VOA常速英语2022 5名联合国工作人员在也门被绑架

Yemeni officials say suspected al-Qaeda militants¹ abducted² five United Nations workers in the southern province of Abyan.

也门官员表示，疑似基地组织武装分子在南部省份阿比扬绑架了五名联合国工作人员。

The workers, including four Yemenis and a foreigner, were abducted on Friday.

这些工作人员于周五被绑架，其中有四名也门人和一名外国人。

U.N. Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said his organization is aware of the abduction.

联合国发言人斯蒂芬·杜加里克表示，联合国知晓这起绑架事件。

Abductions are frequent in Yemen.

也门绑架事件频发。

It's an impoverished⁴ nation where armed tribesmen and al-Qaeda-linked militants take hostages just swap⁵ for prisoners or cash.

这是一个贫穷的国家，武装部落成员和与基地组织有关的武装分子劫持人质，只是为了换取囚犯或现金。

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has long been considered the global network's most dangerous branch, and has attempted to carry out attacks on the U.S. mainland.

阿拉伯半岛的基地组织长期以来一直被认为是全球网络中最危险的分支，并试图对美国本土发动袭击。

Australia temporarily suspended operations at its embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, and evacuated⁶ staff following the deteriorating⁷ security situation caused by the build-up of Russian troops on Ukraine's border, this according to the Australian Foreign Ministry⁸ on Sunday.

澳大利亚外交部周日表示，由于俄罗斯军队在乌克兰边境集结导致安全局势恶化，澳大利亚驻乌克兰基辅大使馆暂时停止运作，工作人员撤离。

In a statement, the ministry said, "We will be moving our operations to a temporary office in Lviv. We continue to advise Australians to leave Ukraine immediately by commercial means."

外交部在一份声明中表示，“我们将把业务转移到利沃夫的一个临时办公室进行。我们仍然建议澳大利亚人立即通过商业方式离开乌克兰。”

Lviv is a city in western Ukraine, around 70 kilometers from the border with Poland.

利沃夫是乌克兰西部的一座城市，距波兰边境约70公里。

The White House says U.S. President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of what he called "swift and severe" consequences if Russia invades Ukraine.

白宫表示，美国总统乔·拜登警告俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京，如果俄罗斯入侵乌克兰，那么俄罗斯将面临他所谓的“迅速且严重”的后果。

The two men spoke³ by television on Saturday for a full hour.

周六，两人进行了整整一个小时的电视会谈。

Tensions continue to grow amid concerns that Russia is ready to mount an invasion of Ukraine.

由于担心俄罗斯准备入侵乌克兰，紧张局势持续加剧。

Washington has received intelligence reports that the invasion could happen as early as Wednesday.

华盛顿已收到情报报告称，入侵行动最早可能于周三发生。

There was no immediate⁹ comment from Russia about the discussion.

俄罗斯没有立即就谈话发表评论。

Russia has amassed¹⁰ more than 100,000 troops at the Ukrainian border.

俄罗斯在乌克兰边境集结了10万多名士兵。

The White House said President Biden was clear that if Russia undertakes a further invasion of Ukraine, quote, "the United States together with our allies and partners will respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs on Russia."

白宫称，拜登总统明确表示，如果俄罗斯进一步入侵乌克兰，“美国将与我们的盟友及伙伴一起作出果断回应，让俄罗斯付出迅速且严重的代价。”

The U.S. embassy in Kyiv has begun evacuating¹¹ its staff.

美国驻基辅大使馆已经开始撤离工作人员。

A U.S. State Department official told reporters starting Sunday, Americans will no longer have access to consular¹² services in Ukraine.

美国国务院一名官员对记者说，从周日开始，美国人将无法在乌克兰获得领事服务。

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 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。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 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》

5 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

6 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。

7 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

8 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

9 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

10 amassed   

v.积累，积聚( amass的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He amassed a fortune from silver mining. 他靠开采银矿积累了一笔财富。
• They have amassed a fortune in just a few years. 他们在几年的时间里就聚集了一笔财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 evacuating   

撤离，疏散( evacuate的现在分词 )； 排空（胃肠），排泄（粪便）； （从危险的地方）撤出，搬出，撤空

参考例句：

• The solution is degassed by alternately freezing, evacuating and thawing. 通过交替的冻结、抽空和溶化来使溶液除气。
• Are we evacuating these potential targets? 能够在这些目标地域内进行疏散吗？

12 consular   

a.领事的

参考例句：

• He has rounded out twenty years in the consular service. 他在领事馆工作已整整20年了。
• Consular invoices are declarations made at the consulate of the importing country. 领事发票是进口国领事馆签发的一种申报书。