2007年VOA标准英语-Egypt Says Resolving Palestinian Problem Good f

By Margaret Besheer
Washington
07 February 2007

Egypt's foreign minister says solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would go a long way to bringing peace to the Middle East and diminishing the allure¹ of extremist groups. Speaking to an audience in Washington Wednesday, Ahmed Aboul Gheit also expressed concern about the effect of the war in Iraq on the rest of the region. From Washington, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

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Condoleezza Rice and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit gesture during a joint press conference in Luxor, 15 Jan 2007

Aboul Gheit says the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is responsible for at least half of the troubles in the Middle East, and he believes a resolution could be a turning point for the region.

The United States has been working hard to bring the two sides together, and later this month Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is headed to Jerusalem. She will meet with the Israeli and Palestinian leadership in an effort to restart political dialogue between the two sides. Aboul Gheit says he believes Secretary Rice is committed to peacemaking, but cautioned that the conflict cannot be fixed³ in just one visit.

"The whole thing will not be accomplished⁴ in one meeting," said Ahmed Aboul Gheit. "You have to expect an American effort that is sustained, that is determined⁵, that knows that there will be obstacles, that is patient, that has vision [and] understanding."

Aboul Gheit told an audience at Washington's Brookings Institution that the two sides were on the verge⁶ of a resolution once before, in December 2000, and he believes they can go all the way now.

"Fifty one percent of that clash and that tension can be just dissipated if we would settle down the Palestinian issue and it can be done," he said.

The other big regional crisis is Iraq. The Egyptian foreign minister says his government predicted disaster there long ago and warned its ally Washington about it.

"I view a very difficult, difficult situation," said Egypt's foreign minister. "A situation, that we in Egypt read accurately⁷ much, much well in advance. We knew what was to happen and what was to come."

He says the situation in Iraq is so dangerous because it is not just limited to that country and threatens the stability of the entire region. Aboul Gheit says Egypt supports President Bush's current troop surge in Baghdad if it will lead to the dismantling⁸ of Shiite militias⁹ and if it opens up a political process that will lead to the greater participation¹⁰ of Iraq's Sunni Arab minority.

The Egyptian official stressed that the United States cannot leave Iraq without restoring its stability and protecting its unity¹¹, saying those two elements are necessary to preventing the spread of further conflict in the Middle East.

1 allure   

n.诱惑力，魅力；vt.诱惑，引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• The window displays allure customers to buy goods.橱窗陈列品吸引顾客购买货物。
• The book has a certain allure for which it is hard to find a reason.这本书有一种难以解释的魅力。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

4 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

5 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。

6 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

7 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

8 dismantling   

（枪支）分解

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。
• The dismantling of a nuclear reprocessing plant caused a leak of radioactivity yesterday. 昨天拆除核后处理工厂引起了放射物泄漏。

9 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

10 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

11 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。