VOA标准英语2009年-Rocket Attack Prompts New Israeli Threats on Ga

Israel says it is prepared to respond with great force after a long-range Grad missile fired from the Gaza Strip landed in the southern Israeli port city of Ashkelon.
　
An Israeli examines his car, damaged by a rocket fired by Palestinian militants² from the Gaza Strip, in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, 03 Feb 2009

Israeli officials say no one was injured when the rocket struck in the middle of a street in a residential³ area.

Over 1,000 killed in three-week offensive

It was the first long-range rocket to be fired from Gaza since Israel and rival Hamas leaders declared separate cease-fires more than two weeks ago, ending a 22-day Israeli assault on Gaza. Palestinian officials and human rights groups say the offensive killed nearly 1,300 people.

Israel responded immediately with threats of a new assault if the rocket attacks continue.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokesman, Mark Regev, told VOA Israel blames Hamas for any new, large-scale violence that erupts.

"Hamas is acting⁵ to deliberately⁶ undermine any possibility of quiet," Regev said, "deliberately undermine any possibility of sustained peace and quiet for the people in the South. And, if escalation⁷ is about to happen, Hamas has no one but themselves to blame."

Hamas willing to stop attacks in exchange for guarantees

The attack came as Egypt continues efforts to mediate⁴ a sustained truce⁸ between Israel and Hamas. A Hamas official, Mushir Al-Musri, told Israel Radio his group is prepared to stop its attacks if it gets the guarantees it seeks.

He said that if Israel commits to a cease-fire and opens the border crossings, Hamas will be committed "in iron" to halting attacks. The Hamas official said there would be no more rockets or other attacks.

Hamas has offered a one-year cease-fire if Israel lifts its blockade on all border crossings.

Israel imposed the blockade after Hamas seized control of Gaza following elections in 2006. The militant¹ Islamist group does not recognize Israel and its charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish State.

Analysts⁹ say continuing violence bolsters¹⁰ Netanyahu campaign

The rocket attack on Ashkelon is the latest of several incidents of violence since the January 18 cease-fire. A roadside bomb on the Gaza border killed one Israeli soldier last week and Israel has carried out a number of air strikes on militant targets. Residents of southern Gaza said Israeli aircraft bombed smuggling¹¹ tunnels Tuesday on the border with Egypt.

Political analysts say the continuation of violence appears to be bolstering¹² the campaign of hard-line candidate for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before national elections take place next Tuesday. Polls show Mr. Netanyahu in the lead, ahead of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense¹³ Minister Ehud Barak.

Netanyahu visited the scene of the rocket attack in Ashkelon and Israeli news reports quoted him as saying "the only way to remove the rocket threat is to topple the Hamas regime."

1 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。

2 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。

3 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

4 mediate   

vi.调解，斡旋；vt.经调解解决；经斡旋促成

参考例句：

• The state must mediate the struggle for water resources.政府必须通过调解来解决对水资源的争夺。
• They may be able to mediate between parties with different interests.他们也许能在不同利益政党之间进行斡旋。

5 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

6 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

7 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

8 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。

9 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。

10 bolsters   

n.长枕( bolster的名词复数 )；垫子；衬垫；支持物v.支持( bolster的第三人称单数 )；支撑；给予必要的支持；援助

参考例句：

• He used a couple of bolsters to elevate his head. 他用两个垫枕垫头。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The double-row piles with both inclined and horizontal bolsters also analyzed in consideration of staged excavation. 本文亦分析了考虑开挖过程的安置斜撑与带支撑的双排桩支护结构。 来自互联网

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 bolstering   

v.支持( bolster的现在分词 )；支撑；给予必要的支持；援助

参考例句：

• Why should Donahue's people concern themselves with bolstering your image? 唐纳休的人为什么要费心维护你的形象？ 来自辞典例句
• He needed bolstering and support. 他需要别人助他一臂之力。 来自辞典例句

13 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。