2007年VOA标准英语-Tony Blair Holds Talks With Israeli-Palestinian

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
24 July 2007

Former British Prime Minister and new Mideast Peace Envoy¹ Tony Blair held talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders Tuesday. VOA's Jim Teeple reports from Jerusalem, Mr. Blair says there is a new sense of possibility in the region.

Mideast Envoy Tony Blair, right, with Israel's President Shimon Peres at the president's residence in Jerusalem, 24 July 2007

Saying he had come to listen, learn and reflect, Tony Blair held meetings with Israel's ceremonial President Shimon Peres, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Mr. Blair is the envoy of the "Quartet" of Mideast negotiators, made up of the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union.

This is his first visit to the region in his new role. The former British prime minister says after his conversations with Israeli and Palestinian leaders he believes progress can be made.

"I think there is a sense of possibility," said Mr. Blair. "But whether that sense of possibility can be translated into something that is something that needs to be worked at and thought about over time."

"I will be here now talking to people in Israel talking to Palestinians as well - getting a sense not just of the challenges and the issues but also of some potential answers and solutions," he continued. 

For his part, Israel's President Shimon Peres said Israeli officials welcomed Mr. Blair's involvement, although he said his new role will be full of challenges.

"There is a real chance for his success which is our success," he said. "I do not underrate the difficulties, there are many. But whenever you have to handle a real issue you must negotiate difficulties, and you must overcome opposition², doubts and skepticism."

Mr. Blair has a limited mandate³. The Quartet has asked him to examine how to build and reinforce Palestinian institutions, but he has no authority to negotiate as a peace mediator⁴ between Israelis and Palestinians.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (r) shakes hands with former British Prime Minister and Mideast Envoy Tony Blair at Abbas headquarters in Ramallh, 24 Jul 2007

The former British Prime Minister held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Neither man spoke⁵ publicly following their talks, but Saeb Erekat, a close aide to Mr. Abbas says Mr. Blair's mission is helpful, but it is impossible to separate political, security and economic issues from each other when it comes to the Palestinian question.

Erekat also says Mr. Blair's mission of building up Palestinian institutions will be difficult as long as Israel occupies the West Bank and Israeli settlers continue to build settlements there.

Mr. Blair's limited mandate is also complicated by the split between Hamas militants⁶ who now control the Gaza Strip, and President Abbas' Fatah movement that largely controls the West Bank. Hamas leaders have criticized his trip saying trying to ignore Hamas will doom⁷ any chance for success.

However, Mr. Blair has said that as the representative of the international community he will have no dealings with Hamas, as long as the group refuses to recognize Israel and renounce⁸ violence.

1 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

4 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

7 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

8 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。