2006年VOA标准英语-Senior Israeli, Palestinian Officials May

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
18 May 2006

Senior Israeli and Palestinian officials could hold informal talks in the next few days at an economic summit in Egypt. If the talks go forward, it will be the first high-level contact between Israeli and Palestinian officials since the Islamic militant¹ group Hamas won Palestinian parliamentary elections in January.

-----------------------------------------------

Mahmoud Abbas  
  

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will both attend a regional meeting Sunday of the World Economic Forum², and both will participate in a joint³ panel discussion on regional issues, prompting speculation⁴ that the two will hold informal discussions on the sidelines of the conference.

A spokesman for Israel's Foreign Ministry⁵ says there are no formal plans for a meeting, but chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat tells VOA a meeting could take place, although he says it is unlikely to generate any breakthroughs.

 
Saeb Erekat 
  
"I am not undermining the meeting," he said. "I think it is a good sign, but, at the same time, I do not want to raise expectations. We need much more comprehensive resumption of contacts with the Israelis at all levels."

While President Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have held several phone discussions recently, there has been no high-level meeting between an Israeli and Palestinian official since Hamas won parliamentary elections in January. 
 

Ehud Olmert  
  
Mr. Olmert, who travels to Washington for talks with President Bush and other senior U.S. officials next week, says he sees no point in holding a meeting with Mr. Abbas, as long as Hamas refuses to recognize Israel.

During his Washington visit, the Israeli prime minister is expected to outline details of his plan to dismantle⁶ most West Bank settlements, while consolidating⁷ settlers in three large settlement blocs⁸ in the West Bank, a plan Palestinians have condemned⁹ as a land grab.

Meanwhile President Abbas is demanding that Hamas officials, who now govern the Palestinian Authority, disband a 3,000-man security force they deployed¹⁰ Wednesday across the Gaza Strip. Saeb Erekat says, if Hamas does not disband the force chaos¹¹ could follow.

"I hope they will do it, [disband the force], because not doing it will really mean very disastrous¹² consequences for Palestinians everywhere," he said.

Palestinian police, who are mostly loyal to Mr. Abbas's Fatah organization, and members of the new security force, believed to be loyal to Hamas, are facing off against each other in Gaza. Hamas and Fatah have been feuding¹³ over who controls the Palestinian security forces since Hamas officially took control of the Palestinian Authority in March.

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

3 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。

4 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

5 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。

6 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

7 consolidating   

v.（使）巩固， （使）加强( consolidate的现在分词 )；（使）合并

参考例句：

• These measures are meant for consolidating the system of basic medical care. 这些举措旨在夯实基层医疗体系，让老百姓看大病不必出远门。 来自互联网
• We are consolidating the Chinese and English versions of our homepage. 我们将为您提供中英文版本一起的主页。 来自互联网

8 blocs   

n.集团，联盟( bloc的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The division of Europe into warring blocs produces ever-increasing centrifugal stress. 把欧洲分为作战集团产生了越来越大的离心效果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The policy of the two blocs was played out. 把世界分为两个集团的政策已经过时了。 来自辞典例句

9 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

10 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

11 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

12 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

13 feuding   

vi.长期不和（feud的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Riccardo and Cafiero had been feuding so openly that the whole town knew about it. 里卡多和卡菲埃罗一直公开地闹别扭，全城的人都知道此事。 来自辞典例句
• The two families have been feuding with each other for many generations. 这两个家族有好多代的世仇了。 来自互联网