2006年VOA标准英语-World Leaders Repeat Call for Peace in Middle E

By Deborah Block
Washington, DC
03 August 2006
 
watch Call for Peace report

Hezbollah guerrillas Wednesday fired a record number of rockets into Israel.  Israel commandos raided the militant¹ group's strongholds deep inside Lebanon.  Top officials from around the world continue to hold meetings to discuss an end to the conflict. 

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The European Union has called on Israel and Hezbollah to end hostilities². It says the group's 25 nations could play key roles in an international force in southern Lebanon.  It has not directly called for a formal ceasefire. 

 
Margaret Beckett 
  
British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett says the wording does not give Israel the go-ahead to continue its attacks in southern Lebanon.  "There was a call all the way through for the European Union to be united and effective in getting action to stop the hostilities and to prevent more deaths in the Middle East."

French Foreign Minister Phillippe Douste-Blazy says after the hostilities end the EU will work toward an agreement that will allow a durable³ ceasefire.   

 
Miguel Angel Moratinos 
  
Foreign Ministers from Jordan, Egypt and Spain visited Lebanon Wednesday.  Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said, "There has to be an immediate⁴ ceasefire.  It we have this immediate ceasefire, we can work on all the political elements."

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus.  They also are calling for an immediate and unconditional⁵ ceasefire.  They say the Lebanese people should resist what they called Israeli aggression⁶ in Lebanon.

At the United Nations in New York, a meeting of nations that could contribute troops to stabilize⁷ south Lebanon was postponed⁸.  The group said it is premature⁹ to talk about deploying¹⁰ peacekeepers before a peace plan is finalized¹¹ between Israel and Hezbollah. 

John Bolton is the United States Ambassador to the U.N. He characterized the situation for reporters.  "There are differences in approach to the nature of the cessation of hostilities and how to make it permanent, but there is complete agreement about the fundamental political framework that has to be put in place."

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says his country will stop fighting when an international force is put in southern Lebanon.

Ehud Olmert  
  
"We can't stop it before it because there will not be a presence of a very effective, robust¹² military international force. Hezbollah will be there and we will have achieved nothing,” said the Israeli leader.  “Therefore, this is really the most important significant line where from we can think of a ceasefire."

He also says the release of two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah must be unconditional.

Relief aid has resumed in southern Lebanon, after Israel and Hezbollah guaranteed safe passage.  But now fuel is a problem says Cassandra Nelson with the humanitarian¹³ group, Mercy Corps¹⁴. "We have our cars stand in line for hours and hours just to get a full tank of gas, so we can actually get out in the field and help the people in desperate need," she said.

To alleviate¹⁵ the problem, the World Food Program says two tankers¹⁶ will deliver fuel to the Lebanese government, which will be responsible for its distribution.

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

3 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。

4 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。

6 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

7 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

8 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

9 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

10 deploying   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的现在分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Provides support for developing and deploying distributed, component-based applications. 为开发和部署基于组件的分布式应用程序提供支持。
• Advertisement, publishing, repair, and install-on-demand are all available when deploying your application. 在部署应用程序时提供公布、发布、修复和即需即装功能。

11 finalized   

vt.完成（finalize的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The draft of this article has been finalized [done]. 这篇文章已经定稿。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The draft was revised several times before it was finalized. 稿子几经删改才定下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

13 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。

14 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

15 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

16 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。