VOA标准英语2008年-Israel's PM Faces Increasing Pressure over Corr

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
30 May 2008

Israel's embattled prime minister is under increasing pressure, amid growing calls for early elections, even from within his own party. Calls for his replacement¹ have grown in the wake of a corruption² scandal, as we hear from Robert Berger at the VOA bureau in Jerusalem.

Leaders of Israel's ruling Kadima party are pushing for early primaries to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The primaries would offer Mr. Olmert a graceful³ way out, after an American Jewish businessman said he gave him envelopes stuffed with cash to support a lavish⁴ lifestyle. Mr. Olmert has denied any wrongdoing and rejected calls to quit as prime minister.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, a leading member of Kadima, has called for primaries to replace Mr. Olmert as party leader.

Livni said Kadima must prepare for every eventuality including early elections, and party primaries are the best way forward.

In the meantime, Mr. Olmert would remain in power and try to clear his name. But if an indictment⁵ forces his resignation or early elections, Kadima would have a successor in place. Polls show that Livni, a moderate who is Israel's chief negotiator with the Palestinians, would likely win the primaries and become the leader of Kadima.

But according to a new poll, Livni would be defeated in national elections by hawkish⁶ opposition⁷ leader and former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  A Netanyahu victory would have a major impact on peace talks with the Palestinians and Syria. Netanyahu opposes Mr. Olmert's plan to hand over most of the West Bank to the Palestinians and all of the Golan Heights to Syria.

On Thursday, Netanyahu paid a solidarity⁸ visit to the Golan.

Netanyahu said the future of the Golan would be decided⁹ in early elections.

"The people of Israel have had a connection to the Golan for thousands of years," Netanyahu said.  "The Golan was Israeli, and it will remain Israeli."

1 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

2 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

3 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

4 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。

5 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

6 hawkish   

adj. 鹰派的, 强硬派的

参考例句：

• My staff's advice that first day was amazingly hawkish. 在第一天，我的僚属们的意见是令人吃惊的鹰派意见。
• Antiwar groups fear Barack Obama may create hawkish Cabinet. 反战团体担心巴拉克·奥巴马可以创建强硬派内阁。

7 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。

8 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。