VOA双语新闻：7、奥巴马敦促巴以恢复和谈（在线收听）

奥巴马敦促巴以恢复和谈

President Barack Obama will use his trip to Israel, the occupied West Bank, and Jordan to address Israelis and Palestinians about reviving peace efforts. Iran's nuclear program and Syria's civil war are also on the agenda.

奥巴马总统在访问以色列、被占领的约旦河西岸地区和约旦期间将敦促以色列和巴勒斯坦人恢复和平努力。 他还会谈到伊朗核项目以及叙利亚内战的问题。

Mr. Obama last visited Israel in 2008 as a senator and presidential candidate. Now, he returns as a two-term president, but has been unsuccessful in overcoming obstacles to Middle East peace.He will carry no new peace initiative, but will deliver a message.

奥巴马总统上次访问以色列是在2008，当时他是参议员和总统候选人。 现在他已是连任的美国总统，但一直没能成功地克服中东和平障碍。奥巴马这次不会提出新的和平计划，但会向巴以双方表明立场。

"That peace between the Israelis and Palestinians remains a priority of the president," said White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest. "That's something that he is - that the United States is - ready to strongly support if that dialogue is ready to take off.

白宫发言人厄内斯特说: “以色列和巴勒斯坦之间的和平仍然是总统最关心的问题，如果他们准备开始对话，奥巴马总统和美国随时大力支持。”

The United States supports two states, Israel and Palestine, living peacefully alongside each other. But Obama's relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been strained, especially over Israeli settlements in the occupied territories.

美国支持以色列和巴勒斯坦作为两个国家和平共存，但是奥巴马总统和以色列总理内塔尼亚胡的关系紧张， 特别是在以色列在被占领区修建定居点的问题上意见有分歧。

Obama will reassure both sides that he supports their rights, and their security, says Neil Kritz of the U.S. Institute for Peace. The stakes are high.

美国和平研究所的尼尔.克利茨说，奥巴马会再次向巴以双方保证美国支持他们的权利和安全，这事关重大。

"For this president, one of the key challenges will be at what point does a two-state solution become more difficult to achieve. He does not want to have as his legacy, being in his term the two-state solution was lost as an option," he said.

厄内斯特说：“对总统来说，一个重要的挑战是，两国共存的解决办法在什么时候会变得更难以实现。奥巴马不希望两国共存这个解决办法在他任职期间变得毫无可能。 他不想让这成为他遗留的政治问题。”

Obama was re-elected in November with 69 percent of the Jewish vote, despite Mitt Romney - his opponent - questioning his commitment to Israel.

奥巴马去年11月再次当选总统。虽然其竞争对手罗姆尼质疑他是否坚决支持以色列，但是69%的犹太裔美国人投了奥巴马的票。阿伦.克亚克是全国犹太裔民主党人理事会的执行主任，该组织最近应邀与奥巴马讨论中东问题。

"This president, as was shown in election after election, has been a true friend of the Jewish people, and American Jewish voters have shown him that," said Aaron Keyak, executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, which was invited to a recent discussion with the president.

阿伦.克亚克：“一次次选举表明， 奥巴马总统是犹太人民的真正朋友，犹太裔美国人也向他显示，我们认为他是真正的朋友。”

Eric Fusfield of B’nai Brith International calls Obama's Mideast visit an opportunity to see what is really happening on the ground.

圣约信徒国际理事会的埃里克.福斯菲尔德认为，奥巴马的中东之行会让他有机会看到那里的真实情况。

"There is really no substitute for face-to-face contact, people at the grassroots level, seeing and feeling what's happening in Israel today," he said.

他说：“什么也代替不了面对面的接触，和基层民众的接触， 亲自看到和感受到以色列的现状。”

Several Arab-American groups also came to the White House, including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. Its president, Warren David, says Arab Americans told Obama they're disappointed in the lack of progress toward a Palestinian state.

阿拉伯裔美国人反歧视委员会等几个阿拉伯裔美国人团体最近也应邀前往白宫，阿拉伯裔美国人反歧视委员会的主席沃伦.大卫说， 阿拉伯裔美国人告诉奥巴马，他们对巴勒斯坦人建国事业缺乏进展感到失望。

"I said point blank, I am hoping that you are going to leave a legacy, and that this is something that you will accomplish as president. And I would have to tell you that in the beginning I was very, very pessimistic, but I left being a little more optimistic because of what the president said, what his advisers said," he said.

他说：“我直截了当地说， 我希望你作为总统能促成这件事，留下这个遗产。一开始我非常悲观，在听到总统及其顾问谈话后， 我有些乐观了。”

David says Arab Americans told Obama they hope there will finally be peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

大卫说， 阿拉伯裔美国人告诉奥巴马总统， 他们希望以色列人和巴勒斯坦人之间最终会实现和平。