2007年VOA标准英语-Muslim Leaders Meet To Discuss Middle East Peac

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
25 February 2007

Foreign Ministers from seven Muslim nations met in Islamabad to discuss the deteriorating¹ security situation in the Middle East. The conflict over Palestine as well as violence in Iraq and the growing tensions between Iran and the United States dominated the talks. VOA Correspondent Benjamin Sand reports from Islamabad.

Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan attend a meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, 25 Feb 2007

The one-day meeting brought together foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudia Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Turkey.

Ekmeleddin Ihssanoglu, the secretary general of the 57 member-Organization of the Islamic Conference also attended the conference.

During his opening remarks, Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz underlined the need to resolve the Palestinian conflict to help stabilize² the Middle East.

"Durable³ peace in the Middle East demands an honorable solution of the Palestinian issue based on justice, equity⁴, and realism, which must be in accordance with the wishes and aspirations⁵ of the Palestinian people," he said.

Pakistan does not officially recognize Israel, but held public talks with the Jewish State in 2005. Observers say those talks may help President Musharraf in his latest efforts to help resolve tensions in the Middle East.

Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf initially⁶ proposed a so-called peace summit during a series of trips in recent weeks to key Islamic nations, including Iran.

Iranian officials did not attend Sunday's conference and the meeting ended without any specific plans or date for the proposed summit, which will reportedly be held in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri said both the United States and Iran need to help ease tensions over Tehran's controversial nuclear program.

"It is vital that all issues be resolved through diplomacy⁷ and there must be no resort to use of force," he said. "There is a need for de-escalation and confrontation⁸ in the Gulf⁹ region. All countries must work towards that objective."

In a written statement released after the meeting, the joint¹⁰ delegation¹¹ also expressed concern over the ongoing¹² violence in Iraq and urged the Iraqi government to "make all efforts to achieve national reconciliation¹³."

Pakistan is a key U.S. ally in the war against terrorism. Pakistani officials have repeatedly argued that conflicts in the Middle East are fueling radicalism¹⁴ throughout the Muslim world.

1 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

2 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

3 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。

4 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

5 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。

6 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

7 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。

8 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

9 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

10 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

11 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

12 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

13 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

14 radicalism   

n. 急进主义, 根本的改革主义

参考例句：

• His radicalism and refusal to compromise isolated him. 他的激进主义与拒绝妥协使他受到孤立。
• Education produced intellectual ferment and the temptations of radicalism. 教育带来知识界的骚动，促使激进主义具有了吸引力。