VOA标准英语2010年-Obama, Mideast Leaders Begin Peace Tal

At the start of new Middle East peace talks, U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned¹ Tuesday's deadly shooting near the West Bank town of Hebron.  Both leaders said Wednesday that they are determined² that these talks succeed.

After meeting with the Israeli prime minister, President Barack Obama called this week's shooting a "senseless slaughter³" by "extremists and rejectionists" who are trying to derail the peace process.

"The United States is going to be unwavering in its support of Israel's security, and we are going to push back against these kinds of terrorist activities," said President Obama.

A Palestinian gunman opened fire on an Israeli vehicle on Tuesday, killing⁴ four passengers.  The militant⁵ group Hamas has claimed responsibility.

Hamas is not a part of these peace talks.  Mr. Obama said the faction⁶ will not be allowed to stand in the way of peace.

"The message should go out to Hamas, and everybody else who is taking credit for these heinous⁷ crimes, that this is not going to stop us from not only ensuring a secure Israel, but also securing a longer-lasting peace in which people throughout the region can take a different course," Obama added. 
AP
President Obama (right) speaks with Israeli PM Netanyahu, 1 Sep 2010
 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Hebron killings⁸ reveal the nature of those who oppose the peace process.

"Four innocent people were gunned down and seven new orphans⁹ were added by people who have no respect for human life and trample¹⁰ human rights into the dust and butcher everything that they oppose," said Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The Israeli leader said his meeting with President Obama was a good start to this round of discussions.

"The talks that we had, which were indeed open, productive, serious in the quest for peace, also centered around the need to have security arrangements that are able to roll back this kind of terror and other threats to Israel's security," added Netanyahu.

Mr. Netanyahu was the first of four Middle Eastern leaders to meet one-on-one with Mr. Obama.

AP
President Barack Obama (right) meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the start of Mideast peace talks in Washington, 1 Sep 2010
 

Next on President Obama's agenda was a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who Mr. Obama said also condemned the attack in Hebron.

The president is scheduled to meet individually with Jordan's King Abdullah and President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.  The five leaders are expected to conclude the day with a dinner at the White House.

On Thursday, President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu are scheduled to hold a day of meetings hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

These will be the first direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians since late 2008.  The goal of the discussions is to reach agreement within one year on the major issues leading to a Palestinian state and security for Israel.
 

1 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

2 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。

3 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

4 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。

5 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

6 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

7 heinous   

adj.可憎的，十恶不赦的

参考例句：

• They admitted to the most heinous crimes.他们承认了极其恶劣的罪行。
• I do not want to meet that heinous person.我不想见那个十恶不赦的人。

8 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

9 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

10 trample   

vt.踩，践踏；无视，伤害，侵犯

参考例句：

• Don't trample on the grass. 勿踏草地。
• Don't trample on the flowers when you play in the garden. 在花园里玩耍时,不要踩坏花。