VOA常速英语2008年-Rice Meets Olmert as New Mideast Peace Mission

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
29 March 2008

United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has arrived in Israel, Saturday, on a new Middle East peace mission. But it is an uphill climb, as we hear from Robert Berger at the VOA bureau in Jerusalem.

Secretary of State Rice met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert over dinner in Jerusalem. It was the first of a series of meetings Rice will hold with Israeli and Palestinian officials over the next three days.

Rice is trying to give a boost to peace talks, but she said this visit will focus on practical measures to improve the lives of Palestinians. Speaking on the plane before arriving here, Rice said she will urge Israel to ease freedom of movement for Palestinians in the West Bank. The United States believes that this will create a better atmosphere for negotiations¹ and increase Palestinian support for the peace process.

But Israel is reluctant to ease security restrictions² on grounds that they prevent suicide bombings. Prime Minister Olmert's spokesman Mark Regev explained, saying, "Israel is interested in moving on this issue, we want to be able to give the Palestinians in the West Bank greater movement. The problem as everyone knows is if we move too quickly, if we take down roadblocks in an irresponsible manner and a vacuum is created, extremists will move into that vacuum."

Peace talks have bogged³ down because of Palestinian rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip and Israeli settlement expansion in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Speaking at the Arab Summit in Damascus, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas blasted Israel.

He said Israel's "vicious settlement campaign," as he put it, is undermining plans for a viable⁴ Palestinian state.

Despite the obstacles, U.S. President George W.Bush is standing⁵ by the goal of reaching a peace agreement by the end of the year, and he will put his weight behind it about when he visits here in May.

1 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。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 bogged   

adj.陷于泥沼的v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的过去式和过去分词 )；妨碍，阻碍

参考例句：

• The professor bogged down in the middle of his speech. 教授的演讲只说了一半便讲不下去了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The tractor is bogged down in the mud. 拖拉机陷入了泥沼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。