VOA常速英语2008年-Violence Escalates Along Gaza Border

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
28 February 2008

At least 11 Palestinians were killed and one Israeli was wounded on Thursday as Israeli airstrikes targeted Palestinian militants¹ in Gaza, and those militants who fired rockets at southern Israel. Among the dead were four Palestinian children who were reportedly struck by a missile while playing football. VOA's Jim Teeple has details from Jerusalem.

Israeli air strikes hit multiple targets in the Gaza Strip, but Palestinian militants continued firing rockets at southern Israel, targeting the town of Sderot.

The stepped up Israeli attacks followed the death of an Israeli man late Wednesday. Israeli government spokesman David Baker² says Israel will not tolerate the continued rocket attacks.

"The current situation where Israeli towns and cities are hit with daily barrages³ is untenable for Israel and one we will not accept," he said.

Speaking in Tokyo where he is on a state visit, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the rocket attacks could affect contacts with moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's government.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who met with Mr. Olmert in Tokyo, said the rocket attacks need to stop. She blamed Hamas militants for starting the problem by seizing power in Gaza last year, when they ousted⁴ Mr. Abbas's Fatah forces from the territory.

Rice is due to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories next week in an effort to get Israelis and Palestinians to make some progress in peace talks.

Speaking in Jerusalem on Thursday, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki criticized the rocket attacks by Palestinian militants, but he also called on Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza.

"These stupid missiles being launched, you know they are firecrackers, but in the end they have killed Israeli civilians⁵," said al-Malki. "We condemn⁶ this clearly, openly and straightforwardly⁷. But at the same time we also condemn all these Israeli incursions into Gaza, killing⁸ Palestinians civilians, destroying their houses and preventing them from having a normal life. This situation should end, but first of all the siege, the blockade should be lifted."

Al-Malki also expressed growing pessimism⁹ about the peace talks with Israel. He says there has been no progress since last November's Annapolis Mideast peace conference, and Palestinians are coming to believe the talks will fail. 

1 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。

2 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

3 barrages   

n.弹幕射击( barrage的名词复数 )；火力网；猛烈炮火；河上的堰坝v.火力攻击（或阻击）( barrage的第三人称单数 )；以密集火力攻击（或阻击）

参考例句：

• In many Basidiomycetes barrages develop. 在许多担子菌中也发生一些栅栏。 来自辞典例句
• It's fun to be able to run around and do instant Barrages. 一边瞬发奥术弹幕一边四处跑确实很有趣。 来自互联网

4 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

5 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

6 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

7 straightforwardly   

adv.正直地

参考例句：

• He hated her straightforwardly, making no effort to conceal it. 他十分坦率地恨她，从不设法加以掩饰。 来自辞典例句
• Mardi, which followed hard on its heels, was another matter. Mardi begins straightforwardly. 紧跟着出版的《玛地》，却是另一回事。《玛地》开始时平铺直叙。 来自辞典例句

8 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

9 pessimism   

n.悲观者，悲观主义者，厌世者

参考例句：

• He displayed his usual pessimism.他流露出惯有的悲观。
• There is the note of pessimism in his writings.他的著作带有悲观色彩。