U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has launched the first direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians in nearly two years.
美国国务卿克林顿主持召开以色列和巴勒斯坦近两年以来第一次直接和谈。
Both sides agreed to a second round of talks to be held in the Middle East later this month.
At a ceremony in the State Department's ornate Benjamin Franklin room, Secretary Clinton said the Obama administration is committed to forging a peace agreement within the next year.
在国务院华丽的本杰明富兰克林厅举行的仪式上，克林顿国务卿说，奥巴马政府致力于促成双方在明年内达成一个和平协议。
She stressed the main work will have to be done by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "We believe, prime minister and president, that you can succeed and we understand that this is in the national security interest of the United States that you do so. But we cannot and we will not impose a solution," she said.
克林顿强调指出，主要工作必须由以色列总理内塔尼亚胡和巴勒斯坦权力机构主席阿巴斯完成。克林顿说：“我们相信，总理和主席，你们能够成功。我们也认为，你们这样做，符合美国的国家安全利益。但我们不能、也不会强加任何解决方案。”
Sitting under sparkling chandeliers at a U-shaped table between Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Abbas, Clinton congratulated the leaders for agreeing to resume negotiations. But she warned of difficult days to come in the effort to create an independent Palestinian state and security for Israel. "There undoubtedly will be obstacles and setbacks. Those who oppose the cause of peace will try in every way possible to sabotage this process as we have already seen this week," she said.
在U型会议桌旁，坐在内塔尼亚胡和阿巴斯中间的克林顿国务卿对两位领导人同意恢复谈判表示祝贺。但她也警告说，在努力建立独立的巴勒斯坦国和实现以色列安全的过程中，还将面临艰难的日子。克林顿说：“毫无疑问，将会有挫折和阻碍。那些反对和平事业的人将尽一切可能破坏这个进程。我们这个星期已经看到了这种情况。”
Violence, security
Violence has always threatened to derail peace efforts.
和平进程一直受到暴力活动的威胁。
In recent days, a pair of attacks killed four Jewish settlers in the West Bank. The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip and opposes peace talks with Israel, claimed responsibility.
过去两天里，约旦河西岸的两起袭击事件造成四名犹太定居者丧生。巴勒斯坦激进组织哈马斯宣称对袭击事件负责。哈马斯控制着加沙地带，并反对与以色列和谈。
Prime Minister Netanyahu said such attacks threaten the negotiations and highlight Israel's need for security. "They seek to kill our people, kill our state, kill our peace and so achieving security is a must. Security is the foundation of peace," he said.
以色列总理内塔尼亚胡说，这种袭击威胁着谈判进程。他强调以色列对安全的需求。内塔尼亚胡说：“他们想方设法要杀害我们的人民，毁灭我们的国家， 扼杀我们的和平。所以我们必须要保证安全。安全是和平的基础。”
Major challenge
A critical first test for the peace talks could come later this month. Israel's 10-month moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank expires September 26.
这个月末，和谈将面临第一次关键考验。以色列暂停约旦河西岸定居点建设10个月的禁令9月26日到期。
Mr. Abbas has said the negotiations will be called off if Israel fails to extend the freeze.
巴勒斯坦权力机构主席阿巴斯说，如果届时以色列不延长冻结令，就将停止谈判。
In his remarks, the Palestinian president made his position clear. "And we call on the Israeli government to move forward with its commitment to end all settlement activities and completely lift the embargo over the Gaza Strip," he said.
阿巴斯通过翻译明确地表达了他的立场。他说：“我们要求以色列政府履行诺言，停止所有定居点建设活动，完全解除对加沙地带的封锁。”
The negotiations are the first direct talks since the last effort broke down in December 2008. The Obama administration spent its first 20 months in office coaxing the two sides back to the bargaining table.
这次直接谈判是2008年12月巴以和谈破裂以来的首次尝试。奥巴马政府在就任的头20个月里一直在推动双方回到谈判桌上来。
Despite the success in launching the talks, the gaps between the two sides are wide and distrust remains after years of violence and deadlock.
尽管会谈已经顺利开始，但巴以双方的分歧很大，多年的暴力冲突和僵局造成的互不信任仍然存在。
U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell called the first round of talks productive and he announced that the parties have decided to meet regularly to negotiate. "They agreed to meet again on September 14 and 15 in the region and roughly two weeks thereafter, every two weeks thereafter," he said.
The Palestinians want a state in areas Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East War, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
巴勒斯坦希望在以色列于1967年中东战争中占领的地区建国，首都设在东耶路撒冷。
Mr. Netanyahu has accepted the idea of a Palestinian state, but with significant conditions and without East Jerusalem.
内塔尼亚胡接受了建立一个巴勒斯坦国的主张，但是附加了很多条件，而且不包括东耶路撒冷。 |