VOA标准英语2015--美国需重新考虑中东谈判策略

 

Does US Need to Rethink its Middle East Negotiating Strategy? 美国需重新考虑中东谈判策略

STATE DEPARTMENT—

Recent retaliatory¹ moves by the Palestinians and Israel have raised questions about whether progress can be made this year in the stalled U.S.-mediated peace talks. Palestinians made an unsuccessful bid for a U.N. resolution that would have set a three year deadline for establishing a Palestinian state. Then, they launched an effort to join the International Criminal Court in order to bring war crime charges against Israel. The move prompted Israel to freeze a monthly tax revenue transfer to the Palestinian Authority. Some analysts³ say the U.S. may need to revise its mediation⁴ strategy.

As Palestinians look to the ICC for support and Israel considers its next move, the U.S. said constructive⁵ engagement is the only way to move forward.

“Hard as it is, all sides need to find a way to work constructively⁶ and cooperatively together to lower tensions, reject violence and find a path forward,” said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

She said Secretary of State John Kerry has been working hard to encourage both sides to move forward.

But U.S. diplomatic efforts may have come to a roadblock that will be difficult to move, said Middle East analyst² Aaron David Miller⁷.

“This is so hard and the breakthroughs have been so infrequent and you are talking now about the crown jewels of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - Jerusalem, refugees - in a very small, confined space,” said Miller.

He added that the leadership on all sides is part of the problem.

“Neither this Israeli prime minister nor this Palestinian president nor this American president has the will, the skill or the capacity - or at least they have not demonstrated it yet - to do what is required to make the decisions necessary,” said Miller.

Other challenges in the region, such as the rise of the Islamic State and the nuclear negotiations⁸ with Iran may be preoccupying⁹ the Obama administration, according to Miller.

But the United States does not need to re-think its overall strategy for dealing¹⁰ with Israel and the Palestinians, said analyst Michael Rubin.

“What the United States needs to do is dig in its heels and insist that the agreements to which both parties have already agreed are going to be fulfilled,” said Rubin.

He said a U.S.-led effort to cut international funding could force both sides to return to the bargaining table.

“If money is endless, if there’s never an impediment to providing aid to reconstruct after a decision has been made to go to war, then it’s all the easier to go to war,” said Rubin.

State Department officials say Israel and the Palestinians need to make choices about what steps they are going to take but the U.S. continues to believe that dialogue is the only way to address problems over the long term.

1 retaliatory   

adj.报复的

参考例句：

• The process can take years before the WTO approves retaliatory action. 在WTO通过此行动之前，这个程序恐怕要等上一阵子了。 来自互联网
• Retaliatory tariffs on China are tantamount to taxing ourselves as a punishment. 将惩罚性关税强加于中国相当于对我们自己实施课税惩罚。 来自互联网

2 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

3 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

4 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

5 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

6 constructively   

ad.有益的，积极的

参考例句：

• Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom. 如此富有意义地利用业余时间来进行收藏，会使人怡然自得，无暇烦恼。
• The HKSAR will continue to participate constructively in these activities. 香港会继续积极参与这些活动。

7 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

8 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。

9 preoccupying   

v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Something seems to is preoccupying her at the moment. 她此刻若有所思。 来自互联网
• As with urban crime, failing urban schools are preoccupying countries the world over. 那些学校的升学率惊人地低，许多学生甚至不能没有基本的读写能力和计算能力。 来自互联网

10 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。