VOA标准英语2008年-Israel, Hezbollah Move Toward Prisoner Swap

Israel and the Islamic guerrilla group Hezbollah in Lebanon are moving toward a prisoner swap¹. Robert Berger reports from the VOA bureau in Jerusalem.

An Israeli negotiator went to Europe to receive a Hezbollah report on missing Israeli airman Ron Arad, whose plane went down in Lebanon in 1986. Arad was captured alive by Shiite militants², but disappeared two decades ago. Hezbollah has claimed that the trail on Arad went cold.

The report is the latest step in a broader prisoner swap, in which Israel will exchange several Lebanese militants and the bodies of Hezbollah fighters for two Israeli soldiers whose capture sparked the Lebanon War two years ago. The soldiers are believed to be dead.

Both sides say the prisoner exchange could take place as early as next week.
　
A young boy rides his bicycle past pictures of Lebanese prisoner Samir Kuntar in the southern city of Sidon, Lebanon, 03 Jul 2008

The deal has aroused controversy³ here because Israel plans to release Lebanese prisoner Samir Kuntar, responsible for a 1979 terrorist attack that Israelis perceive as one of the most brutal⁴ ever. Kuntar was convicted of killing⁵ a man in front of his four-year-old daughter and then crushing her head with his rifle butt⁶. The man's wife accidentally smothered⁷ their two-year-old daughter in an effort to keep her quiet in a hiding place in their apartment.

Kuntar also killed an Israeli policeman, whose family has appealed to Israel's Supreme⁸ Court to stop the prisoner exchange. The policeman's brother, Yoram Shachar, says releasing Kuntar is an outrage⁹.

Shachar told Israel Radio that Kuntar is an arch-murderer who destroyed his family. He said releasing him only serves the interests of Hezbollah.

Other critics say it is wrong to exchange living Arab prisoners for dead Israeli soldiers.

Nevertheless, the Israeli Cabinet approved the prisoner swap a week ago. Officials say Israel has a responsibility to bring its servicemen home, dead or alive.

　

 

1 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

2 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。

3 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

4 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 butt   

n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶

参考例句：

• The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
• He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

7 smothered   

（使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制

参考例句：

• He smothered the baby with a pillow. 他用枕头把婴儿闷死了。
• The fire is smothered by ashes. 火被灰闷熄了。

8 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

9 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。