VOA标准英语2009年-UN's Ban Calls Gaza Suffering 'Heartbreaking'

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has become the first international leader to visit the Gaza Strip following Israel's 22-day offensive. Israeli troops continue to pull out of the battered¹ enclave, where Palestinian medical officials say 1,300 people died in the assault.
　
Ban Ki-moon (file photo)

The U.N. chief got a first-hand look at the devastation² left by three weeks of Israeli air and ground attacks on Hamas targets.

He called for Israel and Hamas to stick to the fragile cease-fire they began Sunday and urged them to exercise restraint. Mr. Ban did not meet with Hamas officials.

The cease-fire is holding, but there were more signs the dispute between Israel and Hamas is far from settled.

In calling its cease-fire, Israel demanded Hamas not fire rockets into its territory and refrain from re-arming. Hamas said Israel must pull out all of its troops and open Gaza's borders or face new attacks.

Israeli troops and tanks continue to withdraw, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni suggested Israel is not prepared to lift its blockade of the Strip.

Livni said Israel opposes any dialogue with Hamas and does not consider the group a legitimate³ organization, but rather a terrorist group. She said the only thing that Israel needs to negotiate with Hamas is the release of Gil'ad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who has been held prisoner in Gaza since before the assault.

Hamas' military infrastructure⁴ was severely⁵ damaged in the Israeli offensive. But the group appeared to retain some support among Gaza residents. Hundreds of people gathered in Gaza City claiming victory for Hamas, and urging international recognition of the Islamic militant⁶ group.

Others continued sifting⁷ through the rubble⁸ of their homes and businesses. Early estimates from officials inside Gaza say damage estimates reach nearly $2 billion, with thousands of homes destroyed.

After seeing the devastation firsthand, Mr. Ban called the scenes heartbreaking. He called the destruction "shocking and alarming."

Mr. Ban spoke⁹ against the backdrop of a U.N. building that was still smoldering¹⁰ from an Israeli hit last week.

1 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

2 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

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 sifting   

n.筛，过滤v.筛( sift的现在分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审

参考例句：

• He lay on the beach, sifting the sand through his fingers. 他躺在沙滩上用手筛砂子玩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was sifting the cinders when she came in. 她进来时，我正在筛煤渣。 来自辞典例句

8 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

9 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 smoldering   

v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The mat was smoldering where the burning log had fallen. 燃烧的木棒落下的地方垫子慢慢燃烧起来。 来自辞典例句
• The wood was smoldering in the fireplace. 木柴在壁炉中闷烧。 来自辞典例句