VOA标准英语2008年-Colombian Military Frees Betancourt, 14 Other H

Colombian officials say they have rescued 15 hostages held by leftist rebels, including a former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. defense¹ contractors². VOA's Brian Wagner has this report from Miami.
　
Released hostage Ingrid Betancourt arrives at air base in Bogota, 2 Jul 2008

Colombia's Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said the hostages were in good condition following the operation in the southeastern department of Guaviare.

Santos said the rescue involved intelligence officials who had infiltrated³ the rebel unit in charge of the hostages. He said the rescue operation was launched when the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia were planning to transport the hostages by helicopter.

Santos said the hostages include Ingrid Betancourt, three Americans and 11 members of Colombia's security forces.

Betancourt was seized in 2002, while she was campaigning in rural Colombia where rebel forces were known to be active. One year later, rebels seized the three Americans - Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell - after their plane crashed during a drug surveillance flight south of Bogota.
　
Colombia's Defense Min., Juan Manuel Santos, left, embraces armed forces commander, Gen. Fredy Padilla, after announcing hostages' release

The governments of France and Venezuela recently launched new efforts to negotiate with rebels for the release of Betancourt and other high-profile hostages. This year, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez helped win the release of six Colombian politicians, including former vice⁴ presidential candidate Clara Rojas, who was seized along with Betancourt.

Betancourt and the three Americans were among some 40 high-profile hostages the rebels were holding in an effort to negotiate a prisoner exchange with Colombia's government.

President Bush called Mr. Uribe to congratulate him.

Florida International University professor Eduardo Gamarra says the rescue operation is major blow to the leftist group.

"It demonstrates two things," said Eduardo Gamarra. "One that the FARC appears to be really in a state of disarray⁵, and two it reflects the degree of preparation and intensity⁶ the Colombian government has put into this."

U.S. defense officials say the Colombians "planned, led and executed" the rescue, but the United States helped transport the freed hostages to Bogota after the operation.

 

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 infiltrated   

adj.[医]浸润的v.（使）渗透，（指思想）渗入人的心中( infiltrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The headquarters had been infiltrated by enemy spies. 总部混入了敌方特务。
• Many Chinese idioms have infiltrated into the Japanese language. 许多中国成语浸透到日语中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 disarray   

n.混乱，紊乱，凌乱

参考例句：

• His personal life fell into disarray when his wife left him.妻子离去后，他的个人生活一片混乱。
• Our plans were thrown into disarray by the rail strike.铁路罢工打乱了我们的计划。

6 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。