VOA标准英语2010年-US, Jordan Urge Speedy Upgrade in Midd

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh speak to the media at the State Department in Washington, 8 Jul 2010

The U.S.-Jordanian meeting came only two days after a White House visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he told President Obama his government is prepared to take concrete steps to upgrade the indirect talks.

Standing¹ alongside her Jordanian counterpart, Secretary Clinton said they both believe moving to direct talks as soon as possible is in the best interest of everyone in the region.

"We believe that all the issues that need to be resolved between the parties must be discussed in direct negotiations²," said Clinton.  "The sooner that the Israelis and Palestinian get into direct negotiations, the sooner they can actually make decisions.  That's the way it's worked in the past, that is the only way it can work today."

Foreign Minister Judeh, for his part, said the atmospherics of the indirect talks being mediated³ by U.S. Middle east envoy⁴ George Mitchell seem to be encouraging, and provide a lot of room for hope.

The Jordanian official said the 2002 Arab League peace initiative offers the prospect⁵ of full, normalized relations between Israel and 57 Arab and Islamic countries, if there is a final peace accord providing for Israel withdrawal⁶ from occupied areas.  He said in the interim⁷, Arab states are prepared to tangibly⁸ support full peace negotiations.

"I think once direct negotiations resume, you will see an engagement by the overall Arab context and tangible⁹ support that you refer to," said Judeh.  "But let's not put the cart before the horse. Let's try to get a process going, not an open-ended process, not another timeless kind of engagement.  We need to see benchmarks and we need to see traction¹⁰ on the ground."

The Jordanian Foreign Minister was not specific about what tangible support for peace talks might entail¹¹.  U.S. envoy Mitchell has long been urging moderate Arab states to make confidence-building gestures toward Israel, such as granting airline over-flight rights and reopening trade missions closed after the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas at the end of 2008.

Key U.S. Arab allies, including Saudi Arabia, have rejected such steps, which Mitchell says would encourage a political consensus¹² for peace in Israel.

Foreign Minister Judeh, whose country signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, said a conducive¹³ environment for full peace talks requires an end to what he termed provocative¹⁴ and unilateral actions by Israel in occupied areas, including housing demolitions¹⁵ and evictions of Palestinians.

Judeh said direct talks should resume at the point they broke off in 2008, when the Palestinian Authority and government of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert were said to be in broad agreement on the outlines of a Palestinian state.

Clinton said such a state should be independent, viable¹⁶ and contiguous with borders based on pre-1967 truce¹⁷ lines, but with agreed land swaps¹⁸ and reflecting subsequent developments.

 

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 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。

3 mediated   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

4 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。

5 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

6 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

7 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

8 tangibly   

adv.可触摸的，可触知地，明白地

参考例句：

• Suddenly the problem of future loomed tangibly for me. 突然，前途的问题明确地出现在我眼前。 来自辞典例句
• Virtue is tangibly rewarded. 善行得到具体的报答。 来自互联网

9 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

10 traction   

n.牵引；附着摩擦力

参考例句：

• I'll show you how the traction is applied.我会让你看如何做这种牵引。
• She's injured her back and is in traction for a month.她背部受伤，正在作一个月的牵引治疗。

11 entail   

vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要

参考例句：

• Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.这样的决定势必带来巨大的政治风险。
• This job would entail your learning how to use a computer.这工作将需要你学会怎样用计算机。

12 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

13 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

14 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。

15 demolitions   

n.毁坏，破坏，拆毁( demolition的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Randy Couture as Toll Road, an Expendable and demolitions expert. 大卫·萨亚斯饰演加尔扎将军，邪恶的独裁者。 来自互联网
• Allied Demolitions upgrade moved one slot to the left on the Allied HQ UI. 盟军的爆破升级在指挥部界面中左移一格（由于现在没钳子升级了，所以填钳子的位置）。 来自互联网

16 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

17 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。

18 swaps   

交换( swap的名词复数 )； 交换物，被掉换者

参考例句：

• He swaps his old car for a new motorcycle. 他用旧车换了一辆新摩托车。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语
• Swaps the anchor and end points of the current selection. 交换当前所选内容的定位点和结束点。