VOA标准英语2008年-Lebanese Prime Minister Visits Iraq to Improve

Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Siniora is in Iraq for trade talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. His trip comes one week after King Abdullah of Jordan became the first Arab head of state to visit Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Edward Yeranian reports from Beirut that the Lebanese are placing high hopes on the visit.
　
Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki (r) listens as Lebanon's PM Fouad Siniora, speaks to the media at a joint¹ press conference in Baghdad, 20 Aug 2008

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on Wednesday became the second top Arab leader to visit Baghdad, following the recent lead of Jordan's King Abdullah. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met Mr. Siniora in person at Baghdad Airport, before both men drove into the city behind a large motorcycle escort.

The Beirut media gave top billing to the Siniora visit, amid hopes from some commentators² that Iraq would agree to sell subsidized oil to Lebanon, as it has long done with Jordan.

Both Prime Minister Siniora and Prime Minister Maliki avoided giving specific details about what they had agreed upon, but Mr. Siniora painted a broad tableau³ of improving political and economic relations with Iraq.

He says that Iraq and Lebanon have agreed to "implement⁴ a broad program of action and cooperation in various sectors⁵, including tourism, and economic relations, and across a range of fields from investments, oil trade, and the development of the oil industry."

Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki spoke⁶ enthusiastically about improving economic relations between Lebanon and Iraq, putting special emphasis on encouraging Lebanese investment in his country.

He insists that both sides have agreed to put together teams to work out a set of agreement in the areas of trade, oil and oil services that will be concluded soon." He also stressed that Iraq welcomes its Lebanese brethren from various economic fields and companies, as well as Lebanese investors⁷, amid a framework of security and laws to protect investments.

Iraq was once Lebanon's top trade partner, before prolonged periods of tension between both countries damaged economic ties. Lebanon has maintained an embassy in Baghdad throughout the period following the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, and a number of Lebanese nationals were kidnapped and killed during that time.

Dr. Ibrahim Saif of the Carnegie Center for Peace in the Middle East thinks that improved relations with Iraq will bring many benefits for Lebanon.

"So getting cheap oil, or a subsidized oil will definitely help boosting the Lebanese economy, which is now picking up fairly after the Doha agreement, and also after the growing tourism during this summer, here in Lebanon and, as far as trade, there are so many commodities that Lebanon, especially in the food industry and some pharmaceutical⁸ products, that Lebanon can again penetrate⁹ and export to the Iraqi market, yet due to security and lack of any coordination¹⁰ it is not happening or taking place," he said.

The United States has been urging Sunni-ruled Arab states to strengthen ties with Iraq and ease the country's regional isolation¹¹. Other Sunni Arab leaders have avoided Iraq due to security fears and concerns that Iraq's Shi'ite-led government is too friendly with Iran, a largely Shi'ite state.

 

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 tableau   

n.画面，活人画（舞台上活人扮的静态画面）

参考例句：

• The movie was a tableau of a soldier's life.这部电影的画面生动地描绘了军人的生活。
• History is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.历史不过是由罪恶和灾难构成的静止舞台造型罢了。

4 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

5 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

8 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

9 penetrate   

v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解

参考例句：

• Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
• The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

10 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

11 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。