2007年VOA标准英语-Israel Denies Reports of Imminent Prisoner Swap

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
01 January 2007

Israel is playing down reports of an imminent¹ prisoner swap² with Hamas, the Islamic militant³ group that heads the Palestinian Authority. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, each side is accusing the other of holding up the deal.

Israeli officials say there has been no significant progress in efforts to win the release of a soldier kidnapped by Hamas militants⁴ six months ago and held in the Gaza Strip. Israel played down a statement by a spokesman for the Hamas military wing, Abu Ubaida, who reported a breakthrough in negotiations⁵ for a prisoner swap.

Ubaida told Israel Radio that a deal could be imminent after Israel softened⁶ its position.

Hamas is demanding the release of 14,00 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the captive soldier, 19-year-old corporal Gilad Shalit. The freed Palestinians would include top militants convicted of involvement in deadly attacks against Israelis.

But Israel says the price is too high, and paying it would be a reward for terrorism.

Shalit's capture in June prompted Israel to launch a major military offensive in Gaza that went on for months. That brought suffering on the Palestinian people, but Israeli analyst⁷ Zvi Mazal says Hamas is in no hurry to make a deal.

"Hamas did not abduct⁸ Gilad Shalit to give him back immediately," he said. "They wanted to harass⁹ Israel, to keep it off balance for a long time, because their aspirations¹⁰, or their interests, is not the welfare of the Palestinian people."

But Hamas believes a major prisoner release would boost support for the group on the Palestinian street.

One Hamas official said the ball is in Israel's court. He said the captive soldier could be released in days, or years.

1 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

2 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

3 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。

4 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。

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 softened   

（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
• The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

7 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

8 abduct   

vt.诱拐，拐带，绑架

参考例句：

• The police caught the man who tried to abduct the boy for ransom.警察抓住了那个企图拐走这男孩以便勒索赎金的家伙。
• The news that we see those use network abduct children sometimes filled with apprehension.我们有时看到那些利用网络诱拐儿童的新闻都心惊肉跳。

9 harass   

vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰

参考例句：

• Our mission is to harass the landing of the main Japaness expeditionary force.我们的任务是骚乱日本远征军主力的登陆。
• They received the order to harass the enemy's rear.他们接到骚扰敌人后方的命令。

10 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。