voa标准英语2008-British Leader Hopeful Obama Can Energize Israel

Speaking with his Palestinian counterpart at the start of a Palestinian investment conference in London, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he felt President-elect Barack Obama can bring a new energy to the Israel-Palestinian peace process.
　

British PM Brown and his Palestinian counterpart Fayyad (L) in 10 Downing Street, London, 15 Dec 2008

In Barack Obama, Gordon Brown sees a new opportunity for the international community to join together and get the stalled Middle East peace process rolling again.

While mindful of the attention being paid to the global financial crisis, Mr. Brown said the Israel-Palestinian problem must also be addressed.

"I think it is important to recognize that the Arab peace initiative, the 22 Arab states calling on President-elect Obama to prioritize achieving a comprehensive plan, is a very important development indeed. It is the 22 Arab countries coming behind progress that can happen quickly in their view, asking the new presidency¹ in America to take this on as an urgent priority and we are very much of the same view and we will do our best to promote that initiative," he said.

Standing² next to Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad, Mr. Brown said the settlement issue must be resolved if there is to be a lasting³ peace.

"I think everybody now sees the contours of what a two-state solution would look like. A Palestinian state that was secure and viable⁴ economically, an Israeli state that is secure within its own borders and where its worries about peace and stability were answered. One of the blockages⁵ of that is clearly the settlement issue. We have consistently said, and I have said this to successive Israeli prime ministers and presidents when I have met them, we have consistently seen that as a barrier to reaching the agreement that everybody thinks is possible," said Brown.

For the next two days, the Palestinian prime minister will be hosting a Trade and Investment Forum⁶ in London.

On Tuesday, Mr. Brown will welcome outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to 10 Downing Street for talks.

1 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

4 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

5 blockages   

n.堵塞物( blockage的名词复数 )；堵塞，阻塞

参考例句：

• The storms could increase the risks posed by river blockages. 暴风雨会增加因河道堵塞所造成的危险。 来自互联网
• An angiogram shows the location and severity of blockages in blood vessels. 冠状动脉造影能够显示血管内的阻塞位置以及阻塞的严重程度。 来自互联网

6 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。