VOA标准英语2008年-Gaza Cease-Fire Takes Hold After Year of Hamas

By Jim Teeple
Gaza City
19 June 2008

A tenuous¹ truce² took hold Thursday between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants³ in the Gaza Strip. The cessation of hostilities⁴ is the first break from violence that Gazans have enjoyed in more than a year since Hamas Islamic militants took over the territory, ousting⁵ the rival Fatah organization from power in a violent takeover. As VOA's Jim Teeple reports, many Gazans hope the truce will allow them to resume at least a semblance⁶ of normal life.
　

Palestinian children play on the beach in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip, as a six-month truce between Israel and Gaza Strip militants took effect, 19 June 2008

Nearly everyone agrees that the Palmera restaurant in Gaza City serves the best Shwarma and Kebab in Gaza. The Palmera has been an institution in Gaza for years. It is a place where Gazans from all walks of life gather to exchange news, meet friends and of course enjoy a good meal.

But manager Mazen Abdu says the past year has been the most difficult in the Palmera's history.

Abdu says he has been unable to get gas for cooking, parts for his stoves and many of his customers have deserted⁷ him because they do not have money to spend on shwarma. Palestinians returning from abroad do not come anymore because Gaza's borders have been sealed he adds.

One year ago, Hamas militants violently ousted⁸ Fatah forces who controlled Gaza. The takeover ended a short-lived Palestinian unity⁹ government between Hamas and moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who heads Fatah. Since then the two factions¹⁰ have been in a virtual cold war, although recently they have begun talks aimed at reconciliation¹¹.

Following the Hamas takeover, Israel and much of the rest of the international community imposed a strict blockade on Gaza, sealing its borders to all but humanitarian¹² supplies. As a result, Gaza's economy has largely collapsed¹³ and Gazans today are more isolated¹⁴ than ever before.

But one year later, Hamas officials like Fawzi Barhoum defend the takeover, saying it ended a corrupt¹⁵ Fatah regime and brought law and order to the streets of Gaza.

"Before Hamas controlled Gaza there were many shapes of corruption¹⁶ from the security apparatus¹⁷ related to the Palestinian Authority," he said. "Before our control over Gaza there was a complete absence of law. But now after one year of Hamas control, after the freedom of BBC correspondent Alan Johnston, there is an absence of threats to foreigners and Palestinians here in Gaza and the complete implementation¹⁸ of law by Hamas - depending on reforms of the security apparatus professionally. There is no one above the law."

Barhoum says even though Hamas has agreed to a truce with Israel it has no plans to renounce¹⁹ violence or recognize Israel. He also says Hamas has no plans to relinquish²⁰ political control of Gaza anytime soon.

But while there is now law and order in Gaza, there are no public demonstrations²¹ or political activity not approved by Hamas.

The Deputy Director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza, Jabr Wishah, says illegal arrests have increased since the Hamas takeover and the rule of law has largely collapsed. But Wishah says the international blockade imposed to weaken Hamas backfired.

"Hamas did not run short of money, did not run short of weapons, it did not run short of followers²² or potential suicide bombers," he said. " Who suffered from this siege? Normal people, the street level people [suffered]. Unemployment, poverty, death, killing²³ and suffering are the features of the outcome of this collective punishment. This siege, this blockade enhanced extremism more than confronted it."

The blockade has also cut Gaza off from the rest of the world. The 1.5 million people who live in Gaza cannot leave. Earlier this year those frustrations²⁴ boiled over when Hamas militants knocked down the border wall between Gaza and Egypt, and hundreds of thousands of Gazans flooded into Egypt to shop, see relatives or simply escape from Gaza for a few hours.

Fida Abed has a Fulbright Scholarship to study computer science at Columbia University in New York, but Israel says he cannot leave Gaza. He says living in Gaza during the past year has been like living on another planet.

"We divide the world into two worlds; Gaza and the rest of the world - since we have no relations with the other world because all the borders are closed," he noted²⁵. "That is why we are hoping to go to the other world, to exchange our culture with the other world."

Abed might have to wait for some time before he gets his wish.

Israel says it will begin easing access at Gaza's borders if there is progress on the release of an Israeli soldier held by Palestinian militants in Gaza, but there is no indication that will happen anytime soon. For now all Gazans can hope for is that this truce lasts longer than previous ones, giving them a bit of time to recover from a lost year.

1 tenuous   

adj.细薄的，稀薄的，空洞的

参考例句：

• He has a rather tenuous grasp of reality.他对现实认识很肤浅。
• The air ten miles above the earth is very tenuous.距离地面十公里的空气十分稀薄。

2 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。

3 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。

4 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

5 ousting   

驱逐( oust的现在分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• The resulting financial chaos led to the ousting of Bristol-Myers' s boss. 随后引发的财政混乱导致了百时美施贵宝的总裁下台。
• The ousting of the president has drawn widespread criticism across Latin America and the wider world. 洪都拉斯总统被驱逐时间引起拉丁美洲甚至全世界的广泛批评。

6 semblance   

n.外貌，外表

参考例句：

• Her semblance of anger frightened the children.她生气的样子使孩子们感到害怕。
• Those clouds have the semblance of a large head.那些云的形状像一个巨大的人头。

7 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

8 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

9 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

10 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

11 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。

12 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

13 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

14 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

15 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

16 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。

17 apparatus   

n.装置，器械；器具，设备

参考例句：

• The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
• They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。

18 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

19 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

20 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。

21 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

22 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

23 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

24 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

25 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。