2006年VOA标准英语-Olmert Seeks French Backing for West Bank Pullo

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
14 June 2006

 
French President Jacques Chirac and Israeli PM Ehud Olmert, left, share a few words on the steps of the Elysee Palace following their meeting in Paris 
  
Israeli and French leaders met in Paris Wednesday to discuss controversial Israeli plans to withdraw from the West Bank, among other issues. The main message being sent by French President Jacques Chirac and other Europeans is for peace negotiations¹ to resume.

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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's visit to Paris Wednesday is his first to France as Israel's new leader, and part of a European tour to convince governments to back an Israeli plan to pull out of much of the West Bank, even if Israel does not reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Olmert sought similar backing from British Prime Minister Tony Blair, during talks in London earlier this week. But Mr. Blair stressed negotiations with the Palestinians, rather than unilateral withdrawals². And during remarks to reporters in Paris Wednesday, Mr. Chirac said pretty much the same thing.

Standing³ beside Mr. Olmert at the Elysee Presidential Palace, President Chirac said restoring peace in the region was essential. Peace, he said, presumes two states, an Israeli and a Palestinian one, living side by side. And reaching that goal means resuming negotiations between the two sides.

Even as Mr. Olmert expressed his support for the two-state plan, he reiterated⁴ that certain conditions were necessary for negotiations to resume. Among them: That the Hamas-dominated Palestinian government recognize the state of Israel, renounce⁵ violence and agree to previous peace agreements.

Hamas has yet to accept these conditions and the European Union and the United States have suspended millions of dollars of aid until it does.

Mr. Olmert's visit to France included dedicating a new Holocaust⁶ memorial in Paris. Relations between France and Israel have been rocky in the past. France is perceived as being biased⁷ toward the Palestinian cause. A spike in anti-Semitic attacks in France has also created friction in bilateral relations

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 withdrawals   

n.收回，取回，撤回( withdrawal的名词复数 )；撤退，撤走；收回[取回，撤回，撤退，撤走]的实例；推出（组织），提走（存款），戒除毒瘾，对说过的话收回，孤僻

参考例句：

• He has made several withdrawals from his bank account. 他从银行账户上提了几次款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It is not the bank's policy to deduct interest on withdrawals. 提款需扣除利息这并非是本银行的政策。 来自辞典例句

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 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。

5 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

6 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

7 biased   

a.有偏见的

参考例句：

• a school biased towards music and art 一所偏重音乐和艺术的学校
• The Methods: They employed were heavily biased in the gentry's favour. 他们采用的方法严重偏袒中上阶级。