VOA常速英语2007-Rice to Shuttle Between Israelis, Palestinians

By David Gollust
Washington
04 October 2007

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice begins a trip to Russia and the Middle East next week that will include five days of shuttling among Israeli and Palestinian officials. She will lay groundwork for the international conference on the Middle East being organized by the Bush administration. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

Rice has visited the Middle East six times this year. But the five days on the upcoming trip devoted¹ to talks with the Palestinians and Israelis will be most thus far, and it reflects an acceleration² of preparations for the international conference.

An announcement Thursday said the Secretary will leave October 11th on a mission that will include two days of security talks in Moscow, the shuttling between Jerusalem and Ramallah in the West Bank, and concluding stops in Jordan and Egypt.

The international conference is intended to give a boost to efforts already begun by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to resume final-status negotiations³ on the regional conflict after a six year break.

The two leaders, who have held a series of face-to-face meetings in recent weeks, instructed aides on Wednesday to begin work on a joint⁴ document that would serve as a basis for negotiations.

Mr. Abbas has called for a framework agreement to be presented to the conference that includes specific details about final-status issues and a time-line for implementation⁵. Prime Minister Olmert has supported only a broader statement of intent without time-lines.

At a news briefing, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack refused to endorse⁶ either concept and said Rice's aim is to help the two leaders advance the process as far as possible.

"Obviously, we're urging them to address all of the issues that are before them -- we all understand exactly what those are -- and to try to work as best they can to push forward in the most constructive⁷ way. Not only for the conference but after the conference as well, to make it a useful and constructive meeting that will help propel forward a process that ends up in a two-state solution," he said.

A statement announcing the Rice mission said U.S. officials expect the international meeting to be substantive⁸ and serious and deal with the core issues of the regional conflict. Those include the borders of a Palestinian state, the rights of Palestinian refugees, and the future status of Jerusalem.

No date for the meeting has been given but U.S. officials say it will be held in late November or early December, perhaps at the U.S. Naval⁹ Academy in Annapolis, Maryland east of Washington.

They say invitees will include, in addition to the two parties, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations, and key Arab countries including several that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, such as Syria and Saudi Arabia.

Rice will go to Moscow with Defense¹⁰ Secretary Robert Gates for a joint dialogue October 12 and 13 with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov.

The so-called two-plus-two meeting was scheduled several months ago and will deal with, among other things, the dispute with Moscow over U.S. plans for a regional missile defense system, aimed against Iran, with facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic.

1 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

2 acceleration   

n.加速，加速度

参考例句：

• All spacemen must be able to bear acceleration.所有太空人都应能承受加速度。
• He has also called for an acceleration of political reforms.他同时呼吁加快政治改革的步伐。

3 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。

4 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

5 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

6 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

7 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

8 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

9 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

10 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。