Unpaid Palestinian civil servants protest against Hamas Government
Thousands of Palestinian civil servants and policemen took to the streets of Gaza, demanding their salaries which are six months overdue. Protesters blocked roads, burned tires and attacked the car of a Hamas Cabinet minister, breaking the windows.
The Hamas-led government has not been able to pay the salaries of 165000 government employees, since it took power six months ago. Hamas has been crippled by international sanctions because of its refusal to renounce violence and recognize Israel.
The protests erupted after the government began paying partial salaries of $350 from money donated by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. But government employees complained that, in some cases, the money did not arrive, and, in others, they were left with nothing after Palestinian banks deducted commissions and interest on existing loans.
In a bid to end the devastating sanctions, Hamas has agreed to form a national unity government with the more moderate Fatah party, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. But the talks between the two parties broke down after Hamas refused to recognize Israel, a key international condition for the lifting of sanctions.
专有名词
Palestinian adj. 巴勒斯坦的，巴勒斯坦人的 n. 巴勒斯坦，巴勒斯坦人
Gaza 加沙
Saudi Arabia 沙特阿拉伯
Qatar 卡塔尔
Fatah party 法塔赫＝巴勒斯坦民族解放运动
Mahmoud Abbas 马哈茂德·阿巴斯
生词
civil servant n. 文职公务员
overdue adj. 过期的，未兑的，迟到的
protester n. 抗议者，提出异议者，声明者（汗，N次翻过这词了，老忘什么意思）
tire n. 轮胎
crippled adj. 跛的，拐的，伤残的
refusal n.
renounce v. 弃绝，放弃，否认
erupt v. 爆发
partial adj. 部分的，偏袒的，偏爱的
deduct v. 扣除
commission n. 佣金
interest n. 利息
bid n. an attempt to win, get or attract
devastating adj. 破坏性的，全然的
moderate adj. 适度的，稳健的，温和的，中等的
翻译
数千名巴勒斯坦公务员和警察走上加沙街头，索要拖欠了六个月之久的薪水。抗议者们堵住道路、烧毁了轮胎，并袭击了一位哈马斯内阁大臣的汽车，打碎了车窗。
自从哈马斯在六个月前获得权力后，他所领导的政府就一直未能向政府中的165000名职员支付薪水。哈马斯政府因拒绝放弃暴力并承认以色列而遭到国际制裁，力量被大大削弱了。
抗议是在政府开始动用沙特阿拉伯和卡塔尔的捐款来支付350美元的部分工资之后爆发的。但是政府职员们纷纷抱怨道，一些人根本就没有收到薪水，而其他人的薪水在巴勒斯坦银行扣除了佣金和借款利息后也所剩无几了。
为了结束破坏性的制裁，哈马斯同意与由马哈茂德·阿巴斯领导的较为温和的法塔赫组建一个国家联合政府。但是在哈马斯拒绝承认以色列后，双方对话中断。承认以色列是撤消制裁的一个关键性国际条件。
posted on 2006-10-04 21:15
annika 阅读(1484)
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