VOA标准英语2010年-US Envoy Intensifies Bid to Salvage Is

U.S. special envoy¹ George Mitchell is extending his stay in the Middle East as he works to avert² a collapse³ of the month-old Middle East peace talks.

Mitchell was originally scheduled to leave the region after meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, but decided⁴ to stay longer following his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Diplomats⁵ described his decision to stay longer as a positive sign.

At the start of his meeting with Mr. Abbas, Mitchell said the Obama administration will persist with its efforts to keep the talks on track. "We are determined⁶ to continue and we are continuing our effort to find common ground between the parties, to enable the direct negotiations⁷ to continue," he said.

In his bid to keep both sides at the table, the U.S. official is shuttling between Jerusalem and the West Bank. Officials said Mitchell would hold meetings with Israeli leaders before returning to the West Bank on Friday.

The Palestinians have threatened to quit talks unless Israel restarts a freeze on construction at Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israel says it wants negotiations without preconditions.

Before Mitchell's meeting with President Abbas, Palestinian senior negotiator Nabil Shaath said the Palestinians should not remain in talks unless Israel stops building in the settlements.

Speaking a day before the meeting, Shaath said the Palestinians are willing to accept a four-month freeze on building, during which both sides can negotiate borders and the possible future removal of settlements. He said they will not accept anything less than what the recently expired freeze provided.

"The moratorium⁸ is already watered down," said Shaath. "Any further watering down of that moratorium resolution will really result in an absolutely non-committal and non-productive sort of settlement."

Israel's self-imposed 10-month slowdown on construction that expired Sunday banned the construction of new homes in the settlements. It allowed for building of schools and other public facilities, and permitted completion of projects that were in progress.

Joining the effort to keep talks from derailing was the European Union's foreign affairs chief, Catherine Aston.

All sides are working toward an October 6th deadline. That is when President Abbas plans to consult with Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo, before announcing his decision on whether to continue negotiations.
 

1 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

3 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

7 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。

8 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。