2006年VOA标准英语-Nigerian Armed Group Threatens More Attacks

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
08 December 2006

A militant¹ group in Nigeria is threatening to launch more attacks on the oil industry, a day after it seized four foreign oil workers. Gilbert da Costa in Abuja reports for VOA that Nigerian officials say they have established contact with the kidnappers².
 

Militants3 wearing black masks, military fatigues4 and carrying Kalashnikov assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers patrol the creeks5 of the Niger Delta6 area of Nigeria (File)" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070511/1528490.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Militants wearing black masks, military fatigues and carrying Kalashnikov assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers patrol the creeks of the Niger Delta area of Nigeria

Security officials have intensified⁷ their efforts to secure the release of the four kidnapped oil workers in the Bayelsa region. Militants of the Movement for the Emancipation⁸ of the Niger Delta, known as MEND, claimed responsibility for Thursday's attack.

Joshua Benamasia, who heads the Bayelsa state-sponsored group that monitors attacks on the oil industry, says contact has been established with the kidnappers.

"We have made contact," he said. "They say they will get back to us. We have gotten phone contact. We've also been able to realize that the people [hostage-takers] are in Rivers state, in the Kalabari area of Rivers state."
 
At least one person was killed in the shootout at an offshore⁹ oil facility early Thursday. MEND says it will launch further attacks on Nigeria's oil industry in the coming days.
 
Sam Oyadonho, a journalist in Bayelsa, says the group is responsible for other attacks.

"It is still the same state of fear, because nobody is sure where the next attack will come from," he said.  "Nobody is sure. Like what one of the survivors¹⁰, one of the ladies that was injured at the farm tank, that the boys, they were eight in number, they torched all the vehicles, they burnt everything and took off again with their hostages."

Violence in the region has reduced oil output by at least 500,000 barrels per day in the world's eighth largest exporter, since February.
 
The latest attack comes six days before a meeting of Organization of the Petroleum¹¹ Exporting Countries' (OPEC) ministers scheduled for Abuja, the Nigerian capital.

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 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》

3 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。

4 fatigues   

n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服

参考例句：

• The patient fatigues easily. 病人容易疲劳。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Instead of training the men were put on fatigues/fatigue duty. 那些士兵没有接受训练，而是派去做杂务。 来自辞典例句

5 creeks   

n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪

参考例句：

• The prospect lies between two creeks. 矿区位于两条溪流之间。 来自辞典例句
• There was the excitement of fishing in country creeks with my grandpa on cloudy days. 有在阴雨天和姥爷一起到乡村河湾钓鱼的喜悦。 来自辞典例句

6 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。

7 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 emancipation   

n.（从束缚、支配下）解放

参考例句：

• We must arouse them to fight for their own emancipation. 我们必须唤起他们为其自身的解放而斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They rejoiced over their own emancipation. 他们为自己的解放感到欢欣鼓舞。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

10 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

11 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。