2006年VOA标准英语-Blair Rejects Meeting with Hamas for Now

By Michael Drudge¹
London
23 February 2006

British Prime Minister Tony Blair says he will not have contact with the Hamas group that won the recent Palestinian elections until and unless it accepts Israel's right to exist.  The issue came up at the prime minister's monthly news conference.

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Tony Blair during monthly news conference at No. 10 Downing Street, Feb. 23, 2006
  

Prime Minister Blair says a meeting with Hamas at this stage, in hopes of reviving the Middle East peace process, would only cause confusion.

"It would make it appear as if we were prepared to try to find a way forward without Hamas renouncing² its desire to eliminate Israel," he said.

But the prime minister says Britain would be delighted to get involved in Middle East peace-making when and if Hamas ever accepts Israel's existence.

"If Hamas do make that historic decision, we are not just prepared but keen, enthusiastic, to take this process forward and there's every chance it can be taken forward successfully," Blair said.

Blair declined to address a question about Iran's offer to make up any Western aid cuts to a Hamas-led Palestinian government.  But he did state that Britain recognizes Hamas's electoral victory, and that the group has a mandate³ to rule.

On another issue, Blair took exception to an Amnesty International report alleging⁴ the British government's anti-terrorism policies risk deporting⁶ people to countries where they could be tortured.

"We have people here in this country that we are trying to deport⁵. We hear an immense amount about their human rights and their civil liberties," Blair said. "But there are also the human rights of the rest of us to live in safety.  And when people say to me that unless I can give absolute, cast-iron guarantees, [then] we have got to keep people here who may be engaged actively⁷ in inciting⁸ terrorism in this country, I have to say I think we've got the world the wrong way around."

On a related matter, Blair refused to endorse⁹ a legislative¹⁰ committee's appeal for his government to publicly criticize the United States for maintaining a prison camp holding alleged¹¹ al-Qaida suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Blair repeated that he considers the camp to be an "anomaly" that should be closed sooner rather than later.  He also hinted that he has given private advice to that effect to the Bush administration, but he refused to elaborate.  

1 drudge   

n.劳碌的人；v.做苦工，操劳

参考例句：

• I feel like a real drudge--I've done nothing but clean all day!我觉得自己像个做苦工的--整天都在做清洁工作！
• I'm a poor,miserable,forlorn drudge;I shall only drag you down with me.我是一个贫穷，倒运，走投无路的苦力，只会拖累你。

2 renouncing   

v.声明放弃( renounce的现在分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃

参考例句：

• He enraged the government by renouncing the agreement. 他否认那项协议，从而激怒了政府。 来自辞典例句
• What do you get for renouncing Taiwan and embracing Beijing instead? 抛弃台湾，并转而拥抱北京之后，你会得到什么？ 来自互联网

3 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

4 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

5 deport   

vt.驱逐出境

参考例句：

• We deport aliens who slip across our borders.我们把偷渡入境的外国人驱逐出境。
• More than 240 England football fans are being deported from Italy following riots last night.昨晚的骚乱发生后有240多名英格兰球迷被驱逐出意大利。

6 deporting   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的现在分词 )；举止

参考例句：

7 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

8 inciting   

刺激的，煽动的

参考例句：

• What are you up to inciting mutiny and insubordination? 你们干吗在这里煽动骚动的叛乱呀。
• He was charged with inciting people to rebel. 他被控煽动民众起来叛乱。

9 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

10 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

11 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为