2007年VOA标准英语-Afghan Officials: Taleban Leader Involved in Ko

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
04 September 2007

Afghan officials say police have killed one of the Taleban leaders responsible for the kidnapping of 23 South Korean volunteers last month. From Islamabad, VOA correspondent Benjamin Sand reports.

Provincial¹ Governor Merajuddin Pattan says police in Ghazni province killed Mullah Mateen during a firefight.

"Our police forces surrounded the area and the leader of the terrorist group who had kidnapped the Koreans was killed along with 16 others," he said.

The 23 South Korean Christian² volunteers were kidnapped July 19 as they drove through the war-torn province.

The Taleban killed two of their hostages before freeing the rest more than a month later.

Officials say Mateen was one of two masterminds behind the kidnapping. He was directly involved in the negotiations³ with South Korean envoys⁴ that led to the hostages' release.

South Korea agreed to several Taleban demands to help resolve the six-week stand off. Seoul reaffirmed plans to end its military presence in Afghanistan by the end of the year and suspend Korean missionary⁵ work in the country.

There are also widespread reports South Korea paid a substantial ransom⁶ to the Taleban.

Several Afghan officials have sharply criticized South Korea for making deals of any sort with the insurgent⁷ group.

Security experts say the talks have helped legitimize the Taleban's political standing⁸ and could encourage more kidnappings in the future.

Pro-Taleban violence has surged across much of Afghanistan in recent months, making this one of the country's bloodiest⁹ stretches since U.S.-led forces ousted¹⁰ the Taleban government in 2001.

More than 7,000 people have been killed in the past 19 months.

Afghan officials say at least three police officers were killed Tuesday in separate suicide bomb attacks.

1 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 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。

4 envoys   

使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份

参考例句：

• the routine tit for tat when countries expel each other's envoys 国家相互驱逐对方使节这种惯常的报复行动
• Marco Polo's travelogue mentions that Kublai Khan sent envoys to Malgache. 马可波罗游记中提到忽必烈曾派使节到马尔加什。

5 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。

6 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。

7 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

8 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。

9 bloodiest   

adj.血污的( bloody的最高级 )；流血的；屠杀的；残忍的

参考例句：

• The Russians were going to suffer their bloodiest defeat of all before Berlin. 俄国人在柏林城下要遭到他们的最惨重的失败。 来自辞典例句
• It was perhaps the bloodiest hour in the history of warfare. 这也许是战争史上血腥味最浓的1个小时。 来自互联网

10 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。