VOA常速英语2007年-Saudi Arabia, Other Arab Nations to Attend Mide

By Challiss McDonough
Cairo
23 November 2007

After two days of urgent talks in the Egyptian capital, Arab states have agreed to send their foreign ministers to the Middle East peace conference in the U.S. state of Maryland next week. Saudi Arabia says it will participate, agreeing to meet with Israeli officials for the first time in 16 years. VOA correspondent Challiss McDonough has more from Cairo.

Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo have agreed to attend the Annapolis peace conference slated¹ to begin next week.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said the Arab states intend to push for a substantive² peace deal that safeguards Arab and Palestinian interests, not to put on what he called "a theatrical³ show" of handshakes for the cameras.

He said it was "no secret" that Saudi Arabia was hesitant about participating in the Annapolis conference. He said the kingdom would not be going if not for what he called "the Arab consensus⁴" that developed at the Cairo meeting.

Like most Arab states, Saudi Arabia has no diplomatic relations with Israel. Only Egypt and Jordan have signed peace deals with the Jewish state.

Saudi Arabia and other Arab states did attend a Middle East peace conference held in Madrid in 1991. The kingdom's attendance at the Annapolis meeting will have enormous symbolic⁵ significance, as Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and an influential⁶ regional power.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah group controls the occupied West Bank, said the Annapolis meeting would be a "historic opportunity."

He said he hopes the "Arab brothers" will negotiate in Annapolis with one voice on issues that affect them all.

But the Islamic militant⁷ group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, urged the Arab states not to move toward normalization⁸ of relations with Israel. In Gaza, thousands of supporters of Hamas and other militant groups demonstrated against the Annapolis conference.

Hamas was not invited to the meeting and has rejected the idea of peace negotiations⁹ with Israel.

An Israeli government spokesman quickly welcomed the Arab decision to attend.

Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said the Arab foreign ministers will meet again in Washington on Monday, just before the conference opens.

Moussa said the decision to participate was based on the Arab peace initiative that was re-launched in Riyadh earlier this year.

The Arab proposal offers Israel normal relations with all Arab states in exchange for Israel's withdrawal¹⁰ from all lands occupied in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Israel rejected the offer when it was originally made in 2002, but has more recently said that it can be a basis for negotiations. On a visit to Cairo on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he takes the initiative "very seriously." He also said he hopes there can be a peace agreement in 2008. But he said an agreement might not be implemented¹¹ immediately.

The Annapolis meeting is intended to re-launch the Arab-Israeli peace process, which has been frozen for about seven years. Washington has been pushing for broad participation¹² and has issued at least 40 invitations. Twelve Arab countries, including Lebanon and Syria, are on a committee established earlier this year to deal with the Israeli peace process.

Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said Syria has asked Washington to put the issue of the Golan Heights on the agenda. If that happens, Syria will also attend.

Earlier this week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the Golan Heights, which Israel annexed¹³ in 1981, could be discussed at the meeting.

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have failed to agree on a joint¹⁴ statement that was supposed to serve as the basis for the Annapolis conference and efforts to reach a peace agreement. A Palestinian official said it is possible that those talks could continue in the United States before the meeting begins next week.

1 slated   

用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。

2 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

3 theatrical   

adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的

参考例句：

• The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果，叫人失望。
• She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。

4 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

5 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

6 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

7 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。

8 normalization   

n.（normalisation）正常化，标准化

参考例句：

• The visit signalled the normalization of relations between the two countries.这次访问显示两国关系已经正常化。
• He was pleased to the normalization of relationship between the police and the people.他很高兴警方和人民之间关系的正常化。

9 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。

10 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

11 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

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。

13 annexed   

[法] 附加的，附属的

参考例句：

• Germany annexed Austria in 1938. 1938年德国吞并了奥地利。
• The outlying villages were formally annexed by the town last year. 那些偏远的村庄于去年正式被并入该镇。

14 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。