2007年VOA标准英语-New Group Calling for Dialogue in Lebanon

By Challiss McDonough
Beirut
03 February 2007

Last week's violence in Lebanon, after two months of opposition¹ protests, were a sign of how hostile the atmosphere has become. A new group is calling for more reasoned dialogue between the opposition and the government, but analysts³ say the crisis will not really end until the problems that led to it are solved. VOA Correspondent Challiss McDonough has more from Beirut.

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Two Lebanese pro-government supporters, extinguish a burning car after confrontations erupt between government and opposition supporters in Beirut, 25 Jan 2007

Lebanon's political crisis is a maze⁵ of competing political symbols and voices. Every group seems to have a signature color - sky blue for the Hariri Future Movement, orange for the opposition Free Patriotic⁶ Movement, green and yellow for the Shi'ite parties, and so on.

Each side has its own television stations, radio stations and newspapers, telling its own version of the truth. At times, reports on competing TV stations do no even seem to be about the same country.

Each side also has sponsored massive media campaigns, blanketing the capital, Beirut, and the countryside with posters and billboards⁷.

The anti-Syrian bloc⁸, known as March 14th, has put up pictures of slain⁹ politicians, including former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, bearing the slogan, "We Will Not Forget." After the war with Israel in June and July, Hezbollah erected¹⁰ hundreds of billboards and posters touting¹¹ what it called its "Divine Victory."

As the opposition protests started, new billboards appeared in English, French and Arabic saying, "I Love Life." That was March 14, taking a swipe at what they considered Hezbollah's culture of death and martyrdom. The opposition countered by turning that slogan around; their new posters read, "I Love Life - With Dignity, or I Love Life - Undictated."

The latest entry in the poster war is calling itself the March 11 movement. The name refers to Lebanon's date-themed political divide. The opposition are called March 8th, and the government side is known as March 14th. March 11 is halfway¹² in between.

One of the new group's slogans is, "One Plus One Equals Lebanon." Its posters are all white. The group says Lebanon has enough political colors. Group leaders say they are neutral, and they are urging Lebanon's feuding¹³ parties to come together.

March 11 is trying so hard not to personalize its campaign, that its spokesman asked to be identified only by his first name, Fadi. He says the point is not to criticize the two sides, but to encourage them to find common ground.

"We think that this (one) party has done a very good thing for the country, and this (the other) party has done also a very good thing for the country. But the way they are communicating is very bad. We're saying that, 'hey people, there is another way. Find another way to communicate.' It's about communication, it's not about doing good and doing bad.... The way they're communicating, in the street and on TV, that's taking the country to a place where no one wants to be, you know?," he said.

The group's billboards and posters have gotten people's attention, but many are skeptical¹⁴ about whether the group is really neutral, or whether it can make a difference.

The editor-in-chief of the Daily Star newspaper, Jamil Mroue, says he believes there is a silent majority in Lebanon, but that it lacks organization and traction¹⁵. "If anything, by adopting this slogan, [it] suggests a level of desperation. Here we are just finding -- desperately¹⁶ trying to find a way to say, there is a middle ground, and sort of divide your dates, so to speak," he said.

But he acknowledges that the level of political debate has degenerated¹⁷ to alarming levels. "We have degenerated from soundbite to mind-bite, if you like, and from mind-bite to nose-bite, and from nose-bite to eye-poke. Basically, that's where we are. When the original flow of soundbites did not serve, it degenerated all the way to eye-poke," he said.

Lebanon's entire modern history has been a delicate and often unsuccessful balancing act among its complex web of religious and ethnic¹⁸ groups. No system of government has really ever worked well; the failings of the old system led to a 15-year civil war, and the failings of the deal that ended the war have resulted in this current crisis.

Political analyst² Amal Saad-Ghorayeb of the Carnegie Endowment's Middle East Center says Lebanon must resolve the structural¹⁹ weaknesses that have made it what she calls a battleground for foreign interests. "Any solution to the current crisis has to address its underlying²⁰ causes. The events we're witnessing today are merely byproducts, reactions and so on, of a much deeper political malaise, which is essentially²¹ that there is no state," she said.

She says Lebanon's entire political culture has to change. "It isn't simply an issue of this entire sectarian spoil-sharing system has to be done away with. I don't think that's the main problem. I think the main problem is the basis upon which people vote, for example, and the extent to which current political leaders, who all represent their sects²², hold so much sway over their communities.... and because of the electoral system we have, it's basically a winner-take-all system, which does not leave any room for alternative political groups to emerge. That has to change," she said.

At this stage, the political debate in Lebanon is focused on the composition of the government, rather than on its powers or role. Little of the public dialogue deals with core issues like the electoral law, service delivery, tax reform or the balance of powers between branches of government.

Jamil Mroue of the Daily Star says the current system has constitutional chasms²³ that can lead, and have led, to unresolvable deadlock²⁴. "All of these things require a lot of deliberation, and a lot of vertical²⁵ specialization. You need constitutionalists, not amateurs and orators²⁶ to do that. At this stage, it's all being done by soundbite. Again, soundbite intensifies²⁷ the vacuum, which will be filled by further adrenaline, until a certain stage where this adrenaline spills into blood, which is where we are now," he said.

Last week, several people were killed in street fighting that erupted between government supporters and opposition members. The clashes shocked some, at least in their ferocity, but, for many, the violence was not entirely²⁸ unexpected, given the growing levels of hostility²⁹.

Both sides seem to have stepped back from the brink³⁰, at least for a while, but there are serious concerns about what could happen on February 14th, the anniversary of Rafik Hariri's murder. Last year, government supporters staged a huge rally to mark the anniversary next to Hariri's grave in Martyr's Square. But that is right next to the opposition protesters' tent camp, and there is clear potential for more trouble. A flurry of diplomatic activity is now aimed at reaching some kind of deal before that date.

But it is also clear that whatever deal finally ends this crisis will only be the beginning of the journey toward a much more elusive³¹ solution to Lebanon's deeper systemic troubles.

1 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。

2 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

3 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。

4 confrontations   

n.对抗，对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At times, this potential has escalated into actual confrontations. 有时，这一矛盾升级为实际的对抗。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• These confrontations and uncertainties were bing played out for the first time on a global scale. 所有这一切对抗和不稳定，第一次在全球范围内得到充分的表演。 来自辞典例句

5 maze   

n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑

参考例句：

• He found his way through the complex maze of corridors.他穿过了迷宮一样的走廊。
• She was lost in the maze for several hours.一连几小时，她的头脑处于一片糊涂状态。

6 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

7 billboards   

n.广告牌( billboard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Large billboards have disfigured the scenery. 大型告示板已破坏了景色。 来自辞典例句
• Then, put the logo in magazines and on billboards without telling anyone what it means. 接着我们把这个商标刊在杂志和广告看板上，却不跟任何人透漏它的涵意。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年4月号

8 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

9 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

10 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

11 touting   

v.兜售( tout的现在分词 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• He's been touting his novel around publishers for years. 他几年来一直到处找出版商兜售自己的小说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Technology industry leaders are touting cars as a hot area for growth. 科技产业领袖吹捧为增长热点地区的汽车。 来自互联网

12 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

13 feuding   

vi.长期不和（feud的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Riccardo and Cafiero had been feuding so openly that the whole town knew about it. 里卡多和卡菲埃罗一直公开地闹别扭，全城的人都知道此事。 来自辞典例句
• The two families have been feuding with each other for many generations. 这两个家族有好多代的世仇了。 来自互联网

14 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

15 traction   

n.牵引；附着摩擦力

参考例句：

• I'll show you how the traction is applied.我会让你看如何做这种牵引。
• She's injured her back and is in traction for a month.她背部受伤，正在作一个月的牵引治疗。

16 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

17 degenerated   

衰退，堕落，退化( degenerate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The march degenerated into a riot. 示威游行变成了暴动。
• The wide paved road degenerated into a narrow bumpy track. 铺好的宽阔道路渐渐变窄，成了一条崎岖不平的小径。

18 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

19 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• 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。

20 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

21 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

22 sects   

n.宗派，教派( sect的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had subdued the religious sects, cleaned up Saigon. 他压服了宗教派别，刷新了西贡的面貌。 来自辞典例句

23 chasms   

裂缝( chasm的名词复数 )； 裂口； 分歧； 差别

参考例句：

• She found great chasms in her mathematics and physics. 她觉得她的数学课和物理课的知识还很欠缺。
• The sectarian chasms remain deep, the wounds of strife raw. 各派别的分歧巨大，旧恨新仇交织。

24 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

25 vertical   

adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置

参考例句：

• The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。
• Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。

26 orators   

n.演说者，演讲家( orator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The hired orators continued to pour forth their streams of eloquence. 那些雇来的演说家继续滔滔不绝地施展辩才。 来自辞典例句
• Their ears are too full of bugles and drums and the fine words from stay-at-home orators. 人们的耳朵被军号声和战声以及呆在这的演说家们的漂亮言辞塞得太满了。 来自飘（部分）

27 intensifies   

n.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的名词复数 )v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A clear atmosphere intensifies the blue of the sky. 纯净的空气使天空变得更蓝。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Blowing on fire intensifies the heat. 吹火使热度加强。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

29 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

30 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

31 elusive   

adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的

参考例句：

• Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
• Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。