VOA标准英语2010年-2010 Brings New Push in Mideast Diplom

Photo: AP
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, right, meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, 29 Dec, 2009.

 Middle East diplomacy¹ is moving into high gear this month in a fresh effort to revive stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Cairo this week and proposed that Egypt host a three-way summit with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to help get the peace process back on track.

Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon says his government has sought to resume negotiations² since it took power nine months ago.

"We have called from day one, when this government was installed, we're calling on the Palestinians to sit with us, continue the negotiations and the dialogue without preconditions," he said.

The Palestinians have set a tough precondition: They will not return to peace talks until Israel imposes a complete freeze on construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. And they have rejected Israel's offer of a partial freeze.

"Resuming peace negotiations alongside and in parallel to the continuity of the Israeli settlement expansion, practices and policies, would doom³ the peace negotiations to failure," said Palestinian Cabinet Minister Ghassan Khattib.

Still, efforts to break the impasse⁴ are gaining momentum⁵. President Abbas will visit Egypt next week to discuss a formula for resuming negotiations. And the United States, which is sponsoring the peace process, will send Middle East envoy⁶ George Mitchell back to the region later this month.

1 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。

2 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。

3 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

4 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

5 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

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。