VOA标准英语2008年-Lebanese Cabinet Approves Policy Statement

The new Lebanese government has finally agreed on a policy manifesto¹, after three weeks of bitter debate, allowing Hezbollah to keep its weapons and continue its self-proclaimed "resistance" to Israel to recover several disputed border territories. For VOA, Edward Yeranian reports from Beirut.
　
Tarek Mitri (File photo)

Lebanon's government spokesman, Information Minister Tarek Mitri read the long-awaited policy statement, requesting that parliament now officially vote to approve the government, nominally² in place since July 11.

Lebanon's Orient le Jour newspaper headlined "Finally!" amid a sense of public frustration³ that it had taken politicians three weeks to cobble together a simple policy statement.

The new national unity⁴ government, which includes both the pro-Syrian Hezbollah and the pro-Western March 14 movement, appeared eager to reach a compromise, putting the final touches on their statement late last night, after a bitter and lengthy⁵ debate.

Several political leaders complained privately⁶ that the government had "given in" to Hezbollah demands, agreeing that the group can keep its weapons and continue to "resist Israel."

U.N. resolution 1559 calls on the Lebanese government to "establish its sovereignty over all of its territory and for Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias⁷ to "disband."

The new government manifesto is likely to cause some displeasure in both Israel and the United States.

The French Press Agency reported that four cabinet members from Lebanon's U.S.-supported March 14 Alliance expressed "reservations" over the right of Hezbollah to "keep its weapons."

The manifesto does, however, insist that the "authority of the state" will be the "guiding principle" of the government.

Omayma Abd al Latif, of the Carnegie Center for Peace in the Middle East, was more nuanced in her interpretation⁸ of the government policy statement, however, calling it a "compromise".

"This is meant to be a national unity government, so I think, in a sense, what came out, yesterday, was basically a compromise," she said. "I wouldn't put it in so many words as 'caving in' to Hezbollah. It needed a compromise statement that could sort of get the support and consensus⁹ of all the parties concerned."

No Lebanese government, she also argues, could have ignored the issue of Hezbollah's weapons, because Hezbollah is part of the new government.

"Hezbollah is a party in this government; it has ministers in this government, so the statement couldn't come out without a reference the right of the Lebanese people to resist and also the right to liberate¹⁰ occupied lands, of course in reference to Sheba'a Farms," said Abd al Latif.

Hezbollah possesses an 11 member minority in Lebanon's unity government, in accordance with the Doha Agreement of May 21, which put an end to months of political crisis, and bloody¹¹ street-fights in May, which left scores of people dead.

 

1 manifesto   

n.宣言，声明

参考例句：

• I was involved in the preparation of Labour's manifesto.我参与了工党宣言的起草工作。
• His manifesto promised measures to protect them.他在宣言里保证要为他们采取保护措施。

2 nominally   

在名义上，表面地； 应名儿

参考例句：

• Dad, nominally a Methodist, entered Churches only for weddings and funerals. 爸名义上是卫理公会教徒，可只去教堂参加婚礼和葬礼。
• The company could not indicate a person even nominally responsible for staff training. 该公司甚至不能指出一个名义上负责职员培训的人。

3 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

4 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。

5 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

6 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

7 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

8 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

9 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？

10 liberate   

v.解放，使获得自由，释出，放出；vt.解放，使获自由

参考例句：

• They did their best to liberate slaves.他们尽最大能力去解放奴隶。
• This will liberate him from economic worry.这将消除他经济上的忧虑。

11 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。