2007年VOA标准英语-Militants Release Captives in Niger Delta

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
12 June 2007

Hostage takers in Nigeria's unruly oil-rich Niger Delta¹ have released 13 captives as the new Nigerian administration prepares for peace talks with rebels responsible for the violence. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa in Abuja reports that the gesture is seen as the easing of tensions in the impoverished² region.

Officials say the release of the hostages was facilitated by the new governor of Bayelsa state, Timipre Silva. A spokesman for the state government, Ebimo Amungo, says there is now not a single foreigner held hostage in the state.

"He [governor] has had two meetings with various militant³ groups and after those deliberations; they agreed that every single hostage held in Bayelsa state will be released to the governor," he said. "So, yesterday, he flew in to some place close to their camp in a chopper and and then he got the hostages from them. While he went for the release of 10 hostages, 13 were released to him as a measure of good faith. All hostages in Bayelsa state have been released."

The hostages were three Americans, five Britons, two Indians, one Filipino, one South African and a Nigerian.

Some two dozen people are still held in captivity⁴ across the region. Armed militants⁵ pressing for a greater share of the region's oil wealth are responsible for the unrelenting spate⁶ of hostage taking. Victims are generally released after a ransom⁷ is paid.

Criminal gangs have joined the fray⁸, seizing several foreigners in the past couple of months.

Umaru Yar'Adua in Abuja

President Umaru Yar'Adua has promised to address grievances⁹ in the region, and is preparing the ground for peace talks in the coming weeks.

Nigeria's best known militant group, Movement for the Emancipation¹⁰ of the Niger Delta, has declared a month-long truce¹¹ to give the new administration time to come up with a plan to resolve the region's long-standing problems.

More than 200 foreigners have been abducted¹² in the vast wetlands region, home to Africa's largest oil industry.

Violence in the region has cut crude output by at least 20 percent in recent months.

1 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

2 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

4 captivity   

n.囚禁；被俘；束缚

参考例句：

• A zoo is a place where live animals are kept in captivity for the public to see.动物园是圈养动物以供公众观看的场所。
• He was held in captivity for three years.他被囚禁叁年。

5 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。

6 spate   

n.泛滥，洪水，突然的一阵

参考例句：

• Police are investigating a spate of burglaries in the area.警察正在调查这一地区发生的大量盗窃案。
• Refugees crossed the border in full spate.难民大量地越过了边境。

7 ransom   

n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救

参考例句：

• We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。
• The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。

8 fray   

v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗

参考例句：

• Why should you get involved in their fray?你为什么要介入他们的争吵呢？
• Tempers began to fray in the hot weather.大热天脾气烦燥。

9 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 emancipation   

n.（从束缚、支配下）解放

参考例句：

• We must arouse them to fight for their own emancipation. 我们必须唤起他们为其自身的解放而斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They rejoiced over their own emancipation. 他们为自己的解放感到欢欣鼓舞。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

12 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。