VOA标准英语2008年-Aid Agencies Say Peace Efforts by Middle East Q

A coalition¹ of 21 international aid agencies says in a new report the Middle East Quartet is failing in its efforts to improve the prospects² for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The report was released on the eve of the Quartet's next meeting in New York and VOA correspondent Meredith Buel has details.

The major aid agencies, including CARE, Oxfam International, Save the Children and World Vision are warning that the Quartet's efforts to improve the situation surrounding key aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are failing, which is harming hopes for a peace agreement by the end of this year.

That goal was set nearly a year ago at a Middle East peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland and the aid groups say many conditions necessary to bring about successful negotiations³ between Israel and the Palestinians have deteriorated⁴ since that time.

Juliette Seibold, a Jerusalem-based representative of CARE International and a spokeswoman for the aid groups, says one example is the continued growth of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

"We know that the Quartet has spoken out about settlement construction 18 times and yet settlement expansion continues," she said. "It is taking a drastic toll⁵ on Palestinian daily life. It takes away Palestinian land and uses precious water resources."

Seibold says the Quartet set other goals, such as improving the mobility⁶ of Palestinians in the West Bank.

She says, however, restrictions⁷ such as checkpoints have increased since the Annapolis conference.

The aid agencies say a near total blockade of the Gaza Strip has left 80 percent of the Palestinian population there wholly or partially⁸ dependent on foreign aid.

Seibold says the Quartet, which consists of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, needs to pressure all parties to comply with their obligations under the peace process and international humanitarian⁹ law.

"The Quartet knows how to apply the levers that ensure accountability," she said. "They do it in other areas of the world and they need to have a radical¹⁰ rethink on how to ensure accountability in relation to the West Bank, Gaza and Israel."

The report by the humanitarian and development agencies focuses mainly on the Quartet and not Israel's role in the peace process.

Juliette Seibold of CARE International points out that with the recent resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert the political situation in the Jewish state remains¹¹ in flux¹².

"We need to be patient with Israel," said Seibold. "We need to reassure¹³ Israelis that we are concerned for their security, but at the same time actions need to be taken to improve the lives of ordinary citizens in the West Bank and Gaza."

Seibold says hopes for a peace agreement by the end of this year are rapidly diminishing.

"Well I think if we do not create the conditions that are right on the ground for peace it is going to fail," she said. "And I think everyone would agree that stability and security and economic prosperity are a prerequisite¹⁴ to holding good, productive, peaceful negotiations."

While Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have met numerous times since last year's Annapolis conference, little progress has been made.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

3 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。

4 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

5 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

6 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

9 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

10 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 flux   

n.流动；不断的改变

参考例句：

• The market is in a constant state of flux.市场行情在不断变化。
• In most reactors,there is a significant flux of fast neutrons.在大部分反应堆中都有一定强度的快中子流。

13 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

14 prerequisite   

n.先决条件；adj.作为前提的，必备的

参考例句：

• Stability and unity are a prerequisite to the four modernizations.安定团结是实现四个现代化的前提。
• It is a prerequisite of entry to the profession that you pass the exams.做这一行的先决条件是要通过了有关的考试。