VOA常速英语2007-Egypt Gives Rice Cautious Support for Mideast Co

By Challiss McDonough
Cairo
16 October 2007

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice earned cautious Egyptian support for a Middle East peace meeting that the Bush administration wants to hold in the U.S. city of Annapolis, Maryland. She met with the Egyptian president and other officials in Cairo, after two days of shuttling back and forth¹ between Israel and the West Bank. VOA's Challiss McDonough reports from the Egyptian capital.

 

Speaking in Cairo, the secretary of state said she made it clear to both the Israelis and the Palestinians that the United States expects them to meet their obligations under the Mideast peace plan known as the "road map."

"There is a lot to be done here, by all parties. And the one thing I am very certain [of] is that the two principals here, Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas, see this as a moment in which we might really be able to advance the two-state solution and lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state based on negotiations². That's where we're going to park our hopes and dreams about this. But it's also on that basis that we're going to put maximum effort into fulfilling our obligations," she said.

Rice held talks in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the head of Egypt's intelligence service and the foreign minister.

Only a day earlier, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit talked about postponing³ the summit. Aboul Gheit said the meeting in Maryland should only go forward when both sides are ready to hold real negotiations. But he also said his meeting with Secretary Rice renewed his trust and confidence.

"We are encouraged, because she says she is determined⁴, and the president of the United States is determined to have a breakthrough during the remaining year of the administration. Then we have to believe them. I cannot doubt them," he said.

The Egyptian foreign minister refused to elaborate on his earlier remarks in which he accused some unnamed elements in Israel of undermining U.S. efforts to produce a credible⁵ and binding⁶ agreement out of the meeting.

"We have listened to so much emanating⁷ from Israel over the last few days and we felt that there are certain quarters amongst the Israeli government who, they were not very positive on her effort. And because of this we cautioned such circles," he said.

The international community is hoping the Annapolis meeting will reinvigorate the peace process, which has been stalled for nearly seven years.

Arab states have expressed skepticism that the meeting will produce anything. A recent poll commissioned by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz found that some 56 percent of Jewish Israelis do not believe the meeting will help bring peace.

For all their agreement and optimism about the peace process, Rice and Aboul Gheit made it clear that they differ when it comes to Egyptian domestic issues. The secretary of state said she raised the issue of jailed opposition⁸ leader Ayman Nour, and also expressed concern about the recent jail sentences for Egyptian journalists. It is unclear, however, whether the United States would apply any pressure on Egypt regarding human rights.

Aboul Gheit said flatly that Egypt will listen to such criticism, but it will not make any difference. He said the government will not interfere⁹ with the courts.

The journalists who have been put on trial say the charges against them are politically motivated and aimed at silencing criticism of the government.

Rice said the Bush administration remains¹⁰ determined to hold a Middle East peace meeting before the end of the year.

1 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 postponing   

v.延期，推迟( postpone的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He tried to gain time by postponing his decision. 他想以迟迟不作决定的手段来争取时间。 来自辞典例句
• I don't hold with the idea of postponing further discussion of the matter. 我不赞成推迟进一步讨论这件事的想法。 来自辞典例句

4 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。

5 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

6 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

7 emanating   

v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的现在分词 )；产生，表现，显示

参考例句：

• Even so, there is a slight odour of potpourri emanating from Longfellow. 纵然如此，也还是可以闻到来自朗费罗的一种轻微的杂烩的味道。 来自辞典例句
• Many surface waters, particularly those emanating from swampy areas, are often colored to the extent. 许多地表水，特别是由沼泽地区流出的地表水常常染上一定程度的颜色。 来自辞典例句

8 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

9 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。