2006年VOA标准英语-Nigeria's Obasanjo Sets up Committee for R

By Gilbert Da Costa
Abuja
18 January 2006

Olusegun Obasanjo   
  
Nigerian President Olusegin Obasanjo said he had set up a committee to work towards the release of four foreign oil workers seized by militants² in the Niger Delta³. The announcement came hours after militant¹ leader Majahid Dokobu-Asari, whose release is being demanded by the hostage takers, appeared in court in Abuja.   Dokobu-Asari is being held for treason.

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The leader of the so-called Niger Delta Volunteer Force, Mujahid Dukobo-Asari, appeared in court late Tuesday escorted by armed prison guards and scores of heavily armed policemen. The stocky Niger Delta youth leader, who was wearing a black T-shirt,  launched into a tirade⁴, castigating⁵ the judge and Nigeria's political leadership.

"You're a stupid old man!" he lashed⁶ out at the judge, demanding that another judge be appointed to conduct the trial.

Dokubo-Asari's lawyer, Festus Keyamo,  explained to VOA the reason for rejecting the trial judge.

"In fact the accused person had been arraigned⁷ before another judge altogether when all of sudden, without explanation, they brought a judge from Benin, flew him in," Keyamo explained. "He did not even dispute that fact, only to do a special case and go back. This is a situation where ordinary people will begin to think that there is something sinister⁸ happening."

Nevertheless, the trial judge, Olayiwola Peters ruled that he was competent to continue with the trial and fixed⁹ the next court session for March 14.

Outside the courtroom, Dokubo-Asari was able to speak before being taken back into custody¹⁰.

"We will see, we will see whether I will not bring Obasanjo down," he said.

Dokubo-Asari was arrested last September for allegedly threatening to attack oil facilities in the Delta.   Keyamo says the trial is politically motivated.
 
"There is no doubt it is a political trial. There is no doubt that it is a trial orchestrated by the federal government of Nigeria and it is a trial of vendetta," Mr. Keyamo said. "It is not a trial based on fact."
 
Back in the Niger Delta, militant youths are still holding hostage four foreign oil workers: an American, a Bulgarian, a British and a Honduran. The hostage takers have made the release of Dukobo-Asari one of their key demands.

Attacks by militants on oil facilities and personnel in the last week have led to a10 percent cut in Nigeria's daily oil production. Nigeria, Africa's leading oil producer, exports 2.5 million barrels of oil daily.  It is the fifth biggest source of U.S. oil imports.

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 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。

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 tirade   

n.冗长的攻击性演说

参考例句：

• Her tirade provoked a counterblast from her husband.她的长篇大论激起了她丈夫的强烈反对。
• He delivered a long tirade against the government.他发表了反政府的长篇演说。

5 castigating   

v.严厉责骂、批评或惩罚（某人）( castigate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Do not overdo your privilege of reproving or castigating me. 不要过分使用责备我的特权；不要对我倚老卖老。 来自互联网
• He is capable of castigating his own country. 他也会痛诋他的祖国。 来自互联网

6 lashed   

adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。
• The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 arraigned   

v.告发( arraign的过去式和过去分词 )；控告；传讯；指责

参考例句：

• He was arraigned for murder. 他因谋杀罪而被提讯。
• She was arraigned for high treason. 她被控叛国罪。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 sinister   

adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的

参考例句：

• There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
• Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值，而且包藏祸心。

9 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

10 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。