VOA常速英语2007年-Tens of Thousands of Palestinians Rally for Ham

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
15 December 2007

The Islamic militant¹ group Hamas in the Gaza Strip has put on a show of strength. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, Hamas is sending a tough message of opposition² to Israeli-Palestinian peace talks which resumed this week after a seven-year break.

Chanting "Allah is great," tens of thousands of Palestinians gathered in Gaza City to mark the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Islamic militant group Hamas.

It was a defiant³ show of support, even though Gaza has plunged⁴ further into poverty under Hamas rule and there are shortages of food, raw materials and fuel. Hamas has been crippled by Israeli and international sanctions since it violently seized control of Gaza six months ago.

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh told the crowd that the group will never renounce⁵ violence or recognize Israel.

Mr. Haniyeh said jihad, or holy war, is the shortest way to liberate⁶ Palestine and Jerusalem. He also condemned⁷ the Annapolis peace conference in the United States, where western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to resume peace talks with Israel.

Hamas routed the Fatah forces of Mr. Abbas from Gaza in June, and now he heads a more moderate government in the West Bank.

Mr. Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have agreed to try and reach a final peace treaty by the end of next year, but Hamas poses a major obstacle. At Annapolis, Mr. Olmert said Israel would not agree to a Palestinian state unless it includes Gaza under the control of Palestinian moderates.

By bringing a huge crowd into the streets, Hamas has shown it is a force to reckon with and that it intends to remain in power.

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 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 defiant   

adj.无礼的，挑战的

参考例句：

• With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。
• He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。

4 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

5 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

6 liberate   

v.解放，使获得自由，释出，放出；vt.解放，使获自由

参考例句：

• They did their best to liberate slaves.他们尽最大能力去解放奴隶。
• This will liberate him from economic worry.这将消除他经济上的忧虑。

7 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。