VOA标准英语2008年-Israel Threatens Major Military Offensive in Ga

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
06 June 2008

Israel is threatening to invade the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Robert Berger reports from the VOA bureau in Jerusalem.
　

President George Bush (r) and Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the White House, 04 Jun 2008

Returning home from Washington, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel is considering a major military offensive in Gaza.

"At this moment the pendulum¹ is swinging closer to military action in Gaza than anything else," Mr. Olmert said.

He was responding to a Palestinian mortar² attack Thursday that killed an Israeli on a kibbutz or collective farm, the third kibbutz resident killed in a month.

Mr. Olmert said the failure to achieve a cease-fire after months of mediation³ efforts by Egypt made an invasion of Gaza more likely. Hamas, which rules Gaza, has offered Israel a truce⁴, but the Islamic militant⁵ group has refused to meet Israeli conditions including a halt to weapons smuggling⁶ from Egypt and releasing a captive Israeli soldier.

Palestinian analyst⁷ Wadia Abu Nasser says Israel should reconsider.

"This cease-fire, it is of the interest of both Israel and Hamas," said Abu Nasser.

Abu Nasser says Hamas would benefit by Israel lifting its crippling blockade on Gaza, and Israel would get peace and quiet for weary residents in the south.

A truce could also give a boost to the peace process. The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank has warned Israel that an invasion of Gaza would torpedo⁸ efforts by the United States to reach a peace agreement by the end of the year.

1 pendulum   

n.摆，钟摆

参考例句：

• The pendulum swung slowly to and fro.钟摆在慢慢地来回摆动。
• He accidentally found that the desk clock did not swing its pendulum.他无意中发现座钟不摇摆了。

2 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

3 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

4 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

5 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。

6 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

7 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。

8 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。