VOA标准英语2008年-Israel Pursues Ceasefire With Hamas
时间：2019-01-31 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2008年（六月）
By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
12 June 2008
Prospects 1 appear to have improved for a Middle East ceasefire. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, truce 2 efforts come amid political turmoil 3 in Israel.
An Israeli delegation 4 is in Cairo to try to finalize 5 an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire with the Islamic militant 6 group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip. Israel sent the delegation after the Security Cabinet backed down from a threat to launch a major military offensive in Gaza in response to daily Palestinian rocket and mortar 7 attacks.
Ehud Barak (file)
Defense 8 Minister Ehud Barak said he hopes truce efforts will succeed.
Barak, a former army chief, said he has fought in many wars, so before sending soldiers to battle it is a sacred duty to exhaust every effort for peace.
Israel is reluctant to invade Gaza fearing high casualties among Israeli soldiers and Palestinian civilians 9, and international condemnation 10.
Hamas says a ceasefire is not a done deal.
Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said the group could not agree to Israel's demand that it release captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit as part of the truce agreement unless Israel frees hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Shalit has been held for two years in Gaza, since he was kidnapped in a cross-border raid.
The truce efforts come amid growing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert who could be toppled by a corruption 11 scandal.
Defense Minister Barak said the Labor 12 Party, Mr. Olmert's senior coalition 13 partner, would support an upcoming bill for early elections if the prime minister does not step down.
It was the second blow to Mr. Olmert in as many days. On Wednesday, his Kadima party began the process for primaries to replace him. Mr. Olmert's political survival is in doubt after an American businessman testified that he gave him envelopes stuffed with cash to support a lavish 14 lifestyle.
Opinion polls show that a majority of Israelis believe that the Olmert government is too unstable 15 to make any major decisions about war or peace.
- 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。
- 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。
- His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
- The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。
- The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
- We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。
- Let us finalize tonight.让我们今天晚上干完
- 。At the same time,industrial designers work with engineers to finalize components and assembly.同时，工业设计师和工程师一道来完成部件和组装部分的工作。
- 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。
- The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
- The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。
- The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
- The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。
- 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。
- There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
- The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。
- The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
- The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。
- We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
- He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。
- 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。
- He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
- The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。