VOA常速英语2008年-Cheney Accuses Hamas, Syria and Iran of Trying

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
24 March 2008

U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney said Monday that Hamas militants¹, backed by Syria and Iran are trying to "torpedo²" current peace negotiations³ between Israel and moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Jim Teeple has details from our Jerusalem bureau.

Speaking just before he left Israel after two days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Mr. Cheney accused Hamas militants and their backers in Syria and Iran of doing everything they can to sabotage⁴ the current round of negotiations between Israel and the moderate Palestinian government of President Mahmoud Abbas.

His comments came following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Mr. Olmert's spokesman Mark Regev says there is plenty of evidence to back up Mr. Cheney's claims.

"We have no doubt that the extremist elements; Hamas, Islamic Jihad the Iranians will do what they can to destroy any chance of the peace process succeeding," said Regev. "We see evidence of that every day. They are shooting rockets into Israel, they want to provoke an escalation⁵, and they do not want to see the peace process succeed."

 

Mr. Cheney also said that he and senior Palestinian leaders had discussed a proposed reconciliation⁶ agreement between Mr. Abbas's Fatah movement and Hamas militants who control the Gaza Strip.

On Sunday representatives of the two Palestinian factions⁷ meeting in Yemen, agreed to hold direct talks in the near future. The U.S. vice-president says he believes Mr. Abbas has set preconditions for the talks that would require Hamas to relinquish⁸ control in Gaza before any reconciliation could take place. A statement from Mr. Abbas's office confirmed that policy but Hamas militants say the agreement reached in Yemen has no preconditions.

U.S. and Israeli officials say they will have nothing to do with Hamas unless and until the group renounces⁹ violence and agrees to recognize Israel.

1 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

2 torpedo   

n.水雷，地雷；v.用鱼雷破坏

参考例句：

• His ship was blown up by a torpedo.他的船被一枚鱼雷炸毁了。
• Torpedo boats played an important role during World War Two.鱼雷艇在第二次世界大战中发挥了重要作用。

3 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。

4 sabotage   

n.怠工，破坏活动，破坏；v.从事破坏活动，妨害，破坏

参考例句：

• They tried to sabotage my birthday party.他们企图破坏我的生日晚会。
• The fire at the factory was caused by sabotage.那家工厂的火灾是有人蓄意破坏引起的。

5 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

6 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

7 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

8 relinquish   

v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手

参考例句：

• He was forced to relinquish control of the company.他被迫放弃公司的掌控权。
• They will never voluntarily relinquish their independence.他们绝对不会自动放弃独立。

9 renounces   

v.声明放弃( renounce的第三人称单数 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃

参考例句：

• Japan renounces all right, title and claim to Formosa and the Pescadores. 日本放弃对福尔摩沙（台湾）及澎湖的一切权利，主张（名称）及所有权。 来自互联网
• He renounces Christianity, temporarily straining his relationship with his parents. 他放弃了基督教信仰，从而与父母的关系暂时变得紧张。 来自互联网