Rice in Israel as Chances for Year-End Peace Agreement Fade
赖斯访以称年底前以巴难达协议

　
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Israel as part of a final effort by the Bush administration to keep the Israeli-Palestinian peace process on track. Arriving in Tel Aviv, Rice indicated that a peace deal by the end of the year will not happen.

美国国务卿赖斯访问以色列，这是布什政府争取让以色列和巴勒斯坦的和平进程重上正轨的最后努力。赖斯抵达特拉维夫时表示，在今年年底前不会达成和平协议。

With her job expiring in less than three months, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Israel on her eighth trip to the region in a year - to check on the peace process and see where the next administration will pick up.

美国国务卿赖斯在任期即将在不到3个月以后届满时访问以色列。这是她一年来对该地区的第八次访问，此行的目的是考察和平进程，研究下届政府会从哪里接手。

It was nearly a year ago that the talks were launched in the U.S. city of Annapolis, with Israel and the Palestinians setting a goal to reach an agreement by the end of 2008.

近一年前，巴以和谈在美国的安那波利斯市开始，当时以色列和巴勒斯坦方面定下了在2008年年底前达成协议的目标。

Israeli, Palestinian, and U.S. officials acknowledge it is highly unlikely that there will be a deal by year's end.

以色列、巴勒斯坦和美国官员都承认，不大可能在今年年底前达成协议。

Rice told reporters political turmoil in Israel has been the main complicating issue. The country is heading to early elections in February after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was forced from office over corruption allegations.

赖斯对记者说，以色列的政治动荡是导致事态复杂化的主要问题。在以色列总理奥尔默特因腐败指控而不得不下台后，以色列定于2月提前选举。

Analysts say Israel's political turmoil, combined with a new U.S. administration taking office in January and speculation of a possible impending change of leadership in the Palestinian territories, means there is little chance there will be any movement in the peace process for several months.

分析人士说，以色列政治局势动荡，美国新政府将在明年1月上任，加上人们猜测巴勒斯坦人可能即将更换领导人，这些都意味着在几个月内和平进程几乎没有可能出现进展。

Abraham Diskin, a political science professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, says both sides remain far apart on the key issues of the status of Jerusalem, refugees, and Jewish settlements. He says the best Secretary Rice can do on this trip is to prepare a status report for the new Obama administration and show good faith on the part of outgoing President George Bush.

在耶路撒冷的希伯来大学的政治学教授迪斯金说，双方在耶路撒冷的地位、难民和犹太人定居点这些关键问题上分歧仍然很大。他说，美国国务卿赖斯此行能做的最多是为奥巴马的新政府准备一份情况报告，并且表达即将卸任的布什总统的良好祝愿。

"She is not trying, really, to achieve any kind of final agreement right now, but just maybe to pave the way and make a last hopefully positive contribution of the Bush administration," he said.

迪斯金说：“赖斯现在并不是要争取任何最终协议，她可能只是在铺平道路，并且希望代表布什政府最后再作一次积极的贡献。”

President-elect Barack Obama has said he will make the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a priority, but has given few concrete indications of how his administration will approach it.

当选总统奥巴马已经表示，他将把以色列和巴勒斯坦冲突问题当作当务之急，但是他几乎没有具体说明他的政府将如何处理这个问题。

Secretary Rice's trip will include meetings with Israeli officials, opposition-leader Benjamin Netanyahu - a strong contender for Prime Minister in the February elections - and later with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.

赖斯在这次访问中将和以色列官员以及反对党领袖内塔尼亚胡会晤。内塔尼亚胡在2月选举中将是强有力的竞争者。赖斯随后还要在约旦河西岸和巴勒斯坦民族权力机构主席阿巴斯会晤。

Rice's tour also includes stops in Jordan and Egypt, part of an effort to build Arab support for the peace process.

赖斯此行还包括在约旦和埃及停留，这是争取阿拉伯世界支持巴以和平进程的一部分努力。