2007年VOA标准英语-Israelis, Palestinians Downplay Expectations fr

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
20 June 2007

Expectations are low in the Middle East following a White House Summit between President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, last week's Palestinian civil war in the Gaza Strip has dashed hopes of reviving the peace process.

militants2 pose as they stand at the desk of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza City, 15 Jun 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070629/0831550.jpg" width="184" vspace="2" border="0" />

Hamas militants pose as they stand at the desk of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza City, 15 Jun 2007

Briefing reporters after his meeting with President Bush, Prime Minister Olmert said he wants to work with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on providing the Palestinians a chance for a state of their own, alongside Israel. But Israelis and Palestinians are skeptical³ about the prospects⁴. Here is what one Israeli in Jerusalem had to say. 

"Unfortunately, I think it's hopeless. I don't think that something can make better the situation here," he said.

Mr. Bush and Mr. Olmert agreed to throw their support to Mr. Abbas of the Fatah party who heads a moderate government in the West Bank. But after Fatah forces were routed from Gaza by the rival Islamic militant¹ group Hamas, many Israelis believe the radicals⁵ have been strengthened.

"I'm not sure how much can come out of it only because there are fundamentalist forces in the Gaza that are very hard to deal with," said another Israeli resident.

Many Palestinians believe Mr. Olmert's peace moves are too little too late. Information Minister Mustafa Barghouti says Israel did everything it could to torpedo⁶ a national unity⁷ government formed by Fatah and Hamas in March.

"Unfortunately what we have seen during the last three months is that Israel determines the policy, not only of the United States, but of the international community," he said.  "Otherwise, the embargo⁸ on the Palestinian national unity government would not have continued. Otherwise, they would have given a chance for an inclusive, real peace process that starts with [a] cease-fire and ends with ending occupation, but I don't see that happening."

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, center, Israeli PM Ehud Olmert, right, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, shake hands at a meeting at a hotel in Jerusalem, 19 Feb. 2007 file photo

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum accused the U.S. and Israel of conspiring⁹ against the legitimate¹⁰ Palestinian government in Gaza.

"Bush and Olmert, all the time they want to make full support to President Abbas and Palestinian Authority in order to destroy Hamas, in order to destroy our resistance in Gaza," he said.

Although Prime Minister Olmert said in Washington that he wants to improve the quality of life for Palestinians, he did not make a commitment to revive talks that aim to establish an independent Palestinian state. Those talks collapsed¹¹ seven years ago. Mr. Abbas and Mr. Olmert are expected to meet soon, although a date has not been confirmed.

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 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。

3 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

4 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

5 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

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。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

6 torpedo   

n.水雷，地雷；v.用鱼雷破坏

参考例句：

• His ship was blown up by a torpedo.他的船被一枚鱼雷炸毁了。
• Torpedo boats played an important role during World War Two.鱼雷艇在第二次世界大战中发挥了重要作用。

7 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。

8 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

9 conspiring   

密谋( conspire的现在分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They were accused of conspiring against the king. 他们被指控阴谋反对国王。
• John Brown and his associates were tried for conspiring to overthrow the slave states. 约翰·布朗和他的合伙者们由于密谋推翻实行奴隶制度的美国各州而被审讯。

10 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

11 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。