2007年VOA标准英语-Rice Seeks to Accelerate Middle East Peace Road

By David Gollust
Jerusalem
13 January 2007

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is meeting senior Israeli and Palestinian officials in what she says is an effort to empower moderate political forces in the region and re-start Middle East peacemaking. Rice held talks late Saturday in Jerusalem with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and is to see Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Sunday in the West Bank town of Ramallah. VOA's David Gollust reports from Jerusalem.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speaks as Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, right, looks on prior to their meeeting in Jerusalem

Rice says she has not come to the region with any new U.S. proposal or plan, and, in fact, says Middle East peace cannot be a made-in-America proposition.

But she says she wants to hear the ideas of both sides, in an effort to accelerate progress on the 2003 international Roadmap to an Israeli-Palestinian settlement, which is largely unfulfilled.

Meeting reporters as she began a late-Saturday meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Livni, Rice called it a challenging time in the Middle East, but one that holds promise, if current problems, including the regional extremist threat are approached with creativity and resolve.

"It is a time when extremist forces are attempting to make it impossible to have the kind of Middle East in which Israelis and Palestinians and other people of the Middle East can live in peace, and in which democracy can make progress," said Ms. Rice.  "But we're determined¹ to resist their efforts and also to strengthen the hand of those who wish to resist their efforts."

Rice has not elaborated on how she believes the Roadmap, originally intended as a three-year program leading to a two state solution, can be speeded up.

Israeli officials, including Livni, have been talking about the idea of declaring a Palestinian state with provisional borders within a two-year time frame.

The Israeli foreign minister did not directly address the issue in her press appearance with Rice, but said her government hopes to provide moderate Palestinians with a clearer picture of where the peace process is headed, without discarding Roadmap principles.

"I was not talking about jumping or skipping, or by-passing some of the phases of the Roadmap, but I do believe that talking with the Palestinians today [about] what are the best steps that we can take, maybe to make some visions, or as we say, make the political horizon more concrete. If this can help, then this is something that we have to do," she said.

The Bush administration has been seeking to bolster² the relatively³ moderate Palestinian Authority chief, Mr. Abbas, in his political struggle with the militant⁴ Islamic movement Hamas.

On the eve of the Rice trip, it confirmed plans for an $86 million train and equip program for security forces under control of Mr. Abbas, while insisting the plan will not fuel the intra-Palestinian conflict.

Rice plans a dinner meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah late Sunday, before returning here for a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Monday.

She continues the mission with talks in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, seeking to encourage Gulf⁵ Arab states to assist Iraq's struggling coalition⁶ government following President Bush's decision to commit more U.S. forces to try to stem Iraqi violence.

1 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

2 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

3 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

4 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。

5 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

6 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。