2007年VOA标准英语-South Korea Strikes Deal For Hostage Release in

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
28 August 2007

Taleban representatives head to Afghan Red Crescent Society in Gazni province where discussions on hostages are being held, 28 Aug 2007

Taleban militants¹ and South Korean officials say they have reached a deal to free 19 South Korean hostages held for more than a month in Afghanistan. From Islamabad, VOA Correspondent Benjamin Sand reports.

South Korea presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon confirmed the government had agreed to certain Taleban demands to secure the release of the hostages.

He said South Korea would withdraw 200 of its troops stationed in Afghanistan - as planned by the end of the year - and suspend missionary² work.

The deal was made during face-to-face talks with Taleban militants Tuesday in Ghazni.

Officials from the International Committee of the Red Cross helped coordinate³ the meeting.

Taleban insurgents⁴ seized 23 South Korean church volunteers as they drove through Ghazni province on July 19th. Two of the hostages were killed, two others released after a previous round of talks.

The agreement appears to be a significant compromise for the Taleban - which had first demanded the release of Taleban prisoners. But the Afghan government ruled out any deal.

Provincial⁵ Governor Merajuddin Pattan says the government was not involved in negotiations⁶ Tuesday and has made no concessions⁷ to the militants.

"There is no and there will be no kind of cease-fire between the Afghan government and the terrorist group, the Taleban," he said.

Speaking in Seoul, Cheon said it could still be some time before the hostages are actually released.

He says officials are doing their best to free the captives as quickly as possible.

The South Korean hostage taking was the largest single kidnapping case in Afghanstan since U.S. forces ousted⁸ the Taleban government in 2001.

Kidnappings in general are on the rise in the country. Security experts say the Taleban use kidnappings to terrorize communities and highlight the government's inability to protect them.

1 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。

2 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。

3 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

4 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

5 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

6 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

7 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

8 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。