VOA常速英语2007年-US Hosts Middle East Peace Conference Next Week

By Jim Fry
Washington, D.C.
23 November 2007
 

On Tuesday, world leaders will gather in Annapolis, Maryland to discuss peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.  President Bush announced the peace conference earlier this year.   He will host a dinner at the White House Monday evening.  The U.S. advocates the so-called two-nation solution. 

On Wednesday, Egypt and Turkey became the first two Muslim nations to say they are coming.  But with attendance of some Arab nations in doubt, a state department official is not saying what outcome to expect from the gathering¹. VOA's Jim Fry reports.

The U.S. State Department has invited some 50 nations and entities² to the Mideast peace conference at the U.S. Naval³ Academy in the U.S. state of Maryland next week.  The invitees include all of the nearby Arab states along with Israel and the Palestinian Authority, as well as many other European, Asian and African nations.

To set the stage, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Mideast Envoy⁴ Tony Blair traveled to the Middle East.  U.S. policy favors a so-called two state solution, independence for Palestinians adjacent to Israel.

The diplomats⁵ met Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.  Rice also met with the Palestinian leader.  But Washington this week would not characterize its expectations from the conference.

Assistant Secretary of State David Welch said, "It is not my job to set expectations high or low.  It's my job to try and get it done and move it forward.  We think we're doing that here.  We think this is a really important moment. In particular, there is a common understanding that this is the moment in which they can change the picture and get a serious negotiation⁶ started."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has visited Olmert several times at his Jerusalem residence.  The two met as recently as last Monday to prepare for the Annapolis conference.

Earlier, Secretary of State Rice and envoy Blair called upon Palestinian leaders to take responsible actions to reach statehood. "Particularly on security. Intentions will not suffice, only actions will," said Mr. Blair.

Israeli officials have expressed hope the sides could resolve any necessary issues with the Palestinians before President Bush leaves office. The Israeli prime minister said, "We are now moving forward, after Annapolis, on a serious continuous process of negotiations⁷ that will refer to all the fundamental issues that are essential for the implementation⁸ of the two-state solution."

The fundamental issues include the final borders, Israeli security, the status of Palestinian refugees and their descendants and control over sectors⁹ of Jerusalem important to Christians¹⁰, Jews and Muslims.

Since President Bush announced the peace conference several months ago, one of the uncertainties¹¹ has been Arab attendance.  The State Department’s Welsh said, "We are hopeful and expectant that Arab countries will participate because, as we've indicated to you before, this is a serious effort, it's devoted¹² to a serious purpose."

The U.S. has invited to the Annapolis conference states it labeled in the past as sponsoring terrorism or harboring terrorist organizations.

When asked whether the representatives from Lebanon and Syria will have a chance to give speeches in this session, David Welsh said, "You know, they have been invited.  And if they come as we said, we will not turn off the microphone for anyone."

The U.S. views the Annapolis conference not as an ending, but the beginning of serious peace negotiations to achieve security for Israel and statehood for the Palestinians.

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

2 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

3 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

4 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

5 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》

6 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。

7 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。

8 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

9 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

11 uncertainties   

无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 )； 不确定； 变化不定； 无把握、不确定的事物

参考例句：

• One of the uncertainties of military duty is that you never know when you might suddenly get posted away. 任军职不稳定的因素之一是你永远不知道什么时候会突然被派往它处。
• Uncertainties affecting peace and development are on the rise. 影响和平与发展的不确定因素在增加。 来自汉英非文学 - 十六大报告

12 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。