VOA标准英语2014--克里“悄悄”重启中东和平进程

 

Kerry Working 'Quietly' to Restart Mideast Peace Process 克里“悄悄”重启中东和平进程

STATE DEPARTMENT— 

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says he is working “quietly” to restart an Israeli-Palestinian peace process.   Kerry is facing many of the same challenges that contributed to the collapse¹ of talks earlier this year, including new Israeli settlements.

It is not a promising² time for new peace talks, with clashes over Israeli soldiers killing³ a Palestinian-American in the West Bank and new Israeli settlements planned for East Jerusalem following 50 days of fighting in Gaza.

With a status quo he says is “unsustainable,” Secretary Kerry says the Obama administration is trying to head-off “the challenges of further deterioration⁴.”

“It is important to try to find a way to negotiate. But I think we're best when we try to work quietly at that and that's what we are doing now," said Kerry.

 Finding a way to negotiate faces long-standing obstacles of land and the security of the people who live there.

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says settlements are part of what Israel has done for 50 years.

 “It is also clear to the Palestinians that these places will remain under Israeli sovereignty in any future arrangement," said Netanyahu.

 Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah says settlements are illegitimate.

"God willing, this occupation will end and there will be an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital," said Hamdallah.

It’s a dispute that further entrenches⁵ both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu, says American University professor Guy Ziv.

“What we’re seeing are two leaders who are generally weak and risk-averse and are catering⁶ to their domestic constituencies, and, I would add, their hardline domestic constituencies," said Ziv.

Israel is "actively⁷ undermining" the Palestinian Authority and its coalition⁸ with Hamas, says former U.S. ambassador Adam Ereli.

“It speaks more to the state of Palestinian politics of which Mahmoud Abbas is a symbol but not the cause. And that is a very divided body politic⁹ between those who still believe in the armed resistance and those who believe in peaceful coexistence and accommodation," said Ereli.

Neither side shows much enthusiasm about a return to a U.S.-led peace process.

“Secretary Kerry can not want these talks more than the parties themselves. And I think that that is what led to the talks’ collapse in the last go-around.  I don’t expect the talks to be resumed any time soon," said Ziv.

Prospects¹⁰ further dimmed by Egypt postponing¹¹ talks on terms of the Gaza cease-fire after imposing¹² a three-month state of emergency in parts of North Sinai following militant¹³ attacks that killed at least 33 Egyptian security personnel.

1 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。

2 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

3 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。

4 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

5 entrenches   

v.用壕沟围绕或保护…( entrench的第三人称单数 )；牢固地确立…

参考例句：

• It entrenches the army's role guaranteeing it a quarter of parliamentary seats. 军队的角色被牢固确立，宪法赋予军队四分之一的议会席位。 来自互联网
• This matter entrenches on other domains. 这件事对其他方面也有影响。 来自互联网

6 catering   

n. 给养

参考例句：

• Most of our work now involves catering for weddings. 我们现在的工作多半是承办婚宴。
• Who did the catering for your son's wedding? 你儿子的婚宴是由谁承办的？

7 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

8 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

9 politic   

adj.有智虑的；精明的；v.从政

参考例句：

• He was too politic to quarrel with so important a personage.他很聪明，不会与这么重要的人争吵。
• The politic man tried not to offend people.那个精明的人尽量不得罪人。

10 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

11 postponing   

v.延期，推迟( postpone的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He tried to gain time by postponing his decision. 他想以迟迟不作决定的手段来争取时间。 来自辞典例句
• I don't hold with the idea of postponing further discussion of the matter. 我不赞成推迟进一步讨论这件事的想法。 来自辞典例句

12 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

13 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。