VOA标准英语2009年-Clinton Criticizes Israel's Plans to Demolish A

Hillary Clinton has made her first trip to the West Bank as U.S. Secretary of State, criticizing Israel for its plans to demolish¹ a large number of Arab homes in East Jerusalem. She has also reaffirmed U.S. support for Palestinian statehood. But many Palestinians are wondering what concrete steps Mrs. Clinton and the Obama administration will take to help their cause.
　
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas leave a press conference in Ramallah, the West Bank, 04 Mar² 2009

A line of Palestinian police jeeps made its way down a street in Ramallah - part of the heightened security surrounding Hillary Clinton's first visit to the Palestinian territories as U.S. Secretary of State.

In a news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Mrs. Clinton repeated her earlier message: that the United States supports efforts for setting up an independent Palestinian state.

The Secretary of State said in the end, the United States will leave it up to the Palestinians and Israel to determine the exact solution to the conflict. She said the United States will offer its support until the goal is realized.

She said the Palestinian people deserve the same right that people in other countries have, to achieve prosperity.
　
A Palestinian woman sits in the rubble³ of her home in the eastern area of Jebaliya after Israeli troops withdrew from the northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, 18 Jan. 2009

"The United States aims to foster conditions in which a Palestinian state can be fully⁴ realized; a state that can provide these opportunities; a state that is a responsible partner; is at peace with Israel and its Arab neighbors and is accountable to its people," Clinton said. "That is a state that this government is attempting to build."

But the words are met with skepticism among many people on the streets of Ramallah who have heard a succession of U.S. administrations say they support Palestinian statehood. Majd Atah el Obra, a Bedouin, wonders whether the Obama administration will be able to do anything different.

He says Mrs. Clinton has uttered beautiful words and he hopes that Palestinians will get statehood because he says it is time for them to be free from Israeli occupation. He says he hopes that she can do something, but in his opinion, she will probably not be able to do anything.

Jamil Hilal is a Palestinian sociologist⁵ and writer in Ramallah.

"So far, what we heard is 'OK, we are committed to a two state solution,' but in concrete terms what that means, we have yet to hear anything that is different from what the Bush administration had been saying," Hilal said.

The previous administration of George Bush had called Israel's continued expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem "unhelpful." Mrs. Clinton on Wednesday used that word again in referring to Israel's planned demolition⁶ of scores of homes in Arab East Jerusalem. She then indicated the United States government would take some concrete measures to address the issue.

"It is an issue that we intend to raise with the government of Israel and the government at the municipal level in Jerusalem because it is clearly a matter of deep concern to those who are directly affected⁷ but the ramifications⁸ far beyond the individuals and the families," Clinton said.

Mrs. Clinton had earlier - in her visit to Israel - met briefly⁹ with the mayor of Jerusalem, whose administration has been responsible for the demolition orders.

While meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, Secretary Clinton relayed a letter to the Palestinian leader from President Obama.

In his remarks on Wednesday, Mr. Abbas said the letter contained President Obama's assurances that he is fully committed to the peace process, that the United States supports the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab Peace initiative - a proposal in which Arab nations would normalize relations with Israel in exchange for Israel's full withdrawal¹⁰ from lands it seized in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.

1 demolish   

v.拆毁(建筑物等)，推翻(计划、制度等)

参考例句：

• They're going to demolish that old building.他们将拆毁那座旧建筑物。
• He was helping to demolish an underground garage when part of the roof collapsed.他当时正在帮忙拆除一个地下汽车库，屋顶的一部份突然倒塌。

2 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

3 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 sociologist   

n.研究社会学的人，社会学家

参考例句：

• His mother was a sociologist,researching socialism.他的母亲是个社会学家，研究社会主义。
• Max Weber is a great and outstanding sociologist.马克斯·韦伯是一位伟大的、杰出的社会学家。

6 demolition   

n.破坏,毁坏,毁坏之遗迹

参考例句：

• The church has been threatened with demolition for years. 这座教堂多年来一直面临拆毀的威胁。
• The project required the total demolition of the old bridge. 该项目要求将老桥完全拆毁。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 ramifications   

n.结果，后果( ramification的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These changes are bound to have widespread social ramifications. 这些变化注定会造成许多难以预料的社会后果。
• What are the ramifications of our decision to join the union? 我们决定加入工会会引起哪些后果呢？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

10 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。