2007年VOA标准英语-Palestinian Abductors Release Video of BBC Repo

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
01 June 2007

Kidnapped BBC Gaza Correspondent Alan Johnston appeared for the first time Friday in a videotape released by his captors. VOA's Jim Teeple has details from our Jerusalem bureau.

Handout1 image released 01 June 2007 courtesy of IntelCenter is a video still from new hostage video of BBC reporter Alan Johnston" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070608/1353160.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Handout image released 01 June 2007 courtesy of IntelCenter is a video still from new hostage video of BBC reporter Alan Johnston

The video appeared on the al-Ekhlaas web site, which is often used by Islamic militants². Looking healthy and clothed in a red sweater against a black backdrop, Johnston spoke³ for about three minutes. Saying his kidnappers⁴ have treated him well, the veteran BBC correspondent read a statement that condemned⁵ Israeli, British and U.S. policies in the Middle East.

"Every day there are Palestinians arrested and imprisoned⁶ for no reason," he said. People are killed on a daily basis. The economic suffering is terrible, especially here in Gaza where the Israeli, the Israeli (unintelligible) here - absolute despair after nearly 40 years of Israeli occupation which has been supported by the West."

The video appeared to be heavily edited, with some of Johnston's comments sounding clipped, and repeated out of context.

A logo of the group that is reportedly holding him, Jayash al-Islam, or the Army of Islam, also appeared on the video. A speaker from the group whose voice had also been on an audio tape released in early May, repeated the group's demand for the release of radical⁷ Muslim cleric Abu Qatada al-Filistini, who is in British custody⁸ suspected of having links to al-Qaida.

The speaker, who identifies himself as a member of Jayash al-Islam, says if Britain frees Abu Qatada, it will reciprocate⁹ by releasing Johnston.

British authorities say as a matter of policy they will not make any deals for the release of Johnston, or any other British citizens seized by kidnappers.

The release of the tape was condemned by Palestinian government officials who have repeatedly called for Johnston's immediate¹⁰ release. Palestinian security authorities say they know where Johnston is being held in Gaza but have avoided using force to free him out of fear that he will be harmed.

Johnston, the only western correspondent based in Gaza, was abducted¹¹ on March 12, making him the longest-held western hostage ever seized in Gaza. In the video that was released on Friday, Johnston attempted to speak to his family but the video was cut before he could complete his message.

1 handout   

n.散发的文字材料；救济品

参考例句：

• I read the handout carefully.我仔细看了这份分发的资料。
• His job was distributing handout at the street-corner.他的工作是在街头发传单。

2 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 kidnappers   

n.拐子，绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They were freed yesterday by their kidnappers unharmed. 他们昨天被绑架者释放了，没有受到伤害。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The kidnappers had threatened to behead all four unless their jailed comrades were released. 帮匪们曾经威胁说如果印度方面不释放他们的同伙，他们就要将这四名人质全部斩首。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

6 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

7 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

8 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

9 reciprocate   

v.往复运动；互换；回报，酬答

参考例句：

• Although she did not reciprocate his feelings, she did not discourage him.尽管她没有回应他的感情，她也没有使他丧失信心。
• Some day I will reciprocate your kindness to me.总有一天我会报答你对我的恩德。

10 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

11 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。