2006年VOA标准英语- Nigerian Militants Threaten to Take More

By Nico Colombant
Abidjan
23 January 2006

A bus carrying Shell contract workers leaves the airport after the workers were evacuated¹ from Benisede oil platform in Warri, Jan. 15, 2006   
  
Nigerian militants² in the oil-rich Niger Delta³ are threatening to take more foreign hostages, but another attack on an oil platform was stopped.

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Officials from Nigeria's Bayelsa state and from the Italian-based company AGIP said security forces fired in the air to push back rampaging youths approaching an oil platform.

Oil companies have been on heightened security alert and more Nigerian troops have been sent to the area since a new string of attacks began against oil companies several weeks ago.

The sometimes deadly violence has cut Nigeria's oil output by an estimated 10 percent and contributed to higher oil prices on world markets.

Some of the Niger Delta militants kidnapped four foreigners on January 11, the same day a major oil pipeline⁴ was blown up.

In the latest statement attributed to the kidnappers⁵ and sent to foreign news organizations, the militants said they had no plans to release their hostages and that they intend to take more.

They also disputed reports that the government was making progress in negotiations⁶ and described anyone talking to the government on their behalf as bounty⁷ hunters.

A journalist covering the events, Aminu Bello Sahabi, says the government has not been able to locate the militants.

"The militants, their whereabouts are not yet known," he says. "Even the security agents in the Niger Delta said that they cannot locate the militants. Previously⁸, they were in Bayelsa [state], but now it is thought that they [have left] Bayelsa to one other state within the Niger Delta."

Sahabi says it is unfortunate because he says the government has established an impressive negotiating team.

"If they would be able to see the militants to discuss with them it would be helpful because the government selected some people, influential⁹ people comprising governance, and some other influential people in the Niger Delta, to look after the problems and negotiate with the militants," says Sahabi. "It would be helpful, but the most dangerous area of the negotiations is that if they cannot get contact with the militants."

The militants are asking for the release of two ethnic¹⁰ Ijaw leaders, a group that has often felt excluded from the benefits of their oil-rich land. They are also asking for compensation money from oil companies for environmental damage.

The U.S Consulate¹¹ General in Lagos says it is working closely with Nigerian authorities as well as with oil company officials, to secure the release of one of the hostages, American Patrick Landry. It continues to call for the immediate¹² release of all individuals being unlawfully held.

The other hostages have been identified as being from Britain, Bulgaria, and Honduras, all of them oil workers.

1 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。

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 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

5 kidnappers   

n.拐子，绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They were freed yesterday by their kidnappers unharmed. 他们昨天被绑架者释放了，没有受到伤害。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The kidnappers had threatened to behead all four unless their jailed comrades were released. 帮匪们曾经威胁说如果印度方面不释放他们的同伙，他们就要将这四名人质全部斩首。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

7 bounty   

n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与

参考例句：

• He is famous for his bounty to the poor.他因对穷人慷慨相助而出名。
• We received a bounty from the government.我们收到政府给予的一笔补助金。

8 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

9 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。

10 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

11 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。

12 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。