VOA标准英语2009年-Israel, Palestinian Authority Welcome Obama Pla

Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank have welcomed President Obama's announcement that he will "aggressively" pursue peace in the Middle East.

"It must instill in us a sense of urgency, as history shows us that strong and sustained American engagement can bridge divides and build the capacity that supports progress," he said.
　
President Barack Obama looks on as Middle East envoy¹ George Mitchell speaks at the State Department in Washington, 22 Jan. 2009

Mr. Obama appointed former senator George Mitchell as Mideast envoy and said he would visit the region soon.

Danny Ayalon, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington, said Mitchell is a good choice.

"He's very much versed² about the complexity³ of the conflict. I think as a person he is very effective in what he does. I believe he understands Israeli concerns," said Ayalon.

But many Israeli analysts⁴ believe Mitchell's appointment signals a departure from the pro-Israel policies of President Bush to a more balanced diplomacy⁵. This was evident in Mr. Obama's comments on the Gaza war: He condemned⁶ Hamas rocket attacks and weapons smuggling⁷, but also said that the Palestinians need a future with hope.
　
Hanan Ashrawi (2008 file photo)

"It's extremely important for the president and the new administration to adopt a hands-on policy, but a hands-on policy means that they have to have an even-handed approach to peacemaking," said Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi.

Despite the good will, the Obama administration faces enormous obstacles, not only because of territorial⁸ disputes between Israel and the Palestinians, but also because the Palestinians are divided among themselves. Palestinian moderates rule the West Bank, while the Islamic militants⁹ of Hamas control Gaza. Hamas rejected President Obama's criticism of weapons smuggling, saying armed resistance is a fundamental Palestinian right.

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 versed   

adj. 精通，熟练

参考例句：

• He is well versed in history.他精通历史。
• He versed himself in European literature. 他精通欧洲文学。

3 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

4 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。

5 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

6 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

7 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。

8 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

9 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。