2007年VOA标准英语-Hamas Rejects American Proposal for Easing Isra

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
05 May 2007

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal blasted a U.S. proposal calling on Israel and the Palestinians to take concrete steps toward easing tension and building confidence. Under a four-month timetable, Israel would ease roadblocks and travel restrictions¹ in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Palestinians would halt rocket attacks on Israel and curb² weapons smuggling³ from Egypt into Gaza.

Khaled Mashaal (file photo)

Speaking at a rally in Damascus, Meshaal called the American plan a farce⁴.

He called on all Palestinians groups to prepare for battle against Israel, saying Hamas would never give up armed resistance in exchange for Israel easing roadblocks.

Hamas is the senior partner in a Palestinian unity⁵ government with the more moderate Fatah party, which has expressed support for the American plan.  But Hamas has refused to recognize Israel or renounce⁶ violence, and Israeli spokesman Mark Regev says Meshaal's comments are therefore no surprise.

"Unfortunately, Hamas with its extremist, hateful positions, with its Jihadist, radical⁷ theology is just not ready for peace," he said.

Israel plans to discuss the U.S. proposal at its weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday. Israeli officials say the plan is problematic, because easing travel restrictions could enable Palestinian suicide bombers⁸ to enter the country.

Underscoring the difficulties, Palestinian militants⁹ fired several rockets at Israel after Israeli undercover troops killed three Islamic Jihad gunmen in a West Bank raid.

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

3 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

4 farce   

n.闹剧，笑剧，滑稽戏；胡闹

参考例句：

• They played a shameful role in this farce.他们在这场闹剧中扮演了可耻的角色。
• The audience roared at the farce.闹剧使观众哄堂大笑。

5 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

6 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。

7 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。

8 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 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。