During the last four years of his life, Arafat’s public space was literally and metaphorically diminishing. He was unable to re-engage his Israeli adversaries or control his suicide-bound Palestinian militants.
在他生命的最后四年里，阿拉法特的公众空间大幅度缩小，无论从直接还是比喻意义上都不例外。他无力再团结自己的以色列对手，也无力控制赞成自杀性袭击的巴勒斯坦好战分子。他也无法遏制、更无法战胜巴权力机构内部愈演愈烈的腐败。