2006年VOA标准英语-Hamas Wins Majority of Palestinian Parliam

By Meredith Buel
Washington
26 January 2006

Palestinian supporters of Hamas celebrate their victory  
  
The radical¹ Islamic group Hamas has won a stunning² victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections that gave it a decisive majority in the legislature.  Election officials say Hamas won 76 of the 132 seats in parliament, while the Fatah party, which has dominated Palestinian politics for decades, secured only 43.

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The Hamas victory ends Fatah's rule of the Palestinian Authority and severely³ complicates⁴ efforts to restart the stalled peace process with Israel.

The United States, European Union and Israel classify Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Hamas' charter calls for the destruction of Israel and in the last five years militants⁵ from the group have killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide attacks.

President Bush made it clear he will not deal with Hamas until it abandons violence. 

 
George W. Bush
  
"I don't see how you can be a partner in peace if you advocate the destruction of a country as part of your platform and I know you can't be a partner in peace if your party has got an armed wing," said Mr. Bush.

President Bush says the strong vote for Hamas and the weak support for Fatah, the party founded by the late Yasser Arafat, shows the Palestinian people want change.

"Obviously, people were not happy with the status quo," added Mr. Bush.  "The people are demanding honest government.  The people want services.  They want to raise their children in an environment in which they can get a decent education and they can find health care."

When the Hamas victory became clear, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia and his cabinet resigned.  Officials expect Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to ask Hamas to form a new government.

President Bush says he hopes Mr. Abbas, who is also the leader of Fatah, will stay in office.  Before the vote, the Palestinian president threatened to resign if Hamas blocks his programs in the legislature.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says any government that emerges, if it wants international acceptance, will have to adopt the basic tenets of the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Condoleezza Rice   
  
"Anyone who wants to govern the Palestinian people and do so with the support of the international community, has got to be committed to a two-state solution, must be committed to the right of Israel to exist," said Ms. Rice.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who led an international observer team to monitor the elections, says he hopes Hamas will act, in his words, "responsibly."

"My hope is that Hamas will take a position on international standards of responsibility concerning the maintenance of peace that will make it possible for governments to accept them and to communicate and deal with the new [Hamas] government," said Mr. Carter.

Middle East analysts⁶ are describing the election results as a political earthquake.

Mahdi Abdul Hadi heads the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs in East Jerusalem. 

He says Fatah's historical claims of political legitimacy⁷ did not convince Palestinian voters who are weary of corruption⁸, unemployment and a lack of security, especially in the Gaza Strip.

"They claimed legitimacy from the old days of the revolution and legitimacy from the legacy⁹ of Yasser Arafat," he said.  "This exposed that they are naked in the street and did not have a constituency.  Hamas, on the other side, they were well prepared and introduced themselves as an alternative."

Hamas has gained popularity in the West Bank and Gaza for its charity work and firm position against peace talks with Israel.

By winning a significant majority in parliament, the group will be in a strong position to oppose negotiations¹⁰ and support a greater role for Islam in the everyday life of Palestinians.

1 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

2 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

3 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

4 complicates   

使复杂化( complicate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• What complicates the issue is the burden of history. 历史的重负使问题复杂化了。
• Russia as a great and ambitious power gravely complicates the situation. 俄国作为一个强大而有野心的国家，使得局势异常复杂。

5 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。

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

7 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

8 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。

9 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

10 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。