VOA慢速英语2011--Islamist Militant Group Boko Haram Claim

IN THE NEWS - Islamist Militant¹ Group Boko Haram Claims Attack in Nigeria

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
A deadly car bombing at the United Nations building in Abuja has brought more attention to an Islamic group. The attack happened Friday morning in the Nigerian capital. Later, a man claiming to represent Boko Haram spoke² by telephone with a VOA reporter. He said the group carried out the attack and warned that "this is just the beginning."
The spokesman said the bombing was in reaction to the Nigerian military's increased presence in the northeastern state of Borno. Boko Haram is active there. The government sent more troops after an increase in suspected Boko Haram shootings and bombings.
In the Hausa language, the group's name means "western education is a sin." Boko Haram wants Islamic law or sharia to be established more widely across Africa's most populous³ nation. Western security officials say Boko Haram may have ties to the north African group known as al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb.
Boko Haram launched a violent uprising in July of two thousand nine. Nigeria's military crushed that unrest. Since then, Boko Haram has attacked police, politicians and community leaders. The group claimed responsibility for a major attack on Abuja's police headquarters in June.
Former VOA reporter Josephine Kamara and her husband work at the UN building in Abuja. She had driven him to work shortly before the explosion. Her husband is safe. She described the destruction to VOA’s Joe DeCapua.
JOSEPHINE KAMARA: “Right now, I’m standing⁴ in front of the UN building, Joe and I see the front part of the main UN building. There are shattered windows. Hardly any of the windows are left standing. This building is about three floors, plus the ground floor, making it four floors. All the way up to the top floor, there’s shattered windows, there’s debris⁵. There are mangos, iron rods all over the place. And I see a lot of the UN staffers’ family members are standing out here. Also, it looks like the entire Abuja police force has actually come to the UN building, standing here, trying to get casualties out. Those that are badly hurt have been taken to the hospital.”
In a statement, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan called the attack, "barbaric, senseless and cowardly." He said his government remains⁶ committed to fighting terrorism.
President Obama also called it a "horrific and cowardly attack."
At UN headquarters in New York, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon spoke to the Security Council.
BAN KI-MOON: "Around eleven o'clock this morning local time, the UN house in the Nigeria capital, Abuja, was struck by a car bomb. These buildings house twenty-six humanitarian⁷ and development agencies of the UN family. This was an assault on those who devote their lives to helping⁸ others. We condemn⁹ this terrible act utterly¹⁰."
The secretary-general warned that UN offices are increasingly at risk of attacks like the bombing in Abuja.
BAN KI-MOON: "Let me say it clearly: these acts of terrorism are unacceptable. They will not deter¹¹ us from our vital work for the people of Nigeria and the world. This outrageous¹² and shocking attack is evidence that the UN premises¹³ are increasingly being viewed as soft targets by extremist elements around the world."
In December of two thousand seven, a bombing at UN offices in the Algerian capital killed seventeen employees. And in August of two thousand three, a suicide bomber¹⁴ struck the UN headquarters in Baghdad. Twenty-two workers were killed. They included the top UN diplomat¹⁵ in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello of Brazil.
And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. For the latest news, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.
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Contributing: Margaret Besheer, Joe DeCapua and Anne Look

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 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。

3 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。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

10 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

11 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

12 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

13 premises   

n.建筑物，房屋

参考例句：

• According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。
• All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。

14 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

15 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。