2006年VOA标准英语-Hamas Seeks to Calm Gaza

By Jim Teeple
Gaza City
30 January 2006

 
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh speaks during a news conference in Gaza City, 30 January 2006
  

Since winning last week's Palestinian legislative¹ elections, leaders of the Islamic militant² group Hamas have said they want to work closely with members of the defeated Fatah Party to govern the Palestinian territories. In the Gaza Strip where Hamas won 16 of 24 seats being contested, this message is receiving a mixed welcome. Residents of the area say they are proud of how Palestinians carried out a free and fair democratic election, but many are unsure of what comes next.

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Just days after they voted in historic Palestinian elections these workers have returned to their job of building a new house in the Shekh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City. The area is solidly middle class and it is one of the few neighborhoods of Gaza City where new construction activity is taking place.

The area is home to many bureaucrats³ and senior officials who work for the Palestinian Authority. This worker, Said abu Warda, says he voted for Hamas, in part because of the corruption⁴ he says so many members of the Palestinian Authority engaged in.

"This is the end of corruption. Look what was happening before. The Palestinian Authority figures they had $5-million villas⁵, and some had $80 million in their accounts. We have nothing, and are happy for that [Hamas victory]," he said.

But Said abu Warda's co-worker Mohammed Umara says he is not happy. He and his family are Fatah supporters although he says he respects the results of the election.

"I am Fatah. I hate Hamas. But after the election and I saw the results we all have to respect the results of the elections," said Umara.

The man who will now represent the Shekh Radwan District in the Palestinian Legislative Council, or parliament is Ahmad Bahar, a longtime Hamas activist⁶ who is also a professor of Arabic at the Islamic University of Gaza. Bahar helped to establish Hamas in the area, and won an overwhelming victory in the district he will now represent. Bahar says Palestinians should not have to put up with corruption.

"We want to end bribery⁷. We want to end corruption. We want to end what is called the middleman and then once we achieve this, things will be great for the people here," he said.

Bahar says he is not worried about threats by international donors⁸ to cut aid to Palestinians because much of the aid money sent to the Palestinian Authority before the elections was stolen, and most Palestinians never benefited from it. He says Hamas can run the government.

"Hamas can do it. Hamas has the professionals. Hamas is a big movement, with professionals and technocrats⁹. We have everybody, but Hamas wants everybody to share in this. We want Fatah to share, we want the leftists and the democratic parties. We want everybody. We want to be all together to run this place," he added.

Ahmad Bahar's message of inclusion is being echoed by other Hamas leaders. However Fatah activists¹⁰, many of whom are members of the police, continue to stage noisy demonstrations¹¹ saying they do not trust Hamas.

Still, many Gazans do.

"We expect the situation to get better. It will not get worse, it will get better," commented Haider Abu Karsh, who owns an upscale clothing store in Gaza City.

Others, however, are not so sure. A man who owns a nearby store and who asked not to be identified says political tensions could erupt into violence at any time.

"I am worried that after the elections there could be chaos¹² here," he said. "Someone can come and do anything which will allow things to boil up."

And so Gazans are waiting, waiting to see if their votes for Hamas will being them order and stability and a corruption free government, or whether their votes will result in more violence between Palestinian factions¹³ and a cutoff of foreign aid that will add hardship to their lives. It is a result that few would have imagined last week when they cast their ballots¹⁴.

1 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

2 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

3 bureaucrats   

n.官僚( bureaucrat的名词复数 )；官僚主义；官僚主义者；官僚语言

参考例句：

• That is the fate of the bureaucrats, not the inspiration of statesmen. 那是官僚主义者的命运，而不是政治家的灵感。 来自辞典例句
• Big business and dozens of anonymous bureaucrats have as much power as Japan's top elected leaders. 大企业和许多不知名的官僚同日本选举出来的最高层领导者们的权力一样大。 来自辞典例句

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 villas   

别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅

参考例句：

• Magnificent villas are found throughout Italy. 在意大利到处可看到豪华的别墅。
• Rich men came down from wealthy Rome to build sea-side villas. 有钱人从富有的罗马来到这儿建造海滨别墅。

6 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

7 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

8 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 technocrats   

n.技术专家，专家政治论者( technocrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Few business barons remained. They were replaced by "technocrats," who became the heads of corporations. 企业巨头所剩无几，大多已被“技术专家”所代替，这些人成了公司的领导。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• However, bankers called the technocrats' bluff and proceeded to lend with gusto. 但是，银行家们称技术专家官员不过在虚张声势，并且还会乐观的继续借贷业务。 来自互联网

10 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

12 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

13 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

14 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》