2007年VOA标准英语-Middle East Tops UN General Assembly Debate

By Margaret Besheer
United Nations
28 September 2007

The problems of the Middle East figured prominently during Friday's U.N. General Assembly debate as many leaders from the region - including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority - addressed the annual gathering¹, along with permanent Security Council members Russia and China. From U.N. headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says it is time to move toward a serious settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr. Abbas called for an end to Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory and a return to pre-1967 borders.

"Is it not now time to create a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital; to settle the issue of refugees and put an end to the suffering that has gone on for six decades?, asked Mahmoud Abbas.

The Palestinian leader called on Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to break, what he called "the cycle of missed opportunities."

"Today, there is not the slightest obstacle to promoting the holding of the peace meeting which will take place shortly, in particular because our brother Arab countries have demonstrated through the Arab Peace Initiative their true readiness to bring about a just, lasting² and comprehensive peace," he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says a U.S.-sponsored peace conference this November is an important step toward a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.

"We are convinced that this goal could be advanced through holding a representative international conference preceded by thorough preparation," said Sergei Lavrov. "We consider the U.S. initiative to convene³ in the coming November a multi-party meeting on the Middle East settlement as a step in this direction."

On Iran's controversial nuclear activities, permanent Security Council member China says diplomacy⁴ remains⁵ the best option for solving that issue peacefully. Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, says Beijing opposes nuclear weapons proliferation and supports peace and stability in the Middle East.

"Non-proliferation efforts should not deviate⁷ from the goal of upholding international peace and stability," said Yang Jiechi. "Countries should honor their international obligations and their right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy should be fully⁶ respected."

On Iraq, all of the leaders called for national dialogue and reconciliation⁸ as a means to restoring law and order.

Turkey's southeastern region borders northern Iraq, and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, says it is Ankara's highest priority to see the restoration of peace and stability in that country.

"Ensuring a dignified⁹ place within the international community for a territorially¹⁰ intact, nationally unified¹¹ and democratic Iraq at peace with itself and its neighbors is at the top of our endeavors to restore stability in our region," said Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "In line with our desire to realize this common vision, we continue to diversify¹² our cooperation with the Iraqi government and support the process of national dialogue and reconciliation in this country."

In Ankara Friday, Turkey and Iraq signed a counter-terrorism pact¹³ to cooperate against Kurdish rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Turkey had sought an agreement that would allow it to send troops into northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region to pursue the separatists in their mountain hideouts, but the accord did not include that key demand. But it did include commitments to crack down on terrorist groups, including stopping their financial and logistical support.

World leaders will continue the annual debate at the General Assembly on Monday, when Israel, Syria, Libya and Burmese leaders are expected to speak.

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

2 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。

3 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。

4 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。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 deviate   

v.(from)背离，偏离

参考例句：

• Don't deviate from major issues.不要偏离主要问题。
• I will never deviate from what I believe to be right.我绝不背离我自信正确的道路。

8 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

9 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

10 territorially   

参考例句：

• Today, prescriptive jurisdiction (capacity to make law) can be based on nationality and exercised extra-territorially. 今日，指示性管辖权﹝制订法律的能力﹞能够基于国籍和于领土以外执行。 来自互联网
• As the seemingly endless ages passed, the night elves' civilization expanded both territorially and culturally. 很久很久之后，暗夜精灵的文明无论在疆域还是文化方面都有了巨大的进步。 来自互联网

11 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

12 diversify   

v.（使）不同，（使）变得多样化

参考例句：

• Our company is trying to diversify.我们公司正力图往多样化方面发展。
• Hills and woods diversify the landscape.山陵和树木点缀景色。

13 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。