VOA标准英语2008年-Bush Gets Mixed Welcome in West Bank

By Jim Teeple
Ramallah
10 January 2008

President Bush traveled to the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem, telling Palestinians that he believes they can sign a peace deal with Israel before he leaves office early next year.  VOA's Jim Teeple reports there was unprecedented¹ heavy security in the West Bank for Mr. Bush's visit, and he received a mixed welcome from Palestinians. 

Palestinian police were taking no chances in Ramallah.  Hundreds deployed² all over the city to break up any protests that might develop during Mr. Bush's visit, only the second visit by a U.S. President to the Palestinian territories. 

A morning curfew kept Ramallah residents off the streets while Mr. Bush met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, but by midday many began venturing out.  A heavy police presence stopped protests from developing, a fact that bothered Khaldoun Barghouti, the foreign editor of the Palestinian newspaper Al Hayat al Jedidi.

"The Palestinian people are enlightened now, and they know it is their right to express their opinion by welcoming Bush or by saying he is not welcome here," he said.  "It is their freedom.  In Jerusalem, the Israelis demonstrated against Bush and their leaders, and nobody prevented them."

Opinions were varied³ in Ramallah about Mr. Bush's visit.  Many people said they did not want to comment, but two men who did, while declining to give their names, had widely divergent opinions.  

 "I think Bush is a good President," one man said.  "Yes, he is a man of peace and he is welcome to the Middle East.  Slowly, step by step, he will bring peace.   I think he is a good president... He is a good president and he is welcome any time."

 "I do not agree, I mean George Bush is the President of war," said another man. "He destroyed Iraq.  He gave Israel arms to burn Lebanon, and for eight years he gave Israel the right to kill and confiscate⁴ land and build settlements here."

In his remarks with President Abbas, Mr. Bush noted⁵ that because of bad weather he traveled to Ramallah in a motorcade that passed through several checkpoints on its way from Jerusalem to Ramallah, checkpoints that the Palestinians have asked Mr. Bush to pressure Israel to remove.

As the weather cleared, Mr. Bush departed Ramallah by helicopter.  Thousands of Palestinians stopped to watch as his convoy⁶ of green and white presidential helicopters flew over the city on their way to nearby Bethlehem, where Mr. Bush paid a private visit to the Church of the Nativity, the site Christians⁷ venerate⁸ as the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

1 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

2 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

3 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

4 confiscate   

v.没收(私人财产)，把…充公

参考例句：

• The police have the right to confiscate any forbidden objects they find.如发现违禁货物，警方有权查扣。
• Did the teacher confiscate your toy?老师没收你的玩具了吗？

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

7 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

8 venerate   

v.尊敬，崇敬，崇拜

参考例句：

• They came to venerate him as a symbolic figure.他们把他当作偶像来崇拜。
• We were taught to venerate the glorious example of our heroes and martyrs.我们受到教导要崇敬英雄、烈士的光辉榜样。