VOA常速英语2008年-Aide to Israeli Cabinet Minister Shot in Palest

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
04 April 2008

An aide to an Israeli cabinet minister has been shot and wounded by a Palestinian gunman. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, a foreign delegation¹ was shot at while touring an observation point overlooking the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Public Security Minister Avi Dichter took a delegation of Canadian Jewish leaders to an army observation post to get a firsthand look at the tense situation on the Gaza border. And a firsthand look is what they got. Palestinian gunmen in the Gaza Strip opened fire on the group, causing confusion and panic.

Moshe Ronen, a Jew from Canada, was in the group.

"We're obviously a little bit shaken, but we'll survive," said Ronen.

Ronen told Israel Radio that Dichter was explaining the tense border situation when shots rang out.

"He also pointed² out that particular observatory³ point had not ever been fired upon, and maybe 30 seconds after that, live fire started and within a few seconds I was lying on the ground with him," he said. "On top of us were the Secret Service protecting the minister."

One of the Cabinet minister's senior aides was shot and moderately wounded. No one else was hurt.

Ronen said the shooting lasted for about 15 minutes, until troops from the Israeli Defense⁴ Forces brought the situation under control.

"The IDF returned fire and that's when the shooting stopped," he said. "And we were evacuated⁵ after about an hour."

Several Palestinian militant⁶ groups claimed responsibility for the attack including Hamas, which rules Gaza, and two other groups inspired by al-Qaida, the Army of the Nation and Protectors of the Homeland.

Tension has escalated⁷ on the Gaza border since Hamas seized control of the Strip last June, when it defeated the rival Fatah forces of western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Mr. Abbas now heads a moderate government in the West Bank and is involved in peace talks with Israel. Hamas refuses to renounce⁸ violence or recognize Israel and, with other militant groups, has been launching rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip.

1 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

2 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

3 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

5 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

6 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。

7 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

8 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。