2006年VOA标准英语-Syria Rejects Israeli Invitation for Summit in

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
12 October 2006

Syria has rejected an Israeli invitation for a summit meeting in Jerusalem.  There is little hope of reviving Israeli-Syrian peace talks following the war in Lebanon. 

 
Shimon Peres 
  
Syria turned down an invitation from Israel's Deputy Premier¹ Shimon Peres, who urged President Bashar Assad to visit Jerusalem. In a bid to defuse mounting tensions between the two countries, Peres said Mr. Assad should address the Israeli parliament and declare that he's ready to make peace.

But Syria said the invitation reflects Israel's weak position in the wake of the war in Lebanon. A front page editorial in the ruling Al-Baath party newspaper said Israel has failed to accept what it described as "the victory of the Lebanese resistance." That is a reference to the Islamic guerrilla group Hezbollah, which survived a 34-day Israeli assault in July and August and rained 4,000 rockets on northern Israel.

Israel accuses Syria of supplying weapons to Hezbollah and the war put the two countries on a collision course. Mr. Assad has declared that if the peace process fails, war is an option.

"Now after the victory, so to speak, of Hezbollah, he cannot lag behind. He has to also show his might and to threaten Israel," said Israeli analyst² Moshe Maoz.

Syrian president Bashar Assad, right, meets former Lebanese premier Omar Karami in Damascus, October 10, 2006  
  
Mr. Assad wants to retrieve³ the strategic Golan Heights, captured by Israel during the Six Day War in 1967. But peace talks collapsed⁴ in 2000, and since then Syria has made radical⁵ alliances, hosting Palestinian militant⁶ groups in Damascus and strengthening ties with Iran.

Mr. Assad says he prefers negotiations⁷ to war, but he won't visit Jerusalem because Israel has shown no willingness to relinquish⁸ the Golan. Maoz says Mr. Assad is trying to pressure Israel to soften⁹ its position.

"So this is the game of the Middle East to voice some military threat," he said.

But these threats, along with Syrian backing for Hezbollah, have left Israelis with little enthusiasm for territorial¹⁰ concessions¹¹. A poll shows that only 16 percent of Israeli Jews would support trading the Golan Heights for a peace agreement with Syria.

1 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

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 retrieve   

vt.重新得到，收回；挽回，补救；检索

参考例句：

• He was determined to retrieve his honor.他决心恢复名誉。
• The men were trying to retrieve weapons left when the army abandoned the island.士兵们正试图找回军队从该岛撤退时留下的武器。

4 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

5 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

6 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。

7 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。

8 relinquish   

v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手

参考例句：

• He was forced to relinquish control of the company.他被迫放弃公司的掌控权。
• They will never voluntarily relinquish their independence.他们绝对不会自动放弃独立。

9 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

10 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

11 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。