VOA标准英语2008年-Arab League Approves Plan to End Lebanese Polit

By Challiss McDonough
Cairo, Egypt
06 January 2008

The secretary general of the Arab League says he is heading for Beirut this week for talks on a new plan to end the Lebanese political crisis.  VOA Middle East Correspondent Challiss McDonough has more from Cairo.

Arab League foreign ministers have approved a new proposal to end the political stalemate that has left Lebanon without a president for more than six weeks.

At a special session in Cairo, they endorsed¹ the choice of army chief General Michel Suleiman as Lebanese president, and called for his immediate² election.

The two feuding³ political factions⁵ in Lebanon have agreed that Michel should be the next president, but the parliamentary vote to elect him has been repeatedly delayed as factions continue fighting over other political issues, including the shape of the next government.

Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said the league's proposal to end the standoff is based on three points.

He said it calls for election of a president, agreement on a national unity⁶ government, and other measures including a new electoral law to be passed after the government is formed.

The plan says the national unity government should be structured so that no one faction⁴ can impose or block a decision.  It also strengthens the powers of the president, giving him the role of settling contested cabinet decisions.

Secretary General Moussa said he would be going to Beirut in the next few days for talks on the proposal.

He said the Arab League will move seriously, and will not allow the matter to drag on from week to week, from delay to delay, or from tension to tension.

The plan has wide support among Arab states and was welcomed by a number of key factions in Lebanon.

Moussa said it is supported by Syria, which is a main backer of the Lebanese opposition⁷.

In Beirut, the ruling March 14 coalition's leader, Saad Hariri, said it gives Lebanon a new chance to elect a consensus⁸ president.

Lebanese media quoted the parliamentary speaker and key opposition figure Nabih Berri as also approving of the plan.  But reports said the opposition group Hezbollah was responding more cautiously, and asking for clarification on some points.  

1 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 feuding   

vi.长期不和（feud的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Riccardo and Cafiero had been feuding so openly that the whole town knew about it. 里卡多和卡菲埃罗一直公开地闹别扭，全城的人都知道此事。 来自辞典例句
• The two families have been feuding with each other for many generations. 这两个家族有好多代的世仇了。 来自互联网

4 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

5 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

6 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

7 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。

8 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？