VOA标准英语2010年-Goods Flow into Gaza Despite Israeli B

Many of the items in one of Gaza's market come from Egypt through smuggling¹ tunnels sanctioned by Hamas

This month marks three years since the militant² Islamic group Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip. The event led Israel to impose a blockade on Gaza. Israel's goal was to prevent weapons and other materials that could be used for weapons from entering the Gaza Strip. But it was also to pressure and topple Hamas, which is backed by Iran and whose charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state.  The recent attack by Israeli commandos on a flotilla carrying aid and activists³ to Gaza has drawn⁴ attention to the blockade. Within Israel, questions are being asked about whether it has been effective. 

In one of Gaza's markets, there are few signs that a blockade even exists.

There are vegetables, meat, eggs. The basics are all here, as are imported snacks from the United States and Europe. Cigarettes are here too even though they are among the goods that are banned under the Israeli and Egyptian blockade.

 

A Palestinian tunnel-digger works inside a smuggling tunnel, southern Gaza Strip, 29 Apr 2010

Many of the items come from Egypt through smuggling tunnels sanctioned by Hamas. The group's violent takeover of Gaza in 2007 prompted Israel to impose the blockade.  The kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and continued rocket attacks from Gaza have kept Israel from lifting it.

Aside from keeping weapons out of the Gaza Strip, one of Israel's goals in mounting the blockade was to pressure Gazans to topple Hamas. Although Israel says the blockade is essential for its national security, scenes like this have some in Israel questioning whether the closure has worked. 

Ashraf al-Koumi's family has owned this market stall for years.  He says he has plenty of produce to sell, but few can afford to buy.  

"There is food. But there is no work," he said.  "We have a high percentage of unemployment.  A high number of workers are sitting in their houses, not working.  There is no money for a person to buy the daily food for his children."

The loss of jobs and business opportunities has perhaps been more damaging than the restriction⁵ on imports, especially for those who - under the blockade - cannot cross into Israel.

Majda Zarouk used to depend on the salary that her husband, an electrician, brought from his job in Israel.  That was before the blockade.  Now she - and thousands of Gazans - depend on the United Nations - and Hamas - for subsistence.

"UNRWA is helping⁶ us," she said.  "I remember the first days of the closure when we had no flour, the U.N. gave us flour and food.  Thank God, the UN is helping us so much and also Hamas is helping by keeping the tunnels open."

Hamas keeps tight control in the once lawless enclave.  Many Gazans say they feel safer from street crime.

 Although Israel bans cement from entering, to keep Hamas from building bunkers, streets are being repaired, and some public works projects are proceeding⁷.

This plant turns debris⁸ from buildings - many destroyed by Israeli air strikes - into sand and gravel⁹ that is then turned into cinder¹⁰ blocks for building.

Gazans appear to be coping.  Shalit is still captive, rockets are still falling on Israel, and Hamas remains¹¹ firmly in power.

Ashraf al-Koumi says for him, Hamas has delivered. "The only one who supports us is this government, our government," he said. "They are letting the products through the tunnels.  Everything comes through the tunnels.  If there are no tunnels, there is no life."

For Hamas leaders, this is, in some ways, a bigger victory than persuading Israel to lift its restriction on goods entering the territory.
 

1 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

2 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。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

5 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

8 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

9 gravel   

n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石

参考例句：

• We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
• More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。

10 cinder   

n.余烬，矿渣

参考例句：

• The new technology for the preparation of superfine ferric oxide from pyrite cinder is studied.研究了用硫铁矿烧渣为原料，制取超细氧化铁红的新工艺。
• The cinder contains useful iron,down from producing sulphuric acid by contact process.接触法制硫酸的矿渣中含有铁矿。

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。