VOA标准英语2009-Obama: 'Moment is Now' to Press for Mideast

One day after delivering a speech to the Muslim world, U.S. President Barack Obama pushed for progress in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, and in negotiations¹ on Iran's nuclear ambitions. The president spoke² after talks with German Chancellor³ Angela Merkel in Dresden.

President Obama is calling on all parties to redouble efforts to get the Mideast peace process going again.

"The moment is now for us to all act on what we know to be the truth, which is that each side is going to have to make some difficult compromises," he said.
　
U.S. President Barack Obama (2ndR) signs the golden book under the eyes of German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2ndL) at Dresden Castle, 05 June 2009

At a news conference with Chancellor Merkel in the courtyard of Dresden Castle, the president was asked to explain the reason why he believes the time is right for progress in a peace process that has been stalemated for years.

He pointed⁴ to the actions taken by his administration since taking office in January. Mr. Obama said the commitment shown early on has made a difference.

"We have only been in office five months and yet we have seen extraordinary activity already on this issue," he said. "And that sent a signal to all the parties in the Middle East that we are serious."

Mr. Obama pointed to his talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. And he noted⁵ his special Mideast envoy⁶, George Mitchell, will be returning to the region next week.

"I think given what we have done so far, we have at least created the space, the atmosphere in which talks can restart," said Mr. Obama.

The president said he reviewed the prospects⁷ for peace with Chancellor Merkel. He said it was part of a productive discussion that also included economic matters, and efforts to restart talks between Iran and negotiators for the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany.

The talks were part of a visit that was steeped in symbolism. President Obama and Chancellor Merkel met in Dresden - a city destroyed by allied⁸ bombers⁹ during World War II. After their talks, they were to travel by helicopter to the Buchenwald concentration camp where tens of thousands of people - most of them Jews - died during the Nazi¹⁰ Holocaust¹¹.

President Obama said his pilgrimage to Buchenwald is personal, noting his great-uncle was part of an American military unit that liberated¹² the camp.

"…and it was a memory that burned in him for quite some time," he said.

Speaking through a translator, Chancellor Merkel said she was moved by the president's decision to go to Buchenwald.

"Buchenwald is one example of these horrible concentration camps liberated by American troops," said Mrs. Merkel.

Nobel prize-winning writer Elie Wiesel - a holocaust survivor¹³ - was expected to accompany the president to the site. Weisel was once a prisoner at Buchenwald.

1 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。

2 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。

3 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

4 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。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

7 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。

8 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

9 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

11 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

12 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

13 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。