2006年VOA标准英语-UN Calls for Restraint by Israel, Extremist Gro

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
14 July 2006

The U.N.'s top humanitarian¹ official is calling on Israel and on extremist groups in Gaza and Lebanon to show restraint, and to refrain from attacking civilians³ and civilian² installations. He warns the situation in Gaza is developing into a humanitarian crisis.

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A vehicle is being pulled from a bomb crater⁴ full of water following an Israeli air strike at main Mar⁵ Mikhail cross road in south Beirut, July 14, 2006
  
U.N. Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland says none of the children and few of the civilians in Gaza have anything to do with what he calls the totally unacceptable use of violence by extremist groups against Israel.  But, he says, all are affected⁶ by, what he calls, "Israel's disproportionate response."  He says the United Nations is equally concerned about civilians in Lebanon.

At a news conference at the U.N. offices in Geneva, Egeland warned the situation could spin out of control, and called for the release of Israeli soldiers captured by militants⁷ in Gaza and Lebanon. 

Jan Egeland   
  
"What we fear is that we are now going to go downwards⁸ in a spiral towards a situation that can become totally uncontrollable," he said.  "So, our call now is for restraint, not disproportionate responses, no more homemade or other rockets going into Israel or anywhere else, and all kidnapped people, whether civilians or soldiers to be released."

Egeland says conditions in the Palestinian territories have never been as bad as they are now.  He says 1.4 million people live in overcrowded conditions.  And, their plight⁹ has been made worse with Israel's destruction of Gaza's only power plant.  He says water and sanitation¹⁰ are a problem, disease is spreading and people have little food to eat.

The U.N. held a special meeting Friday to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Egeland says a number of the 30 donor¹¹ countries who attended, including Japan, the United States and European Commission, have pledged important new contributions.   The U.N. so far, only has received a third of the $380 million appeal it launched for the Palestinians.

But Egeland said the Palestinians also share some of the blame for their own plight.

"There is occupation of these areas, but those who kidnap Israeli soldiers from within Israel, those who send home made rockets virtually every day inside Israel, whether that is from Gaza or from southern Lebanon, should understand there will be a response," he added.  "It seems they want to provoke a response and they do not seem to care the slightest bit that there is the children and the women and the civilians that bear the brunt of all of this."

Egeland warns both the Israelis and Palestinians will have decreased security from these operations, because there will be more hatred¹² and more people committing extremist acts.

1 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

2 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

3 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

4 crater   

n.火山口，弹坑

参考例句：

• With a telescope you can see the huge crater of Ve-suvius.用望远镜你能看到巨大的维苏威火山口。
• They came to the lip of a dead crater.他们来到了一个死火山口。

5 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

8 downwards   

adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地）

参考例句：

• He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。
• As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。

9 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

10 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

11 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

12 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。