VOA标准英语2008年-Palestinian President Visits Lebanon

Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is meeting with top Lebanese officials, on a two-day visit, expected to include discussions over the future of the large Palestinian refugee community in Lebanon, and the armed presence of different Palestinian factions² on Lebanese soil. Edward Yeranian has more for VOA from Beirut.
　

Lebanese President Michel Sulayman, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas review an honor guard, at the Presidential Palace in suburban3 Baabda, Lebanon, 28 Aug 2008

The red carpet was out, and an official honor guard stood at attention, as President Michel Sulayman embraced Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at Beirut Airport.

Mr. Abbas met at length with President Sulayman at the Presidential Palace, insisting, afterwards, that he would like to express support for Lebanon's new-found political stability, following the Doha Agreement to form a national unity¹ government in May.

The Palestinian president took great pains to thank Lebanon for what he called the "many sacrifices" it has made for the Palestinian cause, over the years, as well as his sympathy for all the "suffering" that Lebanon has endured.

Responding to a reporter's question about the armed presence of various Palestinian factions in Lebanon, Abbas insisted all Palestinians must respect Lebanon's sovereignty.

He says that his position on Palestinian arms inside Lebanon is that we agree with the Lebanese government completely. Palestinians are present in Lebanon under the law, and not above the law.

Lebanese political leaders have complained over the years that armed Palestinian factions, present in 12 refugee camps scattered⁴ across the country, have ignored the law and created pockets of instability.

The Lebanese Army lost more than 100 soldiers last summer, during a bitter and bloody⁵ fight with Fatah-al-Islam Palestinian extremists, holed up in the Nahr al Bared refugee camp, outside the port city of Tripoli. The camp was almost totally destroyed during the fighting, and its residents were forced to find refuge, elsewhere.

Former residents of Nahr al Bared continue to live in often squalid temporary quarters, despite official pledges to rebuild the camp.

President Abbas also indicated that his government's official position was that all Palestinian refugees must eventually return to Palestine, and not be settled in Lebanon permanently⁶.

"Palestinian refugees," he said " must have the right to return to their homeland, and we are discussing the issue with Israel and I want to insist on the fact that we are opposed to the implantation of Palestinians in Lebanon."

Souheil Natour, a top leader of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which belongs to President Abbas' Fatah group, says that Mr. Abbas must stand up for the rights of Palestinian refugees, inside Lebanon, since they are often treated badly.

"One of the aims of the Palestinians is to guarantee the human rights for the Palestinian community in Lebanon, which are negated⁷ by all the Lebanese laws," Abbas said. "Until now, we are discriminated⁸ against, and I think the suffering of the Palestinians must be ended. On the other hand, there are a lot of political issues who are not solved between the Palestinians and the Lebanese. One of them is the arms, and I think the Lebanese have their file and the Palestinians have their file. So, positively⁹ I hope they will discuss the matters with much more mature experience of the last decades."

The United Nations estimates 400,000 Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon. Most fled to Lebanon in 1947 during what Israel calls its "war of independence," and what Palestinians refer to as their "nukhba" national disaster.

1 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。

2 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

3 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

4 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

5 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

6 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

7 negated   

v.取消( negate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；否定；否认

参考例句：

• Our historical right to rule ourselves as a people had been negated. 我们被剥夺了作为一个民族治理自己国家的历史权利。 来自辞典例句
• Thus far we have negated frictional effects in the harmonic oscillator. 到现在为止，我们一直没有考虑谐和振荡器中的摩擦效应。 来自辞典例句

8 discriminated   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的过去式和过去分词 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• His great size discriminated him from his followers. 他的宽广身材使他不同于他的部下。
• Should be a person that has second liver virus discriminated against? 一个患有乙肝病毒的人是不是就应该被人歧视？

9 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。