VOA标准英语2011--Egypt Angered by Israel's 'Regret' for B

Egypt Angered by Israel's 'Regret' for Border Guard Deaths

Egypt says it will withdraw its ambassador from Israel following Israeli military action that killed three members of Egypt's security forces along the two nations' border. Israel says its military action was aimed at Gaza militants¹ who had staged attacks inside Israel, and that it regrets the deaths. But that has done little to calm public anger in Egypt.
Israeli Defense² Minister Ehud Barak promised a full investigation³ of what happened Thursday at the Egyptian-Israeli border, and said Israel regrets the deaths of the three Egyptians. His comments were seen as less than an apology for Israel's actions while pursuing militants from Gaza who had staged attacks in southern Israel, and public reaction was swift here in Cairo.
Angry street protests outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo have been going on for several days, and the Egyptian press has mounted a war of words against the Jewish state.
An Egyptian army checkpoint protects the Israeli embassy in Cairo's Giza district, but hundreds of protesters tried to break those barriers early Saturday. The crowd chanted slogans calling for expulsion of Israel's ambassador in Egypt, and demanded suspension of a controversial agreement with Israel for the sale of natural gas.
One middle-aged⁴ activist⁵ said the killings⁷ of the Egyptian soldiers requires retaliation⁸ by Egypt.
He said the people will not accept that killing⁶ of any Egyptians at the border, either by accident or intentionally⁹. An era of "turning the other cheek" is over, this demonstrator insists. He says the Egyptian people will react if their government and Supreme¹⁰ Military Council do not.
A government spokesman, Information Minister Osama Haikal, said Egypt can defend its lengthy¹¹ cross-Sinai border with Israel, but that both states must share the responsibility of keeping the peace there.
Egypt can protect its border and ensure that it controls Sinai, the information minister says, while stressing that Israel and Egypt both are responsible for security there.
Said Sadek, who teaches political sociology at the American University in Cairo, says both Egypt and Israel are exploiting the current climate for domestic political purposes, and to divert attention away from internal crises.
"Foreign policy is always an excuse for trouble in domestic policy," said Sadek. "Both Egypt and Israel are having domestic problems. And so, the skirmishes that took place near the Egyptian-Israeli border [are] serving both sides politically in the domestic field."
Sadek says Egypt's ruling Supreme Military Council and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu probably both have gained domestic support over the past few days, but he asks:
"Would that escalate¹² into a war? Look, I don't think so," added Sadek. "Both sides are playing on the verge¹³ of a conflict to serve the domestic agenda, but I don't think they will go as far as that."
Israel's airstrikes in Gaza have been answered by salvos of rockets fired into Israel from Gaza, which continued Saturday.

1 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。

2 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。

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

5 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

6 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

7 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

8 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

10 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

11 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

12 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

13 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。