2006年VOA标准英语-Palestinian Faction: Kidnapped Israeli Soldier

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
28 October 2006
 
One of the three Palestinian factions¹ holding a kidnapped Israeli soldier in the Gaza Strip says a solution to the crisis is imminent², but the ruling Islamic militant³ group Hamas is skeptical⁴.

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A man looks at a banner of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit placed in protest outside the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem

A Palestinian group, called the Popular Resistance Committees, says it expects a solution to the crisis over kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, 19, within days. The PRC is one of three militant groups, which kidnapped the corporal four months ago during a raid on an Israeli army base on the Gaza border.

In a statement, the PRC said the three groups have agreed to a proposal by Egyptian mediators to exchange Shalit for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

It is the first time that any of the groups directly involved in the kidnapping has said a deal is imminent.

Palestinian analyst⁵ Wadia Abu Nasser says moderate President Mahmoud Abbas has been working behind the scenes to end the crisis.

"The Palestinian president is pressing the Egyptians to make this exchange deal as soon as possible," he said.

But the ruling Islamic militant group Hamas, whose armed wing was also involved in the kidnapping, says that, while progress has been made, a prisoner swap⁶ is not imminent.

The sticking point appears to be in the timing⁷.  Hamas and its allies say that when they free Shalit, Palestinian prisoners must be released simultaneously⁸.  But Israel says Shalit must be released first, and later, it would free prisoners as a goodwill⁹ gesture.

Israeli spokeswoman Miri Eisen says Israel cannot be seen as caving in to what she describes as "terrorist blackmail¹⁰."

"For us, it's very important that the terrorists who took Shalit are not the ones, who will have a benefit from the fact that they took so, and that we would release the prisoners after that," she said.

Shalit's kidnapping prompted a punishing four-month Israeli offensive in Gaza that has piled further pressure on the Hamas government, already crippled by international sanctions.

But neither side wants to be seen as caving in to the demands of the other. So, despite a flurry of Arab media reports over the past month about an imminent prisoner swap, the deal has remained elusive¹¹.

1 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

2 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

3 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

4 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

5 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。

6 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

7 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

8 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

9 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

10 blackmail   

n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓

参考例句：

• She demanded ＄1000 blackmail from him.她向他敲诈了1000美元。
• The journalist used blackmail to make the lawyer give him the documents.记者讹诈那名律师交给他文件。

11 elusive   

adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的

参考例句：

• Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
• Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。