VOA标准英语2009年-US Envoy Back in Israel to Push Peace Effo

U.S. Special Envoy¹ for the Middle East George Mitchell has begun meetings with officials in Israel to revive stalled peace efforts. Among the obstacles that Mitchell is facing is Israel's continuing expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
　
U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell (r) with Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in Jerusalem, 13 Sep 2009

U.S. envoy George Mitchell hopes to strike a deal for a meeting next week among Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and U.S. President Barack Obama. The meeting would take place on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

The U.S. official faced large hurdles² this week, with all sides far apart on the key issue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

The Palestinians say there must be some progress on the settlement issue before any meeting takes place.

Speaking on Palestinian radio, Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said there will be no compromises from their side on their demand for Israel to freeze settlement activity.

He said there is no middle solution on the settlement issue. He said Israel must stop all settlement activity, including construction to accommodate natural growth. He said Israel would then have to implement³ those agreements. Mr. Erekat said that would be the way to enter negotiations⁴.

Washington also wants a settlement freeze.

Speaking after a weekly Cabinet meeting, Mr. Netanyahu said large gaps remained in talks with Mr. Mitchell.

Mr. Netanyahu said there are issues where there has been progress, and areas where there has been no progress. The Israeli leader said he hopes that the gaps will be narrowed in order to jumpstart the peace process, and he said Israel is not the one putting obstacles in the way. He said from that from his perspective, talks with the Palestinians could begin tomorrow.

The United States last week sharply criticized Israel's decision to issue 455 construction permits inside Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Israel has not annexed⁵ the West Bank since capturing the territory following its victory in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Palestinians argue that settling occupied territory is illegal under international law.

Mr. Netanyahu on Sunday headed to Cairo to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

The two were expected to discuss settlement construction and Egypt's brokering⁶ of a possible Palestinian prisoner exchange that could bring the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured by militants⁷ from Gaza in 2006.

Mitchell's schedule included meetings with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and President Shimon Peres on Sunday. Mr. Peres has just been released from a hospital in Tel Aviv after collapsing⁸ at an event Saturday.

The U.S. envoy is due to meet Monday with Prime Minister Netanyahu. He is scheduled to be in the West Bank on Tuesday for a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

1 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。

2 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

3 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

4 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。

5 annexed   

[法] 附加的，附属的

参考例句：

• Germany annexed Austria in 1938. 1938年德国吞并了奥地利。
• The outlying villages were formally annexed by the town last year. 那些偏远的村庄于去年正式被并入该镇。

6 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

7 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

8 collapsing   

压扁[平]，毁坏，断裂

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The rocks were folded by collapsing into the center of the trough. 岩石由于坍陷进入凹槽的中心而发生褶皱。