VOA标准英语2008年-Abbas, Olmert Meet Before Bush Visit

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
08 January 2008

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held a final meeting Tuesday before their separate talks with President Bush this week during his visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories.  VOA's Jim Teeple reports from Jerusalem.

Just hours before President Bush is due to touch down in Israel, Mr. Olmert and Mr. Abbas met in Jerusalem.

Neither man issued any public statements following the meeting, but they instructed their negotiators to form working groups to discuss core issues such as the status of Jerusalem, Israel's borders with a future Palestinian state and the issue of Palestinian refugees.  The talks are supposed to lead to the formation of a Palestinian state by the end of this year. 

Talks between the two sides have been bogged¹ down since last November's Annapolis, Maryland Mideast peace conference, with Palestinians angry over continued Israeli settlement expansion in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and Israelis angry over continued Palestinian militant² attacks. 

Mahdi Abdel Hadi who heads the Palestinian research group PASSIA says both Mr. Olmert and Mr. Abbas are politically weakened, and it is unlikely either man can probably give the other what he wants. 

"I think both leaders, Olmert and Abbas are weak, vis-à-vis their constituencies," he explained.  "It is what they can deliver to their own societies.  Olmert is facing challenges by other leaders to take over the prime ministership.  Abbas is challenged by the partition between Gaza and the West Bank and there have been no improvements to the quality of life under occupation."

Since their last meeting with Mr. Bush at the Annapolis Mideast peace conference, Mr. Abbas and Mr. Olmert have each accused the other of reneging on pledges to advance the peace process.  Now it will be up to Mr. Bush to see if he can get Mr. Abbas and Mr. Olmert to bridge their differences and get the peace process that was revived at Annapolis back on track.

1 bogged   

adj.陷于泥沼的v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的过去式和过去分词 )；妨碍，阻碍

参考例句：

• The professor bogged down in the middle of his speech. 教授的演讲只说了一半便讲不下去了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The tractor is bogged down in the mud. 拖拉机陷入了泥沼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。