VOA标准英语2008年-Nigerian Rebels Declare Ceasefire in Delta

Nigeria's leading militant¹ group, the Movement for the Emancipation² of the Niger Delta³, has declared a unilateral ceasefire in the oil-rich region. Gilbert da Costa in Abuja reports for VOA.

MEND warned in its statement that it would end the ceasefire if the military attacks its positions again. It also warned that other groups outside its direct command may not respect the ceasefire.

The group declared war on the oil industry a week ago in what it said was a response to ground and air strikes by the Nigerian military against one of its bases in Rivers state, one of three states that form the core Delta.

MEND said its decision to halt attacks was taken after a plea by community leaders. One of the region's most influential⁴ leaders with strong ties to the rebels, Edwin Clark, has held talks with government officials to resolve the crisis. Clark told VOA that militancy⁵ in the oil-rich region is a legitimate⁶ cause of action.

"I call them [militants] freedom fighters because they are fighting for their own survival, for their existence in a country which we call Nigeria," said Clark.

Royal Dutch Shell, whose facilities suffered the most during the siege, declared on Saturday that it would not be able to meet its contractual obligations on oil deliveries due to militant attacks.

Oil and gas accounts for 90 percent of foreign exchange earnings⁷ in Nigeria, Africa's most populous⁸ nation with 140 million people.

Rebels claim the oil wealth of Nigeria does not sufficiently⁹ benefit the local population.

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 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

5 militancy   

n.warlike behavior or tendency

参考例句：

• Full of militancy and revolutionary ardour, the people of all nationalities in the country are working hard for the realization of the four modernizations. 全国各族人民意气风发， 斗志昂扬，为实现四个现代化而奋战。
• The seniority system is another factor that leads to union militancy. 排资论辈制度也是导致工会好斗争的另一因素。

6 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

7 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

8 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

9 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。