2007年VOA标准英语-Nigerian Leader Blames Criminals for Delta Viol

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja, Nigeria
24 February 2007

Nigeria's president says escalating¹ violence in the restive² Niger Delta³ has taken on a criminal dimension. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa reports that militants⁴ are continuing assaults on foreigners in the region.

 

Olusegun Obasanjo

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo says spiraling crime in the oil-rich delta is driving the current unrest. Participating in a radio phone-in program on Saturday, President Obasanjo announced that his administration has adopted what he called, a carrot and stick strategy, to deal with the growing crisis.

 

"The problem in the Niger Delta is not a political problem. It is a criminality problem. What we are doing is essentially⁵ using the carrot, the carrot to say, 'yes, people need a job. What can we to do to give them a job?' Some of them haven't got the type of education, or any skills that will give them a job. So, we will go for massive skill acquisition training. Then, after we have been able to do what we believe we should do to provide jobs, to train, to educate, then anybody who still persists in the act of criminality will have himself to blame because the stick will come into play," he said.

 

Gunmen on Friday shot dead a Lebanese technician and kidnapped two Italian construction workers in separate incidents in Nigeria's main oil city of Port Harcourt.

 

Kidnappings and attacks on oil facilities and personnel by local gangs are now frequent in the impoverished⁶ region, where some groups say they are fighting for more equitable⁷ distribution of oil wealth.

 

President Obasanjo says the payment of ransom⁸ has become a huge catalyst⁹ for the unending spate¹⁰ of kidnappings. "They go and take hostages, so that they can get ransom and the ransom they take, when they finish it, they take other hostages. We have told people, 'don't pay ransom.' But when they (kidnappers) have held their people for some time, they [employers/friends/family of those kidnapped] say, 'well, we [would] rather pay ransom,' [to] get their people secured. But, when you pay ransom this time, they [ the kidnappers] will take more next time, when they finish spending what you have paid them. So, it is a vicious cycle," he said.

 

Nearly 60 foreigners have been kidnapped in the Niger Delta since the start of this year, almost the same number of seizures¹¹ in the whole of 2006.

 

The targeting of foreigners in the world's sixth largest oil exporter has forced thousands of oil workers to quit the region, resulting in a cut in oil production of about 20 percent.

 

Some analysts¹² say political tension ahead of April's election is also contributing to the spiraling violence.

1 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

2 restive   

adj.不安宁的，不安静的

参考例句：

• The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.政府未采取任何措施放松出口限制,因此国内制造商变得焦虑不安。
• The audience grew restive.观众变得不耐烦了。

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 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。

5 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

6 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 equitable   

adj.公平的；公正的

参考例句：

• This is an equitable solution to the dispute. 这是对该项争议的公正解决。
• Paying a person what he has earned is equitable. 酬其应得,乃公平之事。

8 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。

9 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

10 spate   

n.泛滥，洪水，突然的一阵

参考例句：

• Police are investigating a spate of burglaries in the area.警察正在调查这一地区发生的大量盗窃案。
• Refugees crossed the border in full spate.难民大量地越过了边境。

11 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

12 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。