2006年VOA标准英语-British-Iraqi Talks in London Focus on Lebanon

By Tom Rivers
London
24 July 2006
 
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Iraqi counterpart Nouri al-Maliki have met Monday, in London. Planned discussions on political and security developments in Iraq were instead dominated by the crisis in Lebanon.

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Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, right, meets British Prime Minister Tony Blair as he arrives at 10 Downing Street for meeting  
  
Talks between Mr. Blair and Mr. al-Maliki were supposed to focus on British interests in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, the security situation there and the continuing efforts to build up Iraqi forces in the region. But the events in Lebanon overshadowed the Iraqi prime minister's visit.

At a joint¹ news conference, Mr. Blair said the situation in Lebanon was terrible.

"As I said last week, the immediate² cessation of hostilities³, of course, we all want to see this on both sides. It is important that it happens," he said. " It is important that it happens because what is occurring at the present time in Lebanon is a catastrophe⁴. It is damaging that country and its fragile democracy. But it is also important that we deal with the reasons why this conflict has come about."

Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki said it was bad for the entire region and that all reasonable people wanted the violence to stop. He also said he fears that fundamentalism will now grow in Lebanon.

"I realize that what is going on in fact has reflections and repercussions⁵ not only in Lebanon but also in the region and the whole region because it is unacceptable, and the excessive use of force cannot be accepted. It is directed against civilian⁶ targets and not military targets," he said.

Mr. Blair, meanwhile, said he was optimistic that a plan to end the violence could be reached within days. He also backed sending international troops into the area to safeguard security in the region.

"I believe we will need some form of international force in the south in Lebanon, which we must build up over time to make sure that that can act then as a buffer⁷ between those people on the Lebanese side who want to cause difficulty with Israel," he said.

This was Mr. al-Maliki's first official trip to Britain. He is expected to travel next to Washington for talks with President Bush.

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 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。

3 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

4 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

5 repercussions   

n.后果，反响( repercussion的名词复数 )；余波

参考例句：

• The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry. 这家公司的垮台将会给整个行业造成间接的负面影响。
• Human acts have repercussions far beyond the frontiers of the human world. 人类行为所产生的影响远远超出人类世界的范围。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

7 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。