VOA标准英语2013--US Analysts Dismiss Reports of Palestinian PM Resignation

 

US Analysts¹ Dismiss Reports of Palestinian PM Resignation

Longstanding differences between the Palestinian president and his prime minister came to a head after Fayyad accepted the resignation of Finance Minister Nabil Quassis last month and President Abbas rejected it. A senior official from Abbas's Fatah party said the prime minister has handed in his resignation and that Abbas is considering it.

David Pollack, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, says he does not expect Fayyad to resign. He told Alhurra television in an interview Thursday that the Palestinian Authority will not accept Fayyad's resignation, or that it will at least postpone² it because the former IMF official has international support and the Palestinians need international aid.

"There is an international consensus³ that the Palestinian Authority deserves to be funded. At the same time, I think that if [Prime Minister] Fayyad does resign and his resignation is accepted, that the international community will want some other guarantees that the funds from abroad will not simply disappear into the pockets of corrupt⁴ officials," Pollack stated. "And it will be important for the Palestinian Authority under whatever government, to work with the international community to make sure that is the case."

Western policy makers⁵ have offered staunch support to the U.S.-educated economist⁶ who also has gained Israel's respect. Former Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat appointed him finance minister in 2001 and the following year he spent months with him under Israeli siege.

"I don't think one should forget about the fact that we just moved out of prison, small prison," said Fayyad.

Fayyad has been the prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority since 2007. The West has considered him a moderate leader. 

After initial success in revitalizing the Palestinian economy, Fayyad ran into trouble after Israel and the United States withheld⁷ vital funds last year to punish the Palestinians for seeking full membership in the United Nations. 

1 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。

2 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

3 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？

4 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

5 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

7 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》