VOA标准英语2008年-Nigeria Militants Plan More Attacks in Oil-Rich

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
04 January 2008

Nigeria's main militant¹ group in the oil-producing Niger Delta² says it plans more attacks on the military in a renewed onslaught on Africa's largest oil industry. Gilbert da Costa has more for VOA in this report from Abuja.

 

A statement from the Movement for the Emancipation³ of the Niger Delta, or MEND, warned that army checkpoints and armored personnel carriers in the Niger Delta will be attacked with explosive devices and cautioned civilians⁴ to avoid these targets.

 

The warning is bound to increase tensions in the Niger Delta days after militants⁵ invaded Port Harcourt, the main oil industry center, and killed 13 people.

 

Port Harcourt resident Tony Tamuno says the threat has raised fears of more turmoil⁶ in the sprawling⁷ oil city.

 

"Indeed everybody, the people are already apprehensive⁸ that they might be going back to the events of the middle of 2007, when there were violent clashes between cult⁹ groups and then militants attacking oil installations and military formations," said Tamuno. "People are apprehensive. They are bound to be apprehensive because militants ushered¹⁰ in the New Year with violence. People are now saying, is this what we are going to see in 2008? So, they are very, very apprehensive, and there is this fear among the people."

 

 

MEND also praised the New Year's Day attack in Port Harcourt and renewed its appeal to fractious armed movements active in the Niger Delta to rally against what it called a common enemy.

 

MEND claims it is working to improve the lives of delta residents, whom they say see little benefits from the oil extracted from their region.

 

Nigeria, the world's 12th largest oil producer, exports about 2.5 million barrels of oil daily. But instability and violence in the Niger Delta have cut the nation's output by more than 20 percent in the past two years, and have added to the upward pressure on global oil prices.

 

President Umaru YarAdua recently met his security chiefs to find a way to reduce the violence. The Nigerian military has bombarded rebel strongholds in recent days.

1 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。

2 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。

3 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》

4 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

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 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

7 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

8 apprehensive   

adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的

参考例句：

• She was deeply apprehensive about her future.她对未来感到非常担心。
• He was rather apprehensive of failure.他相当害怕失败。

9 cult   

n.异教，邪教；时尚，狂热的崇拜

参考例句：

• Her books aren't bestsellers,but they have a certain cult following.她的书算不上畅销书，但有一定的崇拜者。
• The cult of sun worship is probably the most primitive one.太阳崇拜仪式或许是最为原始的一种。

10 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》