VOA标准英语2008年-Nigerian Militants Follow Up Threats with Anoth

Nigeria's most prominent militant¹ group, the Movement for the Emancipation² of the Niger Delta³, or 'MEND', has claimed responsibility for a third day of violence in the southern oil producing region. Sarah Simpson reports from Lagos the militants⁴ say their attacks are part of an "oil war" and have told all oil workers to vacate the region for their own safety.
　
MEND militants brandish⁵ weapons (file photo)

The Niger Delta entered a third day of violence, as MEND militants claimed responsibility for an attack on an oil-pumping station operated by Royal Dutch Shell.

Nigerian military spokesman, Lieutenant⁶ Colonel Sagir Musa told reporters that militants in speed boats - armed with rocket launchers and dynamite⁷ - attacked the oil facility in a pre-dawn assault.

Musa says no soldiers were injured in the hour-long gun fight that followed. Independent verification of casualty figures is not available.

Military and militant sources say the Shell oil-pumping facility was seriously damaged in the attack. Shell has yet to confirm any impact on their operations.

This latest MEND attack follows a Sunday statement declaring an "oil war" and demanding all oil workers to leave the Niger Delta for their own safety.

Since MEND emerged almost three years ago, it has carried numerous attacks on oil infrastructure⁸ and foreign oil workers in the Niger Delta. Most non-essential oil personnel have been evacuated⁹ or relocated out of the region.

MEND says it is fighting for a greater share of Nigeria's vast oil revenues to go to the region the produces the oil - the Niger Delta.

Observers say MEND's declaration of war could mark a new level of instability in the delta. Local newspapers are reporting that the Nigerian military has resolved to take a tougher line with the delta militants.

MEND say it has launched its war in response to a weekend raid by the Nigerian military on militant fighter camps. Militants say the military launched a marine¹⁰ and air offensive on one of their positions on Saturday.

MEND is an umbrella for a host of disparate armed gangs that operate out of the delta. Despite hard-hitting rhetoric¹¹ from the militants, it is not clear to what extent, if any, some of these gangs share MEND's stated aims.

Some observers in Nigeria say the militants are more interested in enriching themselves through crime than fighting a politicized anti-government campaign.

The Nigerian government has repeatedly described the militants as criminals.

Nigeria is the eighth-largest oil exporting nation in the world, and a member of OPEC. Militant activity in the Niger Delta has cut oil output by as much as 25 percent and helped force up oil prices worldwide.

 

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 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》

3 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。

4 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。

5 brandish   

v.挥舞，挥动；n.挥动，挥舞

参考例句：

• She answered with a brandish of her umbrella.她挥动着伞回答。
• Come on together! Brandish the florid youth together!一起舞动绚丽的青春吧！

6 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

7 dynamite   

n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破)

参考例句：

• The workmen detonated the dynamite.工人们把炸药引爆了。
• The philosopher was still political dynamite.那位哲学家仍旧是政治上的爆炸性人物。

8 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

9 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

10 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

11 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。