VOA标准英语2009年-Officials Say Somali Piracy is Declining

By David Axe¹
Aboard the USS Donald Cook
07 October 2009

In 2008, Somali pirates captured more than 100 large commercial vessels² in the Gulf³ of Aden and the Indian Ocean, provoking a massive international response. Today, some 40 warships⁴ patrol Somali waters. The patrols and other measures have helped decrease successful hijacking⁵ more than 90 percent. Monsoon⁶ winds also contributed to the reduction, but U.S. maritime⁷ officials warn hijackings may increase now that the regional monsoon season has ended.
 
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Donald Cook departs the port of Djibouti in East Africa, bound for a patrol zone somewhere in the Gulf of Aden.
 
In 2008, Somali pirates prowling the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean hijacked⁸ more than 100 large vessels.

 
Commodore Steve Chick
In the last 18 months, warships from more than 12 nations have converged⁹ on Somali waters, to combat the pirates. These and other measures have finally had an effect, says the British officer leading the NATO counter-piracy¹⁰ fleet.
 
"It's significantly down compared to last year," says Commodore Steve Chick.
 
He says between July and September last year, pirates captured 17 ships. In the same period this year, they captured only one. Commodore Chick says several factors account for piracy's decline.

"Merchant vessels using these shipping¹¹ lanes are starting to take much better self-protection measures - fire hoses to fend¹² off skiffs coming alongside, barbed wire on the railings and ladders and other access secured - and that's acting¹³ as an initial good counter to the pirates," Chick said. "At the same time the naval¹⁴ units here from various nations and organizations are working much closer together and much better with each other, almost seamless boundaries in terms of operations."
 
 
Patrolling the waters on the Gulf of Aden
The Virginia-based Donald Cook, assigned to NATO, is halfway¹⁵ through a six-month counter-piracy patrol on the Gulf of Aden.
 
For Donald Cook's 250 sailors, defeating piracy means long, hot days on unforgiving seas, far from home.

Donald Cook's boarding teams bear the biggest burden.

"It's basically the nautical¹⁶ equivalent of having boots on the ground. You've got to have guys up there that can conduct those inspections¹⁷ and provide intelligence back to the ship of what they see from ten feet [several meters], as opposed to a thousand yards [about a kilometer] away," he said.
 
To keep pirates at bay, the boarding teams intercept¹⁸ and investigate any suspicious boats.
 
"We can do as little as come up and say hi how are you, we can do health and comfort searches, we can even searches for illegal things like weapons and drugs and even people," Lieutenant¹⁹ Junior Grade Christopher Bowie, USS Donald Cook said.
 
With hijackings down more than 90 percent compared to last year, some officials worry that nations will lose their will to continue dangerous, expensive counter-piracy operations, thus allowing the sea bandits to regroup.
 
"Undoubtedly pirates will change their modus operandi," Chick noted²⁰. "They may move further south away. They may move away from the shipping lane."
 
But for now, the international counter-piracy operation is going strong, despite the harsh conditions.
 
And Somali pirates are mostly staying at home, to seafarers' great relief.

1 axe   

n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减

参考例句：

• Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利，你要当心。
• The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。

2 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

4 warships   

军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只

参考例句：

• The enemy warships were disengaged from the battle after suffering heavy casualties. 在遭受惨重伤亡后，敌舰退出了海战。
• The government fitted out warships and sailors for them. 政府给他们配备了战舰和水手。

5 hijacking   

n. 劫持, 抢劫 动词hijack的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• I have been told about the hijacking . 我已听说了那次劫机事件。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语
• They are taking measures to guarantee against the occurrence of hijacking. 他们正采取措施防止劫机事件的发生。

6 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

7 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

8 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

9 converged   

v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的过去式 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集

参考例句：

• Thousands of supporters converged on London for the rally. 成千上万的支持者从四面八方汇聚伦敦举行集会。
• People converged on the political meeting from all parts of the city. 人们从城市的四面八方涌向这次政治集会。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 piracy   

n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害

参考例句：

• The government has already adopted effective measures against piracy.政府已采取有效措施惩治盗版行为。
• They made the place a notorious centre of piracy.他们把这地方变成了臭名昭著的海盗中心。

11 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

12 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

13 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

14 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

15 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

16 nautical   

adj.海上的，航海的，船员的

参考例句：

• A nautical mile is 1,852 meters.一海里等于1852米。
• It is 206 nautical miles from our present location.距离我们现在的位置有206海里。

17 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 intercept   

vt.拦截，截住，截击

参考例句：

• His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。
• Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。

19 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

20 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。