VOA标准英语2010年-US Envoy Pushes Palestinians to Enter

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, speaks with US Mideast envoy¹ George Mitchell during their meeting at Abbas' office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, 10 Aug 2010

U.S. President Barack Obama's point man in the Middle East is on a new peace mission.

U.S. envoy George Mitchell urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to move from indirect peace talks with Israel to face-to-face negotiations². They discussed the issue at Palestinian Authority headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah but failed to reach an agreement. 

Mitchell said he would continue his efforts and plans to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense³ Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday.

Mr. Abbas has resisted American and Israeli pressure for direct talks, insisting on two key conditions: Israel must stop all settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and it must accept the 1967 borders as the reference point for the future borders of a Palestinian state.

At a demonstration⁴ in Ramallah, Palestinian factions⁵ urged Mr. Abbas to stand firm against direct talks.

"We are here to express our rejection⁶ of the pressures on the Palestinian side, which are trying to force them to go to negotiations while Israel continues its settlement building, especially in Jerusalem,"  said Palestinian legislator Moustafa Barghouti.

Israel says direct peace talks should resume without preconditions. "Ultimately, only through direct talks, face-to-face talks, will it be possible to achieve peace between the two peoples," said Government spokesman Mark Regev.

President Abbas is walking a tightrope⁷. He risks harming ties with the United States by refusing to enter direct negotiations. But there is little support for direct talks on the Palestinian streets without guarantees of Israeli concessions⁸.

 

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 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 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

5 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

6 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

7 tightrope   

n.绷紧的绳索或钢丝

参考例句：

• The audience held their breath as the acrobat walked along the tightrope.杂技演员走钢丝时，观众都屏住了呼吸。
• The tightrope walker kept her balance by holding up an umbrella.走钢丝的演员举着一把伞，保持身体的均衡。

8 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。