时间:2018-11-29 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2008年(十二月)


英语课
The European Union, or EU, is calling on Israel to observe a humanitarian 1 truce 2 after a four-day Israeli air offensive on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner of France, which currently heads the EU, hosted a meeting in Paris on Tuesday aimed at resolving the crisis. Kouchner told French television he is pushing for a lasting 3 truce.
 






French FM Kouchner (R), Spanish FM Moratinos and Greek FM Bakoyannis arrive for an urgent meeting on Gaza in Paris, 30 Dec 2008



Spain's Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, told reporters the Europe Union's immediate 4 goal is to secure a cease-fire between Israel and the militant 5 Palestinian group Hamas. The Europeans are particularly looking for a humanitarian truce.

Their call for a cease-fire joins that of the United States, which said Hamas must respect the truce. Meanwhile, Persian Gulf 6 Arab ministers have strongly condemned 7 Israel's actions in the conflict.

Earlier Tuesday, the EU's executive arm called on Israel and Hamas to cease all attacks affecting civilians 8 and let humanitarian aid into the impoverished 9 Gaza Strip.

But Robin 10 Lowe, a Middle East expert at Chatham House, a London-based public policy institute, said the Europeans have limited diplomatic clout 11.

"The European Union countries have a fairly weak voice in this conflict. Many of them wish that was stronger and they're all full of ideas and good intentions to help find a quick and peaceful resolution. But the difficulty is that neither side [Israel or Hamas] is at all minded to listening to the Europeans," he said.

The Europeans are also divided, with many countries historically sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. But the Czech Republic, which takes over the EU rotating presidency 12 from France on January 1, has defended Israel's air strikes on Gaza in retaliation 13 for Hamas rocket fire.



1 humanitarian
n.人道主义者,博爱者,基督凡人论者
  • She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业,并作了很大的贡献。
  • The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。
2 truce
n.休战,(争执,烦恼等的)缓和;v.以停战结束
  • The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
  • She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。
3 lasting
adj.永久的,永恒的;vbl.持续,维持
  • The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
  • We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。
4 immediate
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
5 militant
adj.激进的,好斗的;n.激进分子,斗士
  • 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 gulf
n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂
  • The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
  • There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。
7 condemned
平民,百姓( civilian的名词复数 ); 老百姓
  • the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
  • At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后,至少有300名平民下落不明。
8 impoverished
adj.穷困的,无力的,用尽了的v.使(某人)贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 );使(某物)贫瘠或恶化
  • the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
  • They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 robin
n.知更鸟,红襟鸟
  • The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
  • We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟,知道春天要到了。
10 clout
n.用手猛击;权力,影响力
  • The queen may have privilege but she has no real political clout.女王有特权,但无真正的政治影响力。
  • He gave the little boy a clout on the head.他在那小男孩的头部打了一下。
11 presidency
n.总统(校长,总经理)的职位(任期)
  • Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
  • Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。
12 retaliation
n.报复,反击
  • retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
  • He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
学英语单词
amylosynthetase
arsenated
be pocked with
biooncology
BNZN
branch retinal artery occlusion
buseire (al busayrah)
Cancer Research UK
candle-lighting
capital development
Carex callitrichos
cheirosscope
Chemelil
chermid
chewing someone out
chill shortness
cladonias
commensurators
comprovincial
continuous in probability
corpase
crankpin seat
crystallization mechanism
cumeat
cut one's sticks
cytozoic parasite
defencively
dermestids
diaminodiphenyl-sulfonum
down price
empirical studies
epoxyalcohols
exhaust temperature at turbine inlet
extended fund facility
fantabulous
filatov
folialiferous
foot-ton
fuel supply pump piston
gravigrades
gravity-type abutment
grow
Hagaström
handspinners
hay wain
high-radiation
hold sb. dear
in-itself
infinitive
interest rate policy
intermediate reduction pinion
line vent
low band
maerial composition test
maha-bharata
micro-to-mainframe
mock space loom
National Westminster Bank plc
neonatal dacryocystitis
neritas
NMV
nonelastic
nonlight
nonweighted number system
oaves
ossa tarsi fibulare
Oz group
pedagogical phenomenon
pelt
programme tape
pseudoalkaloid
Quetelet
Quezaltepeque, Vol.de
reactor well cover
red hat
redescribing
reference quantizer
routinism
Ruifang Township
sabulous loam
Schisandra tuberculata
silicon microwave power diode
sklavin
small white
sonochemical
SPERT (special power excursion reactor test)
supply power mode
three high shape mill
toothcomb
trahern
tubal
two-level structure
unicam
universal joint pin
usurpings
venally
verification of attribute grammar
vocational program
W.O.G.
wearabler
wine-glasses
woolly rosemallow