2006年VOA标准英语-Lebanese Prime Minister Calls for Immediate Cea

By Stephanie Ho
Washington
23 July 2006

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora says Israeli bombing of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon is forcing his country to its knees. In a television interview, the Lebanese leader said the first crucial step toward any comprehensive solution to the Middle East crisis is an immediate¹ ceasefire.

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Israeli soldiers shell northern Lebanon from a position near the town of Kiryat Shmona    
  
Nearly two weeks of intense shelling between Israel and the Hezbollah militant² group in Lebanon has led to the deaths of more than 350 Lebanese and more than 35 Israelis.

Lebanese Prime Minister Siniora spoke³ out strongly against Israel's military actions, saying it is the Lebanese people who are suffering. "They said they want to break the neck of Hezbollah. In fact, they are breaking the neck of the Lebanese. They are putting the whole country to its knees," he said.

The Lebanese prime minister told CNN's "Late Edition" program that he feels at root, the latest dispute can be traced to the Shebaa Farms, a disputed territory on the border with Israel, Lebanon and Syria. "What is the problem? The problem is the occupied territories in the Shebaa Farms. And once we really address this issue, then everything else will start to really get the solution for it," he said.

Speaking on the CBS television program "Face the Nation," Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Daniel Ayalon, blamed Syria for not doing enough to rein⁴ in the activities of Hezbollah. He added that there are several conditions Israel wants met before it will agree to observe a ceasefire. "If they want a ceasefire, they would just bring about the safe release, unconditionally⁵, of our two soldiers, which are hostages, and they would bring about stopping all the shelling of Hezbollah, and they would stop shipping⁶ all this armaments to Hezbollah," he said.

He said Israel believes it has killed hundreds of Hezbollah militants⁷ and destroyed much of the group's arsenal⁸. But he wouldn't say how much longer the Israeli bombing would continue. "It's not a matter of timing⁹. It's a matter of getting results," he said.

Meanwhile, on the same program, Syria's ambassador to the United States, Imad Moustapha, called for direct talks on the issue between Damascus and Washington. "If the United States wants to involve in serious diplomacy¹⁰, then of course Damascus is more than willing to engage," he said.

But White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten told NBC's "Meet the Press" Washington's recent experience with Damascus has not been promising¹¹. "The truth is that over the course of this entire administration, especially during the entirety of the first term, the administration had a number of very close, direct contacts with the Syrian government, which didn't do any good. They continued to allow terrorism to flourish. They supported it. They supported Hezbollah," he said.

He didn't completely shut the door on Syria, though, pointing out that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is tasked with conducting any diplomatic negotiating.

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 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。

3 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。

4 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

5 unconditionally   

adv.无条件地

参考例句：

• All foreign troops must be withdrawn immediately and unconditionally. 所有外国军队必须立即无条件地撤出。
• It makes things very awkward to have your girls going back unconditionally just now! 你们现在是无条件上工，真糟糕！ 来自子夜部分

6 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

7 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。

8 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

9 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

10 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。

11 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。