VOA标准英语2010年-Arab Views of Peace Talks Tend Toward

The relaunching of peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Washington has been greeted with a fair degree of skepticism in the Arab world.

 

The mixed reaction to the renewed talks could be seen in the comments of Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa.  Before negotiations¹ got under way, he said he was pessimistic about the chance of success, but is now stressing that the talks must be given a chance.

An informal survey of the mood on the streets of Beirut, where some areas are still being rebuilt after a 2006 conflict with Israel, turned up repeated expressions of pessimism².  The only variation seemed to be the reason for the low expectations.

Some, like Hashim, an oil business consultant³, were suspicious of Israeli motives⁴, especially in light of past promises not to keep building on Palestinian lands.

 
"I think with the current Israeli government, they're not going to give in on anything," he said. "They've already drawn⁵ the line on where they want the borders to be.  The stettlements aren't going away. So what's going to change?  Nothing's going to change.  The Israelis are not going to budge⁶ on any of that.  Ever since the Oslo peace treaty, the number of settlements have been increasing exponentially.  So they don't care."

Others, like this student, Justine, spreads the blame, saying the region is not ready for peace. "Everyone is telling me the war will come soon, will come back," he said.  "It could be with Israel, or it could be a civil war again.  No one thinks that the country is at peace now.  So peace talk in Washington, I don't think it will change the atmosphere here".

Others expressed hostility⁷ to even the idea of talks.   This young man is between jobs as a telecommunications consultant.

"Any peace talks with the Israelis is a kind of surrender by traitors⁸.  That's how I see the peace talks.  There shouldn't be any peace talks with the Israelis.  There's no basis for peace.  Somebody came and took your land, so what are you negotiating?  The only solution is to get out of that land.  That's it," he said.

Others, such as this young woman, Yasmin, says there could be a practical solution, if conditions were different. "It's like a business deal," she said. "So when there is common interests, maybe we can get to a certain agreement for, like, a truce⁹.  But if there is no common ground, then no."

The popular view of an unfair situation regarding the Palestinians is shared by many intellectuals and officials as well.    But some, like Paul Salem, the director of the Carnegie Middle East Center, offers a glimmer¹⁰ of hope the talks could succeed.

"What we're talking about here is a settlement, not a just peace," he said.  "And that's very sad.  That's very unfortunate.  But that also seems to be the reality.  And many Palestinian leaders and other leaders around the world acknowledge this difficulty:  how do you adjust to a situation which is not just?  But at the end of the day, life needs to go on."

Salem adds the Palestinians need a homeland of sorts, even if its not the homeland they deserve, and a growing sense of the need to move forward.
 

1 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。

2 pessimism   

n.悲观者，悲观主义者，厌世者

参考例句：

• He displayed his usual pessimism.他流露出惯有的悲观。
• There is the note of pessimism in his writings.他的著作带有悲观色彩。

3 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

4 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

5 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

6 budge   

v.移动一点儿；改变立场

参考例句：

• We tried to lift the rock but it wouldn't budge.我们试图把大石头抬起来，但它连动都没动一下。
• She wouldn't budge on the issue.她在这个问题上不肯让步。

7 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

8 traitors   

卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人

参考例句：

• Traitors are held in infamy. 叛徒为人所不齿。
• Traitors have always been treated with contempt. 叛徒永被人们唾弃。

9 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。

10 glimmer   

v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光

参考例句：

• I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。
• A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。