palestinian state defined before he leaves office in January. But Palestinians are divided between a Fatah government in the West Bank and a Hamas government in Gaza.
他希望在明年1月自己离职之前确定巴勒斯坦国的边境。但是，巴勒斯坦处于分裂当中，法塔赫政府控制着约旦河西岸，哈马斯政府控制着加沙地区。
The United States and Israel will not negotiate with Hamas, which both countries have labeled a terrorist group.
美国和以色列都把哈马斯标定为恐怖组织，不会同该组织进行谈判。
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told President Bush earlier this year that any peace deal must include all Palestinians.
以色列总理奥尔默特今年早些时候对布什说，任何和平协议都必须包括所有的巴勒斯坦人。
"There will be no peace unless terror is stopped, and terror will have to be stopped everywhere," he said. "We made it clear to the Palestinians; they know it, and they understand that Gaza must be a part of the package."
他说：“只有停止恐怖主义才能有和平，我们必须在各地阻止恐怖主义。我们已经向巴勒斯坦人清楚地说明了这一点，他们知道，任何和平协议中都必须包括加沙地区。”
President Bush met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in advance of this trip to find out how he might best help advance the peace process. The Palestinian leader made clear the challenges ahead.
布什总统在启程前往中东地区以前会晤了巴勒斯坦民族权力机构主席阿巴斯，想知道他怎么才能最好地推动中东和平进程。阿巴斯明确地指出了前面的挑战。
"I cannot say that the road to peace is paved with flowers," he said. "It is paved with obstacles, but together we will work very hard in order to eliminate those obstacles and achieve peace."
他说：“我不能说通往和平的道路上铺满了鲜花，相反，这条路上充满了障碍。但是，我们会共同努力，尽力消除这些障碍，实现和平。”
Israeli and Palestinian talks have so far made little progress. U.S. National Security Advisor⁴ Steve Hadley says there has been some movement toward a Palestinian state, which he says will open the door for peace.
到目前为止，以色列和巴勒斯坦之间的谈判没有取得什么进展。但是，美国国家安全顾问哈德利说，在巴勒斯坦建国问题上还是有一些进展的，而这将打开通向和平的大门。
"At that point, President Abbas will be able to go to the people in Gaza and say, you have a choice: You can have the kind of life that you have under the oppression, really, of Hamas - and as we all know how difficult the situation is for a Palestinian in Gaza - or you can be part of a Palestinian state, which is what we want and what Palestinians want," he said.
他说：“到那时，阿巴斯将可以对加沙的人民说，你们可以选择：你们可以继续生活在哈马斯的压迫之下，我们都知道加沙的巴勒斯坦人的艰难处境；或者你们可以加入巴勒斯坦国，这是我们所希望的，也是巴勒斯坦人所希望的。”
John Alterman directs the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a public policy research group in Washington. He says the president is rushing to diplomacy⁵ at a time when the politics for successful diplomacy are missing.
华盛顿公共政策研究机构战略与国际问题研究中心的中东项目主任奥尔特曼说，布什总统急于展开外交行动，而目前恰恰缺乏使外交努力获得成功的政治环境。
"It's hard to remember a less auspicious⁶ time to pursue Arab-Israeli peacemaking than right now," he noted⁷. "The politics on the ground are absolutely miserable⁸. U.S. power and influence are at low ebb⁹ in the region. The Bush administration is beset¹⁰ by challenges - the combination of a faltering¹¹ economy, persistent¹² difficulties in Iraq, and a growing threat from Iran - all at a time that the president's popularity is at historical low, and his administration is settling more and more into lame¹³ duck status."
他说：“目前是寻求在阿拉伯世界和以色列之间建立和平的最不利时刻。那里的政治环境非常糟糕。美国在这一地区的能力和影响力都在衰退。布什政府正被挑战包围，这包括经济停滞不前、伊拉克的持续困境以及来自伊朗的不断增长的威胁。同时总统的支持率处于历史最低点，而他的政府班子也越来越甘于成为无所作为的看守政府。”
Nathan Brown directs Middle East studies at George Washington University. He says President Bush will be meeting Israeli and Palestinian sides that are still far apart.
乔治.华盛顿大学中东研究项目的负责人布朗说，即将同布什总统会晤的巴以双方之间还存在诸多分歧。
"They may have inched a little bit closer, but there are still wide gaps," he said. "Second is that there are facts on the ground in terms of a network of Israeli settlements and roads and construction that are very, very deeply entrenched¹⁴. They can be undone¹⁵, but at a very high political price to an Israeli government, and you've got a weak one right now."
他说：“巴以双方可能在达成共识方面取得了一点进展，但他们之间的分歧还是非常大的。此外，以色列的定居点、道路和建筑工事都是真实存在的，而且非常非常坚固。这些东西可以被拆毁，但这将给本来就软弱的以色列政府带来很大的政治损失。”
During his trip, President Bush will meet separately with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders. He will also try to increase regional involvement in the process in separate talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Saudi King Abdallah, and Jordanian King Abdullah.
布什总统在这次中东之行中将分别会晤以色列和巴勒斯坦的领导人。他还将分别同埃及总统穆巴拉克、沙特国王阿卜杜拉和约旦国王阿卜杜拉展开会谈，尽力使中东地区各国更多地参与到和平进程中来。