2006年VOA标准英语-Mideast Fighting Continues as Diplomacy Gathers

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
05 August 2006
 
Israel launched air strikes, commando raids and heavy ground combat operations Saturday against Hezbollah in Lebanon, as Hezbollah militants¹ continued rocket attacks against northern Israel. In New York, the United States and France reached agreement on a proposed U.N. Security Council resolution, aimed at reaching a cease-fire. VOA's Jim Teeple reports, Israeli officials say they support a diplomatic solution to the conflict, but, for now, combat operations will continue until they reach their goal of ending what they describe as the Hezbollah threat to Israel.

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Israelis inspect damage in a house after rocket by Hezbollah guerrillas from neighboring Lebanon, in northern city of Haifa, Aug. 5, 2006
  
Hezbollah missiles rained down on northern Israel Saturday, as they have for more than three weeks now. Israel's air force kept up incessant² air strikes against targets in Lebanon, and Israeli ground troops continued their operations to search out and destroy the Katyusha rocket launchers that have forced hundreds-of-thousands of Israelis to flee the northern part of their country.

In the first sign that fighting could end in the near future, the United States and France reached agreement Saturday on a draft U.N. Security Council resolution. The Associated Press, which obtained a copy of the draft, says it calls for a full cessation of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. However, the draft text reportedly allows Israel to respond, if attacked by Hezbollah.

Speaking in New York, John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said diplomats³ will work as quickly as possible to see that the resolution is adopted. 

John Bolton, Aug. 5, 2006   
  
"We are prepared to move as other members of the council want to move," he said. "I am not very good at predictions or reactions, so we will have to see. But, once we circulate it today, the assumption is that members will want to refer it to their capitals and get reactions. But we are prepared to move as quickly as we can."

The Associated Press reports, the resolution calls for the current U.N. force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, to observe the end of fighting. Once Israel and Hezbollah agree to a series of unspecified steps for a long-term settlement, the Security Council would authorize⁴ a new international peacekeeping force for southern Lebanon.

The agreement ends more than a week of deadlocked⁵ talks at the U.N. between the United States and France, but there is no indication yet whether Israel and Hezbollah will agree to all of its provisions. Speaking shortly after the agreement was announced, a Hezbollah cabinet member, Mohammed Fneish, said Hezbollah will agree to a ceasefire only when all Israeli soldiers leave Lebanon.

Speaking before the announcement was made, Mark Regev, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry⁶, said Israel understands that fighting alone will not end the conflict.

A Lebanese man points to a destroyed apartment building in Beirut suburbs, Aug. 5, 2006  
  
"I think everyone in Israel understands that we can hit Hezbollah, and we are hitting Hezbollah hard," he said. "The idea is to defend our citizens and prevent them [Hezbollah] from launching rockets and targeting Israeli cities and civilians⁷. Having said that, the real solution is diplomatic, the real solution is political, and that is for the Lebanese government, with the support of the international community to disarm⁸ Hezbollah, as they should, according to the relevant U.N. resolutions."

Fighting began more than three weeks ago, after Hezbollah militants stormed across the Israeli border and abducted⁹ two Israeli soldiers, killing¹⁰ eight others in the attack.

Speaking Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said any agreement to end the fighting must include the unconditional¹¹ release of the two Israeli soldiers.

1 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。

2 incessant   

adj.不停的，连续的

参考例句：

• We have had incessant snowfall since yesterday afternoon.从昨天下午开始就持续不断地下雪。
• She is tired of his incessant demands for affection.她厌倦了他对感情的不断索取。

3 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

5 deadlocked   

陷入僵局的；僵持不下的

参考例句：

• The plan deadlocked over the funds. 这个计划由于经费问题而搁浅了。
• The meeting deadlocked over the wage issue. 会议因工资问题而停顿下来。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 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。

8 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

9 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

10 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

11 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。