VOA标准英语2008年-Israel Hints at Uprooting Settlements in Peace

By David Gollust
Jerusalem
04 May 2008

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni indicated Sunday Israel may uproot¹ some of its West Bank settlements as part of a peace accord with the Palestinians. Livni spoke² at the start of a meeting Sunday with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. VOA's David Gollust reports from Jerusalem.

Palestinians have bitterly complained about recent Israeli moves to add housing units to West Bank settlements, even as negotiators for the two sides are working for a peace accord by year's end, as pledged at last November's Annapolis conference.

But at a joint³ press appearance with Rice as the Secretary neared the end of a two-day visit to the region, Livni noted⁴ that Israel dismantled⁵ its Gaza settlements in the disengagement of 2005, and said that settlements are no barrier to the broader peace process:

"I would like to say clearly that while negotiating the final status issues - the borders and territory of a future Palestinian state, we showed especially in the disengagement plan from the Gaza strip that settlements are not an obstacle when it comes to - well it was not a peace process - but when there was a need for Israel to withdraw and to send a message of peace, we also dismantled the settlements," said Tzipi Livni.

Livni said the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stopped building new settlements and confiscating⁶ land from Palestinians, and has no hidden agenda to effect a land grab before a peace accord is concluded.

Earlier Sunday in Ramallah, Rice heard harsh criticism of Israeli policy from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who accuses Israel of undermining peace talks by settlement building and refusing to remove hundreds of security checkpoints in the West Bank.

Israel promised to remove 50 roadblocks during an earlier Rice visit in March, but Palestinians say many of those taken down were in remote places and their removal has not materially improved West Bank movement and access.

Rice told reporters she had raised the checkpoint issue earlier Sunday with Israeli Defense⁷ Minister Ehud Barak and that she is interested in not just the quantity, but also the quality, of Israeli steps to improve the everyday lives of Palestinians.

As to settlements, she said the United States opposes action by either side that would prejudge the outcome of negotiations⁸:

"The United States continues to hold the view that settlement activity is contrary to Roadmap obligations, and continues to raise with the Israelis the importance of creating an atmosphere that is conducive⁹ to negotiations of the final-status agreement," said Condoleezza Rice. "And that means doing nothing certainly that would suggest there is any prejudicing of the final terms for final status negotiations."

The Secretary took part in two trilateral meetings with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators. But she has avoided comment on the substance of the peace talks and scrapped¹⁰ plans to brief State Department reporters late Sunday.

She scheduled a second meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert for Monday before her scheduled departure for Washington. Olmert has become the subject of a police investigation¹¹ on reported corruption¹² charges, a development that could threaten the survival of his centrist coalition¹³ government.

Rice told reporters the probe is an internal matter for Israel. She said had a very good discussion with Mr. Olmert Saturday and expects the dialogue to continue as the drive for a peace accord in 2008 continues.

1 uproot   

v.连根拔起，拔除；根除，灭绝；赶出家园，被迫移开

参考例句：

• The family decided to uproot themselves and emigrate to Australia.他们全家决定离开故土，移居澳大利亚。
• The trunk of an elephant is powerful enough to uproot trees.大象的长鼻强壮得足以将树木连根拔起。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 dismantled   

拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消

参考例句：

• The plant was dismantled of all its equipment and furniture. 这家工厂的设备和家具全被拆除了。
• The Japanese empire was quickly dismantled. 日本帝国很快被打垮了。

6 confiscating   

没收（confiscate的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• There was Mame by my side confiscating my intellects and attention. 有玛米坐在我身边，害得我心不在焉。
• Intimidate book sellers by confiscating books deemed unfavourable to the Barisan government. 充公被视为对国阵不利的书籍，威胁书商。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 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。

9 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

10 scrapped   

废弃(scrap的过去式与过去分词)； 打架

参考例句：

• This machine is so old that it will soon have to be scrapped. 这架机器太旧，快报废了。
• It had been thought that passport controls would be scrapped. 人们曾认为会放开护照管制。

11 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

12 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

13 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。