2007年VOA标准英语-Blair in Middle East in Effort to Reactivate Pe

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
23 July 2007

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the new Mideast peace envoy¹ has begun a two-day trip to the Middle East. VOA's Jim Teeple has details from our Jerusalem bureau.

New Quartet Mideast Envoy and Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair (r) shakes hands with Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni prior to their meeting in Jerusalem, 23 Jul 2007

Tony Blair met with Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni shortly after he arrived in Israel. Earlier in the day he held talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdel Ilah al-Khatib in Amman.

Mr. Blair meets with Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday as the new representative of the Quartet of Mideast Negotiators, made up of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations.

Shlomo Ben-Ami, a former Israeli Foreign Minister, and a key participant in past Mideast peace talks says Mr. Blair will be taken seriously by both Israelis and Palestinians.

"Well I think Tony Blair will obviously be taken seriously for two reasons; one because of his own caliber², and his image, and the reality of him being a friend of Israel. And, the second reason is him being a friend of President Bush," said Ben-Ami.

"These are two major reasons we will make him most welcome him here in Israel. That will be slightly less so perhaps in the Palestinian Authority because the Arab family is more suspicious because of his close association, both to Bush and to Israel," he added. 

Last week at a meeting in Portugal, members of the Quartet gave Mr. Blair a mandate³ to help prepare for an eventual⁴ Palestinian state by encouraging reforms and building up institutions in the Palestinian territories.

However, Mr. Blair has no independent authority to negotiate peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians - raising questions about his effectiveness in his new role.

While Mr. Blair will hold talks with Mr. Abbas he will have no dealings with Hamas officials who last month seized power in the Gaza Strip effectively dividing the Palestinian territories in two.

Hamas officials criticized his appointment, but say they are willing to talk to the former British prime minister - something that is unlikely to happen because of the Hamas refusal to recognize Israel.

Last week President Bush called for an international peace conference on the Middle East later this year. Later this week the Foreign Ministers of Egypt and Jordan are expected to visit Israel to discuss the so-called Arab Peace Plan with Israeli officials. The plan calls for Israel to withdraw to its 1967 borders in exchange for recognition from Arab states.

1 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。

2 caliber   

n.能力；水准

参考例句：

• They ought to win with players of such high caliber.他们选手的能力这样高,应该获胜。
• We are always trying to improve the caliber of our schools.我们一直在想方设法提高我们学校的水平。

3 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

4 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。