VOA常速英语2007年-Mideast Peace Talks Move Ahead Despite Dispute

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
28 December 2007

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are moving ahead despite a dispute over Jewish settlements. But as Robert Berger reports from Jerusalem, deadly violence in the West Bank is overshadowing peace efforts.

Israeli and Palestinian leaders are downplaying a dispute over Jewish settlement construction and have decided¹ to begin negotiations² on the so-called "final status" issues. These include Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees and final borders of a Palestinian state.

"We attach great importance to our discussions with the Palestinians and hopefully in the coming year we'll have real progress," said Israeli spokesman Mark Regev.

The Palestinians were furious over Israeli plans to build more than 300 new homes in the Jewish neighborhood of Har Homa in disputed East Jerusalem, land the Palestinians claim for a future state. But facing a self-imposed deadline of reaching a final peace agreement in just a year, the Palestinians decided it is in their interest to press on with the talks.

"The Palestinian people want to see a hope, want to see that at the end of the tunnel there is some light," said Palestinian negotiator Yasser Abed Rabbo.

But progress on the diplomatic front is being threatened by two new incidents of deadly violence in the West Bank. Palestinian militants³ shot and killed two young Jewish settlers who were hiking in the hills near the biblical town of Hebron. The radical⁴ Islamic Jihad group, which opposes peace talks, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Earlier, Israeli troops raided the West Bank town of Ramallah, and killed a bodyguard⁵ of chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia. The army said the guard was involved in weapons transfers to Palestinian terrorists.

Israeli opposition⁶ leaders said both incidents show that internationally-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has no control over the West Bank. Therefore, they said, peace talks with him are a waste of time.

 

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 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。

3 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。

4 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

5 bodyguard   

n.护卫，保镖

参考例句：

• She has to have an armed bodyguard wherever she goes.她不管到哪儿都得有带武器的保镖跟从。
• The big guy standing at his side may be his bodyguard.站在他身旁的那个大个子可能是他的保镖。

6 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。