2007年VOA标准英语-Rice Meets Arab Foreign Ministers in Aswan

By David Gollust
Aswan, Egypt
24 March 2007

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met foreign ministers of four moderate Arab countries in the Egyptian city of Aswan Saturday as she began a new mission aimed at advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. Rice's trip precedes a key Arab League summit next week in Riyadh. VOA's David Gollust reports from Aswan.

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US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan, Egypt, 24 Mar 2007

Rice convened³ here at a Nile River hotel with the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the so-called Arab "quartet," as she began her third mission to the region this year.

The United States is looking to its moderate Arab allies to both work to help stabilize⁴ Iraq, and help revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The Rice visit comes only a few days before an Arab League summit expected to reaffirm that organization's 2002 Middle East peace initiative.

The plan offered Arab-wide recognition to Israel if it returned to its 1967 borders and reached a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue that allowed the return of Palestinian refugees.

Though Israeli officials have spoken favorably of the plan, they say refugees should only be allowed to return to the envisaged⁵ Palestinian state.

In a talk with reporters just before her departure from Washington late Friday, Rice sidestepped questions about whether she would seek changes in the Arab League plan to meet Israeli concerns, saying it is not up to the United States to make such suggestions.

But her spokesman, Sean McCormack, said she would press her Arab colleagues to make clear that the plan is an active initiative, and an incentive⁶ for Israel to move ahead toward peace.

"I understand there is a lot of discussion among Arab leaders and Arab foreign ministers about the so-called Arab initiative," he said.  "Certainly we would encourage the Arab states to reiterate⁷ and underline the fact that that Arab initiative still stands out there as a potential political horizon for the Israel government, as they work on issues with the Palestinians."

Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, a former Egyptian foreign minister, said Saturday the organization had no intention of modifying the 2002 offer, first advanced by Saudi Arabia.

Secretary Rice is to have talks Sunday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that are expected to include human rights issues and a proposed constitutional changes Egyptians are to vote on in a national referendum Monday.

In her talk with reporters in Washington, Rice said she was concerned and disappointed by the initiative, which among other things bars religion-based political parties, and has come under broad attack from human rights and Egyptian opposition⁸ groups.

She also said the abbreviated⁹ one-week campaign period for the referendum is problematic.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit responded Saturday, dismissing her criticism as unacceptable interference in Egypt's domestic affairs.

On the four-day trip, Rice will also meet separately with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and with Jordan's King Abdullah.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 cataract   

n.大瀑布，奔流，洪水，白内障

参考例句：

• He is an elderly gentleman who had had a cataract operation.他是一位曾经动过白内障手术的老人。
• The way is blocked by the tall cataract.高悬的大瀑布挡住了去路。

3 convened   

召开( convene的过去式 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The chairman convened the committee to put the issue to a vote. 主席召集委员们开会对这个问题进行表决。
• The governor convened his troops to put down the revolt. 总督召集他的部队去镇压叛乱。

4 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

5 envisaged   

想像，设想( envisage的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He envisaged an old age of loneliness and poverty. 他面对着一个孤独而贫困的晚年。
• Henry Ford envisaged an important future for the motor car. 亨利·福特为汽车设想了一个远大前程。

6 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

7 reiterate   

v.重申，反复地说

参考例句：

• Let me reiterate that we have absolutely no plans to increase taxation.让我再一次重申我们绝对没有增税的计划。
• I must reiterate that our position on this issue is very clear.我必须重申我们对这一项议题的立场很清楚。

8 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

9 abbreviated   

adj. 简短的，省略的 动词abbreviate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He abbreviated so much that it was hard to understand his article. 他的文章缩写词使用太多，令人费解。
• The United States of America is commonly abbreviated to U.S.A.. 美利坚合众国常被缩略为U.S.A.。