2006年VOA标准英语-UN Resolution on Lebanon Said to be Near

By Deborah Block
Washington, DC
04 August 2006
 
watch Middle East Resolution

Hezbollah fired a massive wave of rockets at northern Israel Thursday and today. Several civilians¹ were killed and many others injured.  Warplanes from Israel renewed strikes on the outskirts² of Lebanon's capital, Beirut.  About 10,000 Israeli ground troops are engaged in heavy clashes with hundreds of Hezbollah guerillas in southern Lebanon.   

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Israel says it is close to accomplishing its objective.  Britain's prime minister says a United Nations resolution on Lebanon is near.  

 
Tony Blair speaks at monthly news conference at Downing Street, London, Aug. 3, 2006
  
British Prime Minister Tony Blair says he hopes the major powers on the United Nations Security Council will agree within days on a resolution calling for an immediate³ ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. 

"I hope that not merely do we get the resolution that suspends hostilities⁵ in the next few days, but together with that we get an outline framework of a plan which can then implement⁶ in the coming time that puts an end to the possibility of this conflict coming back," said Mr. Blair.

Western diplomats⁷ say once a ceasefire is announced plans will be put into place for an international peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. The United States opposes an immediate ceasefire without steps to deploy⁸ peacekeepers and disarm⁹ Hezbollah.

 
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy
  
French Foreign Minister Phillipe Douste-Blazy reiterated¹⁰ that his country would not take part in an international force without a political agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.

"If there was a lasting¹¹ political agreement, then it would be completely normal to send an international force to mediate⁴, oversee¹² and ensure that the ceasefire is respected, and to allow the Lebanese army to return to southern Lebanon.” said the foreign minister. “But in the absence of a political accord, France has clearly stated that it would not participate in an international force without a political agreement, without a lasting ceasefire, because it would simply be dangerous."

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert  
  
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says the Israeli military is close to achieving its goal.  Israel wants to disarm Hezbollah and push the guerrillas out of southern Lebanon.  Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said for the first time his group would stop rocket attacks on northern Israel if Israel stops its airstrikes in Lebanon.

Syria and Iran are major backers of Hezbollah.  Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos met with Syria's president.  Moratinos says Syria would exercise its influence on Hezbollah if circumstances change in Lebanon. "Syria wants to be part of the solution. Syria doesn't want to be part of the problem."

Israel renewed its airstrikes against suspected Hezbollah targets in the battered¹³ southern Lebanese city of Tyre.  A city official says the Israeli bombardment is making Hezbollah more popular.  "They are supporting Hezbollah because it is taking the role to fight against, to fight back, and to push the Israelis away."

The International Red Cross delivered more aid to Tyre.  Scuffles broke out as crowds of desperate people waited to get food and other supplies.

1 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

2 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

3 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

4 mediate   

vi.调解，斡旋；vt.经调解解决；经斡旋促成

参考例句：

• The state must mediate the struggle for water resources.政府必须通过调解来解决对水资源的争夺。
• They may be able to mediate between parties with different interests.他们也许能在不同利益政党之间进行斡旋。

5 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

6 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

7 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

9 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

10 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

11 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

12 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

13 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。