尼日利亚人质绑价石油产量直下

A series of kidnappings of foreign workers has reduced Nigerian oil production by over 20% since the beginning of the year. Wednesday, six workers were freed after the government paid a ransom¹, and Thursday, two more workers were kidnapped. After the Thursday kidnapping operation killed a Nigerian soldier, angry troops burned hundreds of homes in Port Harcourt, an important center of the Nigerian oil industry. President Olusegun Obasanjo asked the Nigerian senate² to use 600 billion naira ($4.9 billion US) in currency reserves to make up for the income shortfall caused by the disruptions in oil production.

1 ransom   

n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救

参考例句：

• We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。
• The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。

2 senate   

n.参议院，上院

参考例句：

• They feel deeply the honour of belonging to the Senate.他们为作为参议院的成员而深感荣幸。
• His unsuccessful senate run was his last hurrah.这次失败的参议员竞选是他最后的尝试。