2006年VOA标准英语-Kadima Seeks Coalition With Labor in Israe

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
04 April 2006

Israel's interim¹ Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he will seek to build a coalition² with Israel's Labor³ Party. Labor Party leader Amir Peretz says he is optimistic a government can be formed soon.

-----------------------------------------------------

A week after Israelis went to the polls, a new Israeli government is taking shape. 

 

Acting⁴ Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, left, shakes hands with Labor Party leader Amir Peretz, before making announcement to the press at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 4, 2006  
  

Kadima Party head Ehud Olmert and Labor Party leader Amir Peretz, say they have agreed to work together to form the next government. Ehud Olmert whose party won 29 seats in the election - more than any other - says Kadima and Labor are natural allies.

Olmert says after two days of talks the two men agreed that the Labor Party will be a senior partner with Kadima in any new government.

The announcement follows reports of a rift⁵ between Olmert and Peretz following comments by the Labor Party leader over the past few days that he would attempt to form a government on his own, with the help of smaller parties. Now, Peretz says he wants a coalition with Olmert.

Peretz says he has no doubt the new government will be able to set Israel's goals for the future.

Neither of the two men would discuss the distribution of cabinet portfolios⁶. With Kadima's 29 seats and Labor's 19 seats both parties will still have to work hard to get other parties to join their coalition, to get a working majority in the 120-seat Knesset.

The announcement is a boost to Ehud Olmert's plan to withdraw from most of the West Bank in the next four years. Under the plan, which was originally proposed by now comatose⁷ Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Israel will consolidate⁸ nearly all West Bank settlements in three large settlement blocs⁹ and use the controversial Israeli-built security barrier as the basis for a border with Palestinians.

Palestinians have condemned¹⁰ the plan, calling it a land-grab that violates international law.

1 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

5 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

6 portfolios   

n.投资组合( portfolio的名词复数 )；（保险）业务量；（公司或机构提供的）系列产品；纸夹

参考例句：

• Price risk arises in non-trading portfolios, as well as in trading portfolios. 价格风险中出现的非贸易投资，以及在贸易投资组合。 来自互联网
• How do we fatten our portfolios and stay financially healthy? 我们怎样育肥我们的投资结构和维持财政健康呢？ 来自互联网

7 comatose   

adj.昏睡的，昏迷不醒的

参考例句：

• Those in extreme fear can be put into a comatose type state.那些极端恐惧的人可能会被安放进一种昏迷状态。
• The doctors revived the comatose man.这个医生使这个昏睡的苏醒了。

8 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

9 blocs   

n.集团，联盟( bloc的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The division of Europe into warring blocs produces ever-increasing centrifugal stress. 把欧洲分为作战集团产生了越来越大的离心效果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The policy of the two blocs was played out. 把世界分为两个集团的政策已经过时了。 来自辞典例句

10 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。