2006年VOA标准英语-Chief Palestinian Negotiator Urges Resumpt

By Michael Bowman
Washington
08 January 2006

The Palestinians' top peace negotiator is urging Israel's acting¹ prime minister, Ehud Olmert, to help restart peace talks, once the upheaval² surrounding the health of ailing³ Prime Minister Ariel Sharon subsides⁴.

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Saeb Erekat   
  

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat says the Middle East has weathered what he called two recent "political volcanoes": the formation of Israel's new Kadima political party by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and Mr. Sharon's health crisis following a massive stroke last week.

Speaking on CNN's Late Edition program, Mr. Erekat expressed hope that a renewed commitment to peace negotiations⁵ will emerge from Israel's political uncertainty⁶.

"This may sound like wishful thinking, but to Mr. Olmert, I tell him [that] the only way to break this vicious cycle of violence and counter-violence is resuming the negotiations," said Mr. Erekat, "and I hope that if Mr. Olmert cannot do it now because of the confusion and the [political] transition, I hope that when the Israeli voters go to elect their new leaders, I hope they will elect a leadership that is willing to commit to peace and negotiations."

Full-scale peace talks have been largely stalled since Mr. Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas announced a verbal cease-fire pledge during a summit last February in Egypt, despite Israel's subsequent evacuation of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, regarded by some as a major unilateral concession⁷.

 
Shimon Peres
  
Also speaking on Late Edition, former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres said he expects acting Prime Minister Olmert to continue Ariel Sharon's policies, but he did not rule out the possibility of a breakthrough in the future. "There may emerge a great opportunity to go further after Gaza [resolution] and to try to look for a possible solution in the West Bank in accordance with the Roadmap [for Mideast peace]," he said.

But Mr. Peres added that the foundations for peace could be affected⁸ by the outcome of Palestinian elections scheduled for later this month. In particular, he warned of the fallout that would likely ensue from a victory by the Islamist Hamas movement. "Do you imagine any government in the world that will finance a Hamas-like government, that will support their policies?" he asked. "It is impossible. If they [Hamas] will change and they will not be a terrorist organization, that is one story. If they remain unchanged, then they are not a partner [for peace]."

But former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Pickering says Israel has its own political uncertainties⁹ to deal with in the months ahead. Elections in Israel are scheduled for March 28, and recent polls show Mr. Sharon's newly formed Kadima Party could win, although who will lead the party following Mr. Sharon's departure remains¹⁰ unresolved. Mr. Pickering said the vision of any new leadership will be key.

"The real problem is whether the Israeli political system can produce a [peace] formula like the Sharon formula again, looking down the road at the future of Israel and understanding that the Israeli future depended heavily on living in the region with the Palestinian state, with a process to get there [to peace] that was equitable¹¹ and that brought both of those folks [Israelis and Palestinians] along."

In the meantime, Mr. Pickering urged the Bush administration to remain engaged in the Middle East peace process, and to press for continuity and compromise even in the face of uncertainty.

1 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

2 upheaval   

n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱

参考例句：

• It was faced with the greatest social upheaval since World War Ⅱ.它面临第二次世界大战以来最大的社会动乱。
• The country has been thrown into an upheaval.这个国家已经陷入动乱之中。

3 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

4 subsides   

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的第三人称单数 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

参考例句：

• Emotion swells and subsides. 情绪忽高忽低。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His emotion swells and subsides. 他的情绪忽高忽低。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 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。

6 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

7 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

8 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。

9 uncertainties   

无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 )； 不确定； 变化不定； 无把握、不确定的事物

参考例句：

• One of the uncertainties of military duty is that you never know when you might suddenly get posted away. 任军职不稳定的因素之一是你永远不知道什么时候会突然被派往它处。
• Uncertainties affecting peace and development are on the rise. 影响和平与发展的不确定因素在增加。 来自汉英非文学 - 十六大报告

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

11 equitable   

adj.公平的；公正的

参考例句：

• This is an equitable solution to the dispute. 这是对该项争议的公正解决。
• Paying a person what he has earned is equitable. 酬其应得,乃公平之事。