VOA标准英语2008年-US Secretary of State Heads to Middle East for

The State Department confirmed Friday that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will go to the Middle East next week in another effort to advance Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. U.S. officials deny trying to rush the process. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
　

Condoleezza Rice at President George W. Bush's Crawford ranch1, 16 Aug 2006

Rice's trip to the region early next week for talks with senior Israel and Palestinian officials will be her eighth such mission this year.

The trip, beginning Sunday, comes amid declining hopes that the parties can reach the goal set at the Annapolis conference last November for a final accord on a two-state settlement of the conflict by the end of this year.

The State Department insists that the secretary has not given up on that goal. But at the same time, Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood says Rice has no intention of trying to force a deal in the remaining time available that might only serve to inflame² tensions:

"We still believe that an agreement can be reached by the end of the year," he said. "But there's no attempt on the part of the U.S. government to push the parties beyond where they believe they can go. The important thing here is that both sides have committed to trying to reach an agreement. It's in the best interest of both peoples, it's in the best interests of the United States, and the rest of the international community."

On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni publicly warned against outside efforts to pressure the sides to come up with an agreement this year, saying violence could erupt if they failed to meet international expectations.

The remarks by Livni, Israel's chief negotiator in the peace talks, were an apparent reference to the failed effort by former President Bill Clinton to nail down a peace agreement at the end of his term, which was followed by the warfare³ of the second Palestinian "Intifada."

Rice was originally expected to make the planned Middle east trip earlier this month but it was postponed⁴ because of the Georgia crisis.

She plans further meetings with the two parties on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly next month in New York, though U.S. officials have discouraged press speculation⁵ that she hopes by that time to get a partial list of Israeli-Palestinian agreements on paper.

Analysts⁶ say chances for an early agreement have been all but doomed⁷ by the political weakness of both the governments of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Livni said Thursday in Jerusalem no peace deal could be implemented⁸ as long as the radical⁹ Hamas movement controls the Gaza strip, and also said resettlement rights of Palestinian refugees would be limited to the envisaged¹⁰ Palestinian state.

That comment drew a rebuke¹¹ from Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat who advised Livni to, as he put it, "confine the negotiations¹² to the negotiating room."

1 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

2 inflame   

v.使燃烧；使极度激动；使发炎

参考例句：

• Our lack of response seemed to inflame the colonel.由于我们没有反应,好象惹恼了那个上校。
• Chemical agents manufactured by our immune system inflame our cells and tissues,causing our nose to run and our throat to swell.我们的免疫系统产生的化学物质导致我们的细胞和组织发炎，导致我们流鼻水和我们的喉咙膨胀。

3 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

4 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

5 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

7 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

8 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

9 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

10 envisaged   

想像，设想( envisage的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He envisaged an old age of loneliness and poverty. 他面对着一个孤独而贫困的晚年。
• Henry Ford envisaged an important future for the motor car. 亨利·福特为汽车设想了一个远大前程。

11 rebuke   

v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise

参考例句：

• He had to put up with a smart rebuke from the teacher.他不得不忍受老师的严厉指责。
• Even one minute's lateness would earn a stern rebuke.哪怕迟到一分钟也将受到严厉的斥责。

12 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。