Sharon Vows Not to Resign

 

Sonja Pace
 
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon vows¹ not to resign despite the defeat of his proposed plan to pull out of the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. In a vote Sunday members of Mr. Sharon's Likud Party voted overwhelmingly against the plan.

It was a resounding² defeat for Mr. Sharon as almost 60 percent of his own party voted against the disengagement plan.

Mr. Sharon had warned Likud members that a vote against the plan would be a vote against him. In the end, he said he accepts the results of the non-binding ballot³, but also vowed⁴ not to resign.

The prime minister said all along that disengagement from some Palestinian areas was vital in the absence of realistic prospects⁵ for peace. One of Mr. Sharon's strongest supporters, Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said the disengagement plan must go ahead.

"The commitment of this government to change the present reality with which we have to deal is unlimited⁶ and will continue and with the leadership of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon we will continue to look for ways that will ultimately change this reality. And I know it's not going to be easy, but we are going to do it."

Mr. Sharon's plan calls for the removal of all Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip and the dismantling⁷ of four small settlements in the West Bank.

The plan was endorsed⁸ by Washington, but was vehemently⁹ opposed by Jewish settlers, who organized an effective grassroots campaign against it.

Israeli Parliament member, Yuli Stern of the rightwing National Union party, hailed Sunday's vote. "I would say that the common sense and basic instincts of survival won. People are not that easily manipulated as some guys think, those who sit in the mass media or those who sit in the government," he says. "The people of Israel won the battle."

Justice Minister Tommy Lapid of the centrist Shinui Party said the vote was just within one party and that party does not represent all the people of Israel. The leader of the opposition¹⁰ Labor¹¹ party, Shimon Peres called for new elections.

Although Likud voters have shown their opposition to the plan, opinion polls show the majority of the Israeli public favors it. What route Mr. Sharon now takes after Sunday's defeat is still unclear.
注释:
resign [ri5zain] v. 辞职
overwhelming [7EuvE5welmiN] adj. 压倒多数的
resounding [ri5zaundiN] adj. 彻底的
ballot [5bAlEt] n. 投票
in the absence of 缺乏……时
prospect for v. 勘探，寻求
go ahead 继续
unlimited [Qn5limitid] adj. 无约束的
dismantling [dis5mAntliN] n. 拆卸
vehemently [5vi:imEntli] adv. 激烈地
grassroots campaign 绿色和平运动
National Union party 民族联盟党
instinct [5instiNkt] n. 本能
manipulate [mE5nipjuleit] vt. 操纵
Justice Minister 司法部长
Shinui Party 变革党
favor [5feivE] vt. 支持

 

1 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

2 resounding   

adj. 响亮的

参考例句：

• The astronaut was welcomed with joyous,resounding acclaim. 人们欢声雷动地迎接那位宇航员。
• He hit the water with a resounding slap. 他啪的一声拍了一下水。

3 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

4 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

5 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

6 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

7 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。

8 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 vehemently   

adv. 热烈地

参考例句：

• He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈，以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
• Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。

10 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

11 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。