U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice flies from London to Jerusalem Saturday for a new round of talks aimed at getting an Israel-Palestinian peace accord by year's end. Rice will lay the groundwork for President Bush's visit to the region later this month.
美国国务卿赖斯今天从伦敦飞往耶路撒冷，展开新一轮会谈，争取推动以色列和巴勒斯坦在今年底达成和平协议。赖斯将为布什总统本月底访问中东地区做准备。
The secretary's two-day London visit also had a heavy Middle East focus, with Rice meeting privately with key Israeli and Palestinian officials and convening with financial supporters of the peace process and the Quartet.
赖斯国务卿在伦敦逗留的两天期间，中东问题也是她关注的一个重点。赖斯私下会晤了以色列与巴勒斯坦重要官员，并且与和平进程的经费支持者以及中东问题四方交换了意见。
The Quartet - made up of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations - reaffirmed international backing for the goal set at last November's Annapolis conference for a peace accord by the end of 2008.
中东问题四方--美国、俄罗斯、欧盟以及联合国--重申国际社会支持去年11月安纳波利斯中东和会所定下的在2008年底之前达成和平协议的目标。
But the grouping expressed deep concern about, among other things, continuing Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and rocket attacks from Hamas-controlled Gaza into southern Israel.
但四方同时对以色列在约旦河西岸持续的定居活动以及哈马斯控制的加沙地区对以色列南部的火箭攻击深表关注。
Despite the difficulties, Rice said she still thinks the 2008 goal can be achieved, though skepticism about it is understandable.
即使有这些困难，赖斯表示她仍然认为2008年的目标可以达成，同时她也认为人们对此有疑虑是可以理解的。
"It's hard work, and it's labor-intensive, and it's time consuming. But I believe that they do have a chance to get an agreement by the end of the year. And that's what we're going to work for, every day," said Rice.
“这是很艰难的工作，非常的劳心劳力，也非常的耗费时间。但我相信他们的确有机会在今年底之前达成协议。而这就是我们每一天都在努力的。”
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad was less optimistic, citing economic problems in Palestinian areas caused by Israeli roadblocks and a shortfall in the collection of funds pledged last year by international donors, including Gulf oil states, in Paris:
巴勒斯坦权力机构总理法亚德对此不是那么乐观，他谈到，以色列采取封锁措施，而包括波斯湾石油输出国等国际间各个捐助国去年在巴黎表示要给予巴勒斯坦的经济援助还没有全部落实。这些都使巴勒斯坦面临经济困境。
"I said that the process was not proceeding in terms of pace or content in a manner to attain or achieve the goal that was set out at the Annapolis meeting. So therefore, if things continue to proceed along the path they are, or they have been, it is unlikely that objective is going to be met," said Fayyad.
法亚德说：“我要说的是，整个进程在速度和实质内容上，都没能达到安纳波利斯会议所设定的目标。因此，假如还是这么继续下去的话，就很难达到预定目标。”
Rice's trip to Israel and the Palestinian areas is her 15th in two years.
赖斯国务卿此次对以色列和巴勒斯坦的访问，是她过去两年来对这个地区的第15次访问。
The secretary will meet late Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. On Sunday she will have talks in the West Bank town of Ramallah with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas - as well as hold two trilateral meetings with senior officials of both sides.
赖斯国务卿定于星期六晚间会晤以色列总理奥尔默特，星期天，她将前往约旦河西岸城市拉马拉，与巴勒斯坦民族权力机构主席阿巴斯会谈。与此同时，她还将与巴以双方的高级官员举行两轮三边会谈。
Rice will be laying the groundwork for President Bush, who will try to advance the peace process in a visit to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt from May 13 to the 18.
赖斯国务卿此次中东之行是为布什总统的访问做一个铺垫。布什将于五月13号到五月18号访问以色列、沙特阿拉伯和埃及，推动和平进程。
Earlier this week he acknowledged that achieving peace is an uphill task but said he is still hopeful an agreement can be finished by the end of his presidency in January 2009.
这个星期早些时候，布什总统承认，实现和平是一个艰巨的任务。但是他仍对2009年1月他卸任之前各方能够达成协议抱有希望。
The president will attend observances of Israel's 60th independence anniversary but has no plans at present for a joint peace summit with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
布什总统将出席以色列独立60周年纪念活动，但是到目前为止，还没有计划要出席以色列和巴勒斯坦领导人的和平首脑会议。 |