2006年VOA标准英语-Rice Promises Redoubled Efforts to Help Palesti

By Sonja Pace
Jerusalem
04 October 2006

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the United States is very concerned about the humanitarian¹ plight² of the Palestinian people and will redouble efforts to help them. Her comments come amid rising tension between rival Palestinian factions⁴.

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Condoleezza Rice, left, meeting with Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah

Secretary Rice held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah and, at a news conference afterward⁵, repeated the need for renewed peace efforts.

Rice also said the increasing economic crisis facing Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza figured prominently in the talks.

"I told the President [Abbas], that we are very concerned, of course, about the humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territories, about the economic situation," she said.

Rice promised that the United States would "redouble its efforts to help." That, she indicated, includes talking to Israel about improving access and movement of people and goods to and from Palestinian areas.

"I will, of course, see what I can do to make sure that some of these crossings are open longer and more frequently so that economic activity can return," she said.

Secretary Rice came to Ramallah from talks in Saudi Arabia and Egypt aimed at bolstering⁶ support for President Abbas and a resumption of peace talks.

Her efforts come amid rising tension and a power struggle among Palestinians, pitting President Abbas and his Fatah faction³ against the Hamas government. A dozen people have been killed in fighting between militants⁷ linked to the two factions over the past several days.

President Abbas confirmed Wednesday that talks on forming a new unity⁸ government have broken down.

The president said there is at this time no dialogue with Hamas or with other factions. He also said he would carefully weigh all options available to him, hinting he could dissolve the current Hamas-led government and call for new elections.

1 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

2 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

3 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

4 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

5 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

6 bolstering   

v.支持( bolster的现在分词 )；支撑；给予必要的支持；援助

参考例句：

• Why should Donahue's people concern themselves with bolstering your image? 唐纳休的人为什么要费心维护你的形象？ 来自辞典例句
• He needed bolstering and support. 他需要别人助他一臂之力。 来自辞典例句

7 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。

8 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。