VOA标准英语2008年-France's Sarkozy to Meet With Syrian President

French President Nicolas Sarkozy will fly to Damascus for meetings Wednesday with Syrian President Bashar Assad in an effort to restore diplomatic ties that were cut three years ago. The meeting also signals France's push for a greater role in the Middle East. For VOA, Aya Batrawy has more from our Middle East bureau in Cairo.
　
President Nicolas Sarkozy (file)

Just three years after France broke ties with Syria, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is making his first official visit to Damascus to meet with his counterpart Bashar al-Assad.

The meeting between the two leaders comes just one week after the Syrian president appointed a new ambassador to France, filling a post that had been vacant for 18 months.

Mr. Sarkozy's visit to Damascus also comes on the heels of the Mediterranean¹ Union meeting, which was attended by the Syrian president in Paris recently. It is new a project aimed at strengthening cooperation between Europe and the Middle East.

But relations between France and Syria have been strained ever since the 2005 assassination² of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. Syria has denied any involvement in the incident. France's president at the time, Jacques Chirac, was not only a supporter of a U.N. resolution to pressure Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, he was also a close friend of the late Lebanese premier³.

Mr. Sarkozy, though, has taken steps to move closer to Syria and is now playing a pivotal role in mediating⁴ peace between Syria and Lebanon.

According to Middle East expert Mohamed Sayed El Said, Mr. Sarkozy is using France's historical ties with Syria and its neighbor Lebanon to mediate⁵ between the two countries and build French influence in the region

"Sarkozy is trying to take maximum advantages of the gaps and inconsistencies and failures of the American diplomacy⁶ in the region," he said. "While it's very hard for France to re-establish influence in the Arab-Israeli peace negotiations⁷, it's relatively⁸ possible, much easier to restore influence through readapting the shaping of the Syrian-Lebanese relations and that is really a very instrumental approach for restoring French influence in the region."

For its part Syria is welcoming French diplomatic reconciliation⁹ as a means of empowering its own position in the international community. There is also hope on the Syrian front that building ties with Paris may also lead to Washington's involvement in brokering¹⁰ a peace deal between Syria and Israel.

Analysts¹¹ in the region believe that America's tougher stance towards Syria has helped push Damascus closer to reliance on Iran, Russia and even France. The United States has labeled Syria a state sponsor of terrorism for its support of the Shiite political bloc¹² Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as its safeguarding of Palestinian Hamas leaders in Damascus, where they are headquartered.

 

1 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

2 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

3 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

4 mediating   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的现在分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• So many factors are mediating. 如此众多的因素在起作用。
• The contrast in mediating noted in the sitting room. 客厅中注重了调和中的对比。

5 mediate   

vi.调解，斡旋；vt.经调解解决；经斡旋促成

参考例句：

• The state must mediate the struggle for water resources.政府必须通过调解来解决对水资源的争夺。
• They may be able to mediate between parties with different interests.他们也许能在不同利益政党之间进行斡旋。

6 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

7 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

8 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

9 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

10 brokering   

v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的现在分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• Intertwined with these were rivalry, power brokering, and patronage. 然而也不乏有抗争、强权操纵与任命特权交织其中。 来自互联网
• Kingston Quest Can Assist Your Company In Negotiations, Brokering, Agency Services, Sourcing Factories Or Property. 金士顿追求，可帮助您的公司在谈判中，经纪，代理服务，货源工厂或财产。 来自互联网

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。