VOA常速英语2007年-Rice Says Mideast Conference Will Launch Drive

By David Gollust
Washington
21 November 2007

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday she sees next week's Annapolis conference as the launch of a drive to conclude a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before the end of President Bush's term in early 2009. Nearly 50 countries and international organizations have been invited to the meeting next Tuesday near Washington. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

Rice says it was decided¹ in pre-conference diplomacy² not to try to resolve major elements of a peace deal at the Annapolis meeting itself, but rather let it serve as the launch of final-status Israeli-Palestinian negotiations⁴ after a seven year freeze.

In a talk with State Department reporters following Tuesday's formal announcement of the long-awaited conference, Rice said she has cautious hopes a final agreement can be achieved by the time President Bush leaves office.

"The parties have said they are going to make efforts to conclude it in this President's term, and you know, it's no secret that means about a year. It's one thing about the American system: we know how long the President is going to be in office. So that's what we'll try and do. Nobody can guarantee that. All you can do is make your best effort," she said.

In contrast to previous U.S. diplomatic efforts that focused on the central parties to the Middle East dispute, the Bush administration has asked nearly 50 countries and international organizations to take part in the conference along with Israel and the Palestinians.

Key Arab countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel have been invited and are expected to attend, notably⁵ including Saudi Arabia and Syria. But the radical⁶ Palestinian movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza strip and rejects dialogue with Israel, will not be at the conference.

Rice stressed that in his dual⁷ role as Palestine Liberation Organization chief, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is empowered to negotiate for all Palestinians including Hamas and that the statehood process set in motion by the Annapolis meeting will strengthen Palestinian moderates.

"It isn't the first time in either international politics or human history that a government, a legitimate⁸ government has not controlled all its territory. But I think that the moderate forces, the forces that believe in a two-state solution - born of negotiation³ not violence - are going to be in a stronger position to stake that claim when it is clear that there really is the prospect⁹ of a Palestinian state," she said.

Rice said she is hoping for a big turnout of foreign ministers from Arab and key majority-Muslim countries at Annapolis -- both to strengthen the political standing¹⁰ of Mr. Abbas, and to reassure¹¹ Israel that making peace with the Palestinians will open the way to an end to the broader conflict with the Arab world.

Decisions on Arab participation¹² are expected to be made at a special meeting of the Arab League later this week in Cairo. President Bush is personally leading the U.S. effort to generate support for the meeting, speaking by telephone Wednesday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as well as President Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 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。

3 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

4 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。

5 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

6 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

7 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

8 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

9 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

12 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。