2006年VOA标准英语-Israeli Warplanes Blast Beirut While Troops Bat

By Meredith Buel
Washington
25 July 2006
 
Israeli warplanes blasted Beirut Tuesday as troops from the Jewish state continued to battle Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon two weeks into the conflict with no immediate¹ end in sight.  The fierce fighting has claimed the lives of hundreds of Lebanese, almost all civilians², and dozens of Israelis. 

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Smoke from Israeli attacks on Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut   
  
Massive explosions shook Beirut as plumes³ of smoke rose over Hezbollah strongholds in the southern part of the city, while clashes continued along Lebanon's southern border as Israeli tanks and troops fought Hezbollah guerrillas in and around the town of Bint Jbail. 

Lebanese officials say an Israeli missile strike on a house killed seven members of one family, including several children, near the coastal⁴ town of Tyre.

Hezbollah rockets continued to rain down on Israeli cities and towns, and officials say one girl was killed in the northern part of the country.

Speaking to reporters in Washington, President Bush says the United States wants a long-term solution to the conflict.  

 
President Bush holds a news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, left
  
"We want a sustainable cease-fire," said Mr. Bush.  "We don't want something that is short-term in duration.  We want to address the root causes of the violence in the area.  Therefore, our mission and our goal is to have a lasting⁵ peace, not a temporary peace, but something that lasts."

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice continued her diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, saying that an end to hostilities⁶ must come with conditions that help resolve what Washington sees as the underlying⁷ causes of the conflict, a lack of democracy and Islamic extremism.

"The people of this region, Israeli, Lebanese and indeed Palestinian, have lived too long in fear and in terror and in violence," said Ms. Rice.  "A durable⁸ solution will be one that strengthens the forces of peace and the forces of democracy in this region."

Secretary Rice spoke⁹ after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who says his country will continue its offensive to disarm¹⁰ Hezbollah and free two Israeli soldiers captured by the militia¹¹ earlier this month.  

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, right, listens as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert makes statement to media before their meeting in Jerusalem, Tuesday   
  
"Israel is determined¹² to carry on the fight against Hezbollah," said Mr. Olmert.  "We will reach out for them.  We will stop them.  We will not hesitate to take the most severe measures against those who are aiming thousands of rockets and missiles against innocent civilians for one purpose, to kill them."

Secretary Rice also held a brief meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah to discuss the fighting in Lebanon and continuing clashes between Israeli troops and militants¹³ in the Gaza Strip.

President Abbas called for an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon to stop the suffering of civilians.

Mr. Abbas also says his government is trying to broker¹⁴ a truce¹⁵ in Gaza, where more than 100 people have died during an Israeli military operation to free a captured soldier and halt rocket attacks.

Secretary Rice says while much of the world's attention is on the fighting in Lebanon, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should not be forgotten.

"We must remain focused on what is happening here in the Palestinian territories, on our desire to get back on a course that will lead ultimately to President Bush's vision but indeed the vision of President Abbas of two states living side by side in peace," added Ms. Rice.

In another development, Saudi Arabia announced it will donate $1.5 billion in humanitarian¹⁶ aid to Lebanon to help support the country's economy and reconstruction¹⁷.

The Saudi donation came as Israel announced it will allow planes carrying humanitarian aid to land at Beirut airport.

Humanitarian agencies are trying to get food and medical supplies to hundreds of thousands of Lebanese who have been displaced by the fighting.  

On Wednesday foreign ministers from Arab and Western countries are scheduled to meet in Rome for an international conference on Lebanon.

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

3 plumes   

羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物

参考例句：

• The dancer wore a headdress of pink ostrich plumes. 那位舞蹈演员戴着粉色鸵鸟毛制作的头饰。
• The plumes on her bonnet barely moved as she nodded. 她点点头，那帽子的羽毛在一个劲儿颤动。

4 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

5 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

6 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

7 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

8 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。

9 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。

10 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

11 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

12 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

13 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。

14 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

15 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

16 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。

17 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。