VOA标准英语2012--Israelis, Palestinians Face Sharp Challenges in 2013_在线英语听力室

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Israelis, Palestinians Face Sharp Challenges in 2013

Residents of Gaza have yet to recover from the exchange of aerial bombardments with Israel in late November and face rebuilding in the coming year. Six Israelis and more than 170 Palestinians were killed in the eight-day conflict.

Some buildings in Israel were damaged. But in Gaza more than 200 buildings were destroyed and several thousand damaged. It will cost an estimated $300 million to rebuild.

Israel reduced the threat of rockets fired from Gaza by Palestinian militants¹. But Gaza-based analyst² Mkhaimar Abusada says the conflict boosted Islamist Hamas and weakened Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, known as Abu Mazen.

"It's Hamas who is calling the shots. It's Hamas who decides if there is a cease-fire or there isn't going to be a cease-fire. It's not Abu Mazen or the PLO or the secular³ camp in the Palestinian society," Abusada stated.

The Gaza conflict eased the international isolation⁴ of Hamas as more than half-a-dozen foreign ministers from the region visited for the first time since the Hamas takeover five years ago.

A week after the cease-fire, the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution elevating the Palestinians to a non-member observer state.

"Now we have a Palestinian state," Abbas said.

Abbas returned home in triumph but analysts⁵ say the boost was symbolic⁶, and temporary.

Israeli analyst Shlomo Brom notes that most of Israel's allies either voted for the Palestinian resolution or abstained⁷. "The important ramification⁸ is the strategic ramification, the fact that Israel is becoming isolated⁹ more and more from even those that traditionally are considered its allies."

Israelis also are worried about efforts in the West to impose boycotts¹⁰ and sanctions, and by the rising power of Islamists from popular uprisings in neighboring states.

Palestinian analyst Rami Nasrallah says the real problem is Israel refuses to stop building settlements in the West Bank even though it can never hope to dominate the Palestinians there. "That's the challenge when it comes to the Israeli public. They know how to face a security threat but they don't know how to face peace," noted¹¹ Nasrallah.

The Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stalled for years. And there is little expectation on either side that they will resume in the coming year.

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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 analyst
n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家
参考例句：
What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？ The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

3 secular
n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的
参考例句：
We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。 Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

4 isolation
n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离
参考例句：
The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。 He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

5 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。

6 symbolic
adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的
参考例句：
It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。 The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

7 abstained
v.戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的过去式和过去分词 )；弃权（不投票）
参考例句：
Ten people voted in favour, five against and two abstained. 十人投票赞成，五人反对，两人弃权。 They collectively abstained (from voting) in the elections for local councilors. 他们在地方议会议员选举中集体弃权。来自《简明英汉词典》

8 ramification
n.分枝，分派，衍生物
参考例句：
Public relation of police is a ramification of modern public relations.警察公共关系是现代公共关系的衍生物。 An apple tree,after going through a long time ramification and sprouting,finally fruited.一棵苹果树经过漫长的分枝抽叶终于结果了。

9 isolated
adj.与世隔绝的
参考例句：
His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。 Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

10 boycotts
（对某事物的）抵制( boycott的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Their methods included boycotts and court action, supplemented by'sit-ins". 他们的主要方法包括联合抵制、法庭起诉，还附带进行静坐抗议。 Are boycotts for other purposes illegal? 至于用于其它目的的联合抵制行动是否也是非法的呢？

11 noted
adj.著名的，知名的
参考例句：
The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。 Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

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VOA标准英语2012--Israelis, Palestinians Face Sharp Challenges in 2013