VOA慢速英语2009-IN THE NEWS - Obama Seeks 'New Beginning' fo

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

President Obama is calling for new efforts toward progress in peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. He says "each side is going to have to make some difficult compromises." But he pointed¹ to his recent talks with leaders on both sides. And he noted² that George Mitchell, his special diplomat³ for the Middle East, is going back next week.

BARACK OBAMA: "I think given what we have done so far, we have at least created the space, the atmosphere in which talks can restart."
　
German Chancellor⁴ Angela Merkel, President Obama and Holocaust⁵ survivor⁶ Elie Wiesel visit Buchenwald, the former Nazi⁷ death camp near Weimar, Germany

President Obama spoke⁸ Friday in Germany, part of a European visit to remember the Allied⁹ invasion on D-Day, June sixth, nineteen forty-four. He met with Chancellor Angela Merkel in Dresden. Later they visited the remains¹⁰ of the Nazi death camp at Buchenwald. The president's great uncle was part of American forces who liberated¹¹ the camp. The murder of six million Jews in the Holocaust led to the creation of Israel.

Friday's visit came a day after President Obama gave a speech in Egypt directed to the world's more than one billion Muslims. At Cairo University he called for a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world. He said they should work together to stop extremism and support peace.

He spoke of being a Christian¹² whose father came from a Kenyan family with generations of Muslims. He also noted that as a boy he spent several years in the country with the world's largest Muslim population, Indonesia.

BARACK OBAMA: "That experience guides my conviction that partnership¹³ between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn't."

President Obama discussed several areas of tensions, especially the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
　
President Obama speaking to Muslims around the world in Cairo, Egypt

BARACK OBAMA: "If we see this conflict only from one side or the other, then we will be blind to the truth."

He called America's bond with Israel "unbreakable" and said the tragic¹⁴ history that led to a Jewish homeland cannot be denied. But he went on to say "it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people -- Muslims and Christians¹⁵ -- have suffered in pursuit of a homeland."

He said the Palestinians must reject violence, but he also demanded a stop to Israeli settlement activity. He said again that the only solution is two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security. In his words, "That is in Israel's interest, Palestine's interest, America's interest and the world's interest."

Many Muslims who commented on the speech said they were generally pleased. But they said that of course the true test would not be in words, but actions.

The president used words from the Koran several times throughout his speech. He also called for religious understanding and spoke of the importance of equality for women. The speech contained no major policy changes. But it did signal what many Muslims saw as a newly sympathetic voice from an American president.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. For more about the speech, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

1 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

4 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

5 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

6 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

7 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

10 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。

11 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

12 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

13 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

14 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

15 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。