2007年VOA标准英语-Rice Sees 'Intense' Middle East Peace Efforts i

By David Gollust
London
18 January 2007

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she expects the pace of contacts on Middle East peacemaking to accelerate following a trip to the region in which she arranged a three-way meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on final-status peace issues. Rice ended her week-long overseas trip with stops in Berlin and London to brief German Chancellor¹ Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Tony Blair on her mission. VOA's David Gollust reports from London.

Condoleezza Rice briefs the media prior to a meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, 18 Jan 2007

Rice says the flurry of activity will begin with a February 2 meeting in Washington with the international Middle East Quartet, the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations.

It will continue with regional shuttling by senior U.S. diplomats², and be capped by Rice's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas at an undetermined Mideast venue³ in mid-February.

The three-way meeting, the main achievement of the Rice trip, will be the first discussion of the final status issues of the peace process, among them refugees and borders of a Palestinian state, since former President Clinton's unsuccessful drive for an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord at the end of his term in 2000.

In a talk with reporters traveling with her in London, Rice said conditions in the Middle East are, on balance much more conducive⁴ for progress since the Clinton bid for an agreement, and she said is prepared to do whatever she can personally to advance an agreement for a two-state Israeli-Palestinian settlement.

"I am going to be concerned about what we can get done when and how," she said. "And I obviously have been out here a lot and I expect I will be out a lot again. I am aware that it takes not just deal-making and shuttle diplomacy⁵ to make it work. It also takes certain circumstances and certain commitments and I think we've actually been creating those circumstances or helping⁶ to create those circumstances over the last several years."

Rice discussed the Bush administration's new Iraq strategy, including a surge in U.S. troop strength to try to help stabilize⁷ Baghdad, in stops in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, where she met foreign ministers from across the Gulf⁸ region.

But Rice surprised many analysts⁹ by not making a Baghdad stop on this trip. In her talk with reporters, she downplayed suggestions of a rift¹⁰ with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who bitterly criticized a recent comment by the secretary that his government was "living on borrowed time."

Rice said she is sorry Mr. al-Maliki took offense¹¹ to the remark, which she said was intended to convey a sense of urgency about the need to subdue¹² Iraqi sectarian violence.

But she said believes she and the Iraqi leader "are on the same page" with regard to what needs to be done, and that she expects to visit Baghdad again soon.

"I have been to Baghdad I think six times and I'm sure I will go again," she said. "It seemed to be that it made sense to let the Iraqis have some time to get their plans in order, to get ready to launch those plans. [U.S. Defense¹³ Secretary] Bob Gates was just there, and it wasn't for my mind the right time to go but I'm sure we'll go some time in the near future."

Rice rejected the notion that there is broad support among Arab states for the United States to engage Iran on the Iraqi issue and said at the meeting with eight regional foreign ministers in Kuwait this week, only one made such a recommendation.

Rice said the United States has no problem with the Iraqi government trying to achieve normal state-to-state relations with Iran. But she made clear the United States will not do so while Iran is engaged in what she said are activities that endanger U.S. troops in Iraq.

1 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

2 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

4 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

5 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。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

8 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。

9 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。

10 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

11 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

12 subdue   

vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制

参考例句：

• She tried to subdue her anger.她尽力压制自己的怒火。
• He forced himself to subdue and overcome his fears.他强迫自己克制并战胜恐惧心理。

13 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。