2006年VOA标准英语-Blair: Israel-Palestine, Iran Key to Middle Eas

By Sonja Pace
London
13 November 2006

British Prime Minister Tony Blair says resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is at the core of bringing peace to the Middle East and he is urging Iran to join in the effort to bring peace to the region.

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		Tony Blair

Speaking at a gala dinner in London's historic Guildhall, Mr. Blair spoke¹ of the threat of terrorism and accused internal and external elements of deliberately² trying to drive Iraq toward civil war. He said the conflict in Iraq has evolved and so, he advocates, must the strategy to resolve it.

Part of the effort, he said, must be what he called a "whole Middle East" strategy, which focuses on relieving "pressure points" throughout the region. First and foremost, the prime minister said, is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"We should then make progress on Lebanon," said Tony Blair. "We should unite all moderate Arab and Muslim voices behind a push for peace in those countries but also in Iraq. We should be standing³ up for, empowering, respecting those with a moderate and modern view of the faith of Islam everywhere."

Mr. Blair accused Iran of using these "pressure points," to hinder any Middle East peace efforts. He said Iran is following a clear strategy that must be answered with an equally clear one.

"We offer Iran a clear strategic choice: they help the Middle East peace process not hinder it; they stop supporting terrorism in Lebanon or Iraq; they abide⁴ by it, not flout⁵ their international obligations. In that case, a new partnership⁶ is possible," he said. "Or, alternatively they face the consequences of not doing so: isolation⁷."

Mr. Blair's speech did not indicate any dramatic shifts in policy, rather it reiterated⁸ much of what the prime minister has been saying for some time - that terrorism is the scourge⁹ of the 21st century, that it can only be fought globally and that ending the violence in Afghanistan and Iraq can best be done through a broader regional approach, in which nations such as Iran and Syria can play a positive role.

On Tuesday, Mr. Blair will likely take much the same message to the Americans, in a video-conference session, when he addresses the bipartisan U.S. Study Group on Iraq.

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

5 flout   

v./n.嘲弄，愚弄，轻视

参考例句：

• Parents who flout Family Court orders may be named in the media in Australia.在澳洲父母亲若是藐视家庭法庭的裁定可能在媒体上被公布姓名。
• The foolish boy flouted his mother's advice.这个愚蠢的孩子轻视他母亲的劝告。

6 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

7 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。

8 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

9 scourge   

n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏

参考例句：

• Smallpox was once the scourge of the world.天花曾是世界的大患。
• The new boss was the scourge of the inefficient.新老板来了以后，不称职的人就遭殃了。