VOA标准英语2009年-Egypt Bids to Mediate Israeli-Palestinian Cease

Two top Israeli envoys² are in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to attend talks with Egyptian mediators, in a bid to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. Palestinian representatives are meeting with the Egyptians separately.

Egyptian diplomats³ are conducting grueling diplomatic negotiations⁴ with Israeli and Palestinian representatives in Cairo.
　

Palestinians gather around the ruins of Al-Noor Mosque5 following Israeli airstrike in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, 08 Jan 2009

Diplomats were closed-lipped about progress in the discussions, but officials from the militant⁶ Hamas group, which controls the Gaza Strip, cast a pall⁷ over the talks by declaring from Damascus that an Egyptian peace proposal was "not an acceptable basis" for solving the crisis.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit earlier indicated that Israeli and Hamas negotiators will not meet face-to-face.

Egypt has reportedly been trying to reach a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which may later evolve into a permanent ceasefire.

Al Jazeera TV reports that Israeli Defense⁸ Ministry⁹ envoy¹ Amos Gilad was conferring with Egyptian Intelligence Head, General Omar Suleiman, the architect of a six-month truce¹⁰ last year between Israel and Hamas.

Talks between Egypt and Israel reportedly center around putting an end to weapons smuggling¹¹ through tunnels into Gaza from the Egyptian side of the border. A ceasefire will reportedly be called, once the border can be secured.

The issue of re-opening border crossings into Gaza remains¹² a stumbling block, because Hamas is insisting they be reopened immediately and unconditionally¹³.
　

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, right, hugs his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy at the end of a press conference in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, 06 Jan 2009

Meanwhile, French President Nicholas Sarkozy, who jointly¹⁴ authored a peace plan with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, brought German Prime Minister Angela Merkel on board to support it, following meetings in Paris. Both said they are prepared to do whatever is necessary to reach a Gaza ceasefire, putting an end to Israel's 13-day-old military offensive.

Mr. Sarkozy indicated that he was grateful to Syrian President Bashar al Assad, and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin¹⁵ Khalifa al-Thani for putting pressure on Hamas to stop its rocket attacks against Israel. Hamas, whose top leader is based in Damascus, is an ally of Syria.

German Prime Minister Merkel said "time is of the essence" and everything must be done to get a quick ceasefire, including guarantees for Israel's security and an end to weapons smuggling.

Also in Paris, Mideast Envoy Tony Blair said he believes a deal is possible if it includes the closing of tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border and a reopening of border passages.

He says a truce would be a short-term solution, but for the long term, it is absolutely necessary to have a negotiated peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Egypt wants the European Union, which helps run the Rafah border post, on the Egyptian border, and the Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas, to negotiate the details of reopening the crossing, later.

But Hamas says that European monitors would be considered "hostile forces".

Palestinian sources say President Mahmoud Abbas is due Friday in Cairo to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is also expected to visit Egypt on Saturday or Sunday, but it is not clear if he will meet with Mr. Abbas.

1 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 envoys   

使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份

参考例句：

• the routine tit for tat when countries expel each other's envoys 国家相互驱逐对方使节这种惯常的报复行动
• Marco Polo's travelogue mentions that Kublai Khan sent envoys to Malgache. 马可波罗游记中提到忽必烈曾派使节到马尔加什。

3 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

6 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。

7 pall   

v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕

参考例句：

• Already the allure of meals in restaurants had begun to pall.饭店里的饭菜已经不像以前那样诱人。
• I find his books begin to pall on me after a while.我发觉他的书读过一阵子就开始对我失去吸引力。

8 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。

9 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

10 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。

11 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。

12 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

13 unconditionally   

adv.无条件地

参考例句：

• All foreign troops must be withdrawn immediately and unconditionally. 所有外国军队必须立即无条件地撤出。
• It makes things very awkward to have your girls going back unconditionally just now! 你们现在是无条件上工，真糟糕！ 来自子夜部分

14 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

15 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。