2006年VOA标准英语-Pakistan and India Ready for Talks After L

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
03 January 2006

 
Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, left, and Indian PM Manmohan Singh shake hands after addressing a joint¹ conference in New Delhi, India, April 18, 2005
  
India and Pakistan are preparing for their third round of peace talks in just over a year. The summit, scheduled for January 17 in New Delhi, is expected to focus on the most difficult of issues: the long-running dispute over Kashmir. Landmark² cooperation between the nuclear-armed rivals over the past year has leaders on both sides hopeful as they contemplate³ the new talks.

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Pakistan Foreign Ministry⁴ spokeswoman Tasheem Aslam says her government is cautiously optimistic about this month's summit with India.

"Naturally we are dealing⁵ with some complex issues, and expectations may be that we would be able to move very quickly, and of course we would like to see that," she said.

The central issue is the region of Kashmir, divided for more than 50 years but still claimed in its entirety by both countries. Twice, India and Pakistan have gone to war over the disputed Himalayan region, and until a cease-fire was declared in 2003, their armies used to trade fire regularly across the heavily guarded "Line of Control," the de facto border between the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled portions.

But in the past year, relations between the two rivals have improved as the cost of war has gone up. For India, which is promoting an oil pipeline⁶ that would run through Pakistan, the price is energy security. Pakistan, meanwhile, has focused on domestic politics, including an increasingly heated internal debate over Islamic fundamentalism.

As a result, cross-border relations are better now than they have been in decades, and the peace process is beginning to bear fruit.

Last February, the Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers met in Islamabad. After that meeting, they announced a bus service that would link Indian- and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir for the first time in 60 years.

India's foreign minister at the time, Natwar Singh, said the agreement symbolized⁷ the new spirit of cooperation between the historic rivals. "My visit has reinforced in me and my friends in Pakistan a determination to continue working, for expanding cooperation and understanding between our two countries, the people of both our countries clearly desire it," noted⁸ Mr. Singh.

Employee of Punjab Roadways cleans the glass before the Amritsar-Lahore-Amritsar bus between India and Pakistan enters Pakistan at the joint border check post of Wagah, India, Dec. 11, 2005  
  
The cross-Kashmir bus made its maiden⁹ voyage on April 7.  A week later, Pakistan and India restarted what newspapers have dubbed¹⁰ "cricket diplomacy¹¹."

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf joined Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi for a cricket match between their national teams. Pakistan won the match, and the chances for peace also emerged a winner. Both sides said the peace process was now "irreversible."

In June, New Delhi made a new symbolic¹² goodwill¹³ gesture. It allowed a group of separatist leaders from Indian Kashmir to cross the Line of Control for a series of meetings with Pakistani officials. This was the first time India had allowed local activists¹⁴ to participate in any way in cross-border negotiations¹⁵.

In Islamabad, Kashmiri leader Abdul Ghani Bhat told reporters that peace talks between Pakistan and India must include representatives from Kashmir. "If the process is to be made purposeful, the inclusion of Kashmiris is essential," he said. "And if and when we're doing the talking, we will find a way out - maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after, but we shall certainly find a way out."

In October Indian and Pakistani officials met again, this time to promote economic cooperation. But critics began to complain that the talks had yet to produce substantive¹⁶ results on major issues like Kashmir.

Pakistani political commentator¹⁷ Ayaz Amir said at the time that so-called confidence-building measures like the bus route and cricket matches were important, but they remained essentially¹⁸ symbolic. "There's more hype and more rhetoric¹⁹ to the latest phase of Indo-Pakistani relations than any real progress," said Mr. Amir.

He said it appeared neither side was ready to change the facts on the ground. Despite months of negotiations, thousands of Indian and Pakistani soldiers were still stationed, eyeball to eyeball, along the Line of Control. Indian Kashmir was still a hotbed of shootings and bombings by separatists.

But then nature took over where diplomacy had fallen short. On the morning of October 8, a massive earthquake hit Kashmir. More than 80,000 people were killed and at least three million others left homeless, nearly all on the Pakistani side.

Almost overnight, the political landscape was transformed. Pakistani soldiers guarding the Line of Control dropped their weapons to help treat the injured. Their Indian counterparts, sworn enemies a day earlier, radioed New Delhi for support, and offers of aid rushed in. India has since donated more than $25 million, along with material and logistical assistance, to the Pakistani relief effort.

 
Boy with open wound on his forehead waits to be attended to by doctors in Balakot 
  
President Musharraf says the two countries should seize the chance now to resolve the Kashmir dispute. "A permanent, final solution of Kashmir is more possible now because there is some kind of energy being generated there for mutual²⁰ interaction…There is a hype on assisting each other, and all this should be utilized²¹ towards directing it towards a solution," noted Mr. Musharraf.

Some changes have already been made.

The long-time rivals have opened five crossings along the Line of Control. These new corridors are allowing more aid to reach the quake-affected areas and, in some cases, helping²² reunite families long separated on the two sides of the political divide. For many Kashmiris, the crossing points are the first tangible²³ indication that the peace talks may produce solid gains beyond just symbolic gestures.

Challenges, of course, remain. India says Pakistan is still supporting Kashmiri militants²⁴, including several groups linked to a series of fatal bomb attacks in New Delhi.  And neither side has backed off long-held positions. India wants the Line of Control replaced with a permanent border; Pakistan insists it will never accept the existing divide.

But for the first time in nearly 60 years, people on both sides of the dispute also agree: the odds²⁵ are finally tilting²⁶ toward peace.

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

3 contemplate   

vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视

参考例句：

• The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate.战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。
• The consequences would be too ghastly to contemplate.后果不堪设想。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

6 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

7 symbolized   

v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• For Tigress, Joy symbolized the best a woman could expect from life. 在她看，小福子就足代表女人所应有的享受。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• A car symbolized distinction and achievement, and he was proud. 汽车象征着荣誉和成功，所以他很自豪。 来自辞典例句

8 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。

9 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

10 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

12 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

13 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

14 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 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。

16 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

17 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

18 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

19 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

20 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

21 utilized   

v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the19th century waterpower was widely utilized to generate electricity. 在19世纪人们大规模使用水力来发电。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The empty building can be utilized for city storage. 可以利用那栋空建筑物作城市的仓库。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

23 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

24 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

25 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

26 tilting   

倾斜，倾卸

参考例句：

• For some reason he thinks everyone is out to get him, but he's really just tilting at windmills. 不知为什么他觉得每个人都想害他，但其实他不过是在庸人自扰。
• So let us stop bickering within our ranks.Stop tilting at windmills. 所以，让我们结束内部间的争吵吧！再也不要去做同风车作战的蠢事了。