2006年VOA标准英语-Cease-Fire Takes Effect, Holding

By Robert Raffaele
Washington, D.C.
14 August 2006
 
watch Lebanon Ceasefire

No major clashes have been reported between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants¹ in Lebanon after a U.N.-mediated ceasefire took hold earlier today to stop more than a month of fighting. However, Israel says its troops shot dead two Hezbollah fighters in separate incidents. Meanwhile, thousands of displaced Lebanese are jamming roads as they begin an emotional voyage home.  

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Many residents in Lebanon returned to their homes to find piles of rubble² 
  
After more than a month of air strikes and shelling, there was virtual silence in Beirut at exactly eight o'clock Monday morning local time, the moment a UN-brokered cease-fire took effect. 

The tanks that have been pounding Lebanon from northern Israel were silent after the cease-fire began  
  
In northern Israel, soldiers stood watch by their tanks as the clock struck eight.

Some Israeli soldiers withdrawing from southern Lebanon immediately after the cease-fire carried Lebanese and Hezbollah flags, as well as the Israeli flag. However, Israel says that most of its troops will hold positions seized in recent days.

Across Lebanon, waves of people displaced by weeks of fighting finally headed home. 

 
Cars clogged³ the Zahrani highway with people heading home after the cease-fire
  
South of Sidon, a line of cars heading south along the Zahrani highway caused a traffic jam more than a kilometer long.

In Beirut, some families who had taken shelter in a public park packed up their belongings⁴ to venture back to their homes. In many cases, they found only rubble where houses once stood.

A woman asked, "Where will we go?"  She says she and her neighbors all have families with at least seven children. 

Some celebrated⁵ the cease-fire as a victory for Hezbollah  
  
However, others celebrated the cease-fire as a victory for Lebanon and for Hezbollah.

There was also relief for those who survived weeks of Hezbollah rocket attacks in northern Israel.

Many people in the makeshift tent city in Tel Aviv took time Monday to call family members.  At least one young Israeli, however, has no plans to return home immediately.

"I don't trust the Hezbollah to keep the cease-fire," said a resident of Nahariya.

The United States and other countries are closely watching to see if the cease-fire holds.  White House spokesman Tony Snow called the cease-fire a victory for diplomacy⁶.  

 
Humanitarian⁷ supplies from Jordan are unloaded at the Beirut airport
  
"At this point, we are hoping that the people of Lebanon will be the ultimate victors because they'll be able to have a government in which the democratic will of the people is expressed through the policies of their government," said Mr. Snow. 

In Lebanon, international aid groups redoubled their efforts. For instance, crates⁸ of various supplies were unloaded from a Jordanian plane at Beirut International Airport.

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 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

3 clogged   

（使）阻碍( clog的过去式和过去分词 )； 淤滞

参考例句：

• The narrow streets were clogged with traffic. 狭窄的街道上交通堵塞。
• The intake of gasoline was stopped by a clogged fuel line. 汽油的注入由于管道阻塞而停止了。

4 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

5 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

6 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

7 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。

8 crates   

n. 板条箱, 篓子, 旧汽车 vt. 装进纸条箱

参考例句：

• We were using crates as seats. 我们用大木箱作为座位。
• Thousands of crates compacted in a warehouse. 数以千计的板条箱堆放在仓库里。