VOA常速英语:Gaza Flotilla Determined to Sail Despite Setbacks

短语讲解：

1. An international aid flotilla is continuing with plans to sail to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip despite a series of setbacks.

continue with继续
例句：He continued with his reading as if nothing important had happened.
他若无其事地又继续看他的书。
a series of一系列
例句：The post office will issue a series of new stamps.
邮局将要发行一套新邮票。

2. Pro-Palestinian activists organizing the aid flotilla say they still intend to challenge Israel's blockade on Gaza, a day after an American boat was intercepted by the Greek coast guard and turned back to Athens.

intend to打算(做)..., 想要(做)...
例句：I intend to buy a new house.
我打算买一套新房子。
例句：turn back (使)往回走
The wheel of history can never be turned back.
历史的车轮绝不能倒转。

3. American Greta Berlin, who was on board the vessel, blames Israel and the United States for the setback.

on board在船〔火车, 飞机, 汽车〕上
例句：When all the people were on board, the boat bore away.
当所有人都上船后, 那艘船离岸了。

4. "The Greek government is under a huge amount of pressure from the Israeli government and probably our own government as well," said Berlin.

under pressure在压力下
例句：He performed well under pressure.
他在压力之下表现得很好。
a huge amount of大量的
例句：She spends a huge amount of money on that coat.
她花了大笔的钱买那件衣服

5. he United Nations and European Union have backed the Israeli and U.S. position, which calls for the flotilla to dock in Israeli or Egyptian ports and transfer their cargo to Gaza legally over land.

call for要求，需要，提倡
例句：The letter calls for an investigation of the facts.
来信要求对这些事实进行调查。
transfer to转移; 迁移
例句：The company has transferred to an eastern location.
这家公司已搬到东部某地。

6. Speaking from Athens, Greta Berlin says the mission to Gaza will go ahead.

go ahead进行，进展；继续(做某事)
例句：After the rain stopped, the men went ahead with their work of digging up the street.
雨停后，他们继续在街上挖掘。

7. And we don't give up very easily.

give up放弃,投降,认输
例句：She will give up this journey.
她将放弃这次旅行。

8. Organizers hope to bring up to eight boats and two cargo ships laden with supplies to Gaza, along with about 300 people, including politicians, journalists, writers and religious figures.

bring up带(或拿)上楼，带到(高的地方)
例句：When the doctor arrives, bring him up.
医生来时, 带他到楼上。
lade with满载…；充满着
例句：The ship was laden with war materials.
船上装满了战争物资。

9. But two boats have been disabled, allegedly by Israeli sabotage, and now Greece says it will not allow the six ships docked in its ports to depart for Gaza.

depart for出发去(某地)
例句：We are departing for Paris by the next plane.
我们将搭乘下一班次的飞机前往巴黎。

10. Because of the delays, dozens of activists have run out of time and returned home.

run out of用完，耗尽
例句：We have run out of sugar.
我们的糖用完了。

11. It says the naval blockade is necessary to prevent weapons from reaching the Palestinian militant group Hamas that rules Gaza.

prevent from阻止, 防止
例句：His prompt action prevented the fire from spreading.
他的果断行动制止了火势的蔓延。

12. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has the full right to thwart any attempt to facilitate the smuggling of missiles, rockets and other weapons to what he described as the "Hamas terrorist enclave."

describe as描述为, 说成是
例句：I should describe the attempt as a failure.
我认为这次尝试失败了。