VOA常速英语2007年-Bush Meets Olmert, Abbas Ahead of Mideast Confe

By Paula Wolfson
White House
26 November 2007

President Bush has met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders at the White House to set the stage for Tuesday's Mideast Conference in nearby Annapolis, Maryland. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports Mr. Bush says he is optimistic about the chances for progress in the peace process.

The three days of intensive Mideast diplomacy¹ began with a handshake at the White House, as President Bush sat down for one-on-one talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

The president said he is looking forward to working with both Mr. Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to advance the peace process.

"I am looking forward to continuing our serious dialogue with you and the president of the Palestinian Authority to see whether or not peace is possible. I am optimistic. I know you are optimistic. And I thank you for your courage," he said.

White House officials say the president called the Mideast conference because he feels there are now leaders in place in Israel and the Palestinian Authority who are determined² to tackle the tough issues and move forward. They say his goal in Annapolis is to create a launch pad for renewed negotiations³, and to mobilize international support for the process.

Prime Minister Olmert said the presence of so many delegations⁴ in Annapolis is sure to make a difference.

"This time it is different, because we are going to have lots of participants in what I hope will launch a serious process of negotiations between us and the Palestinians," he said. "This will be a bilateral⁵ process, but the international support is very important for us."

Later, at the start of a separate meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, President Bush reaffirmed he does not see his role as that of a peacemaker. Mr. Bush stressed - as his aides have in the past - that he has no intention of imposing⁶ a solution but hopes to act as a facilitator.

President Abbas welcomed the gesture, and said he is hopeful about the prospects⁷ for peace.

"We have a great deal of hope that this conference would produce permanent status negotiations - expanded negotiations - over all permanent status issues that would lead to a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian people - an agreement to secure security and stability," Mr. Abbas said.

The Annapolis Conference will mark the first time in more than a decade that Israelis will sit around a table with representatives of 16 Arab nations and the Arab league.

Among the Arab states pledging to attend the conference are Saudi Arabia and Syria - neither of which recognizes the state of Israel.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has condemned⁸ the meeting, as has the government of Iran, which has predicted it will end in failure. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino says she is not surprised that a country like Iran that benefits from chaos⁹ would be concerned about a process that brings moderate forces together to establish a Palestinian state and set the stage for peace between Israel and Palestine.

1 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

2 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

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 delegations   

n.代表团( delegation的名词复数 )；委托，委派

参考例句：

• In the past 15 years, China has sent 280 women delegations abroad. 十五年来，中国共派280批妇女代表团出访。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• The Sun Ray decision follows the federal pattern of tolerating broad delegations but insisting on safeguards. “阳光”案的判决仿效联邦容许广泛授权的做法，但又坚持保护措施。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

5 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

6 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

7 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

8 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

9 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。