VOA标准英语2009年-Philippine Government Ready to Withdraw fr

The Philippine government says it is ready to withdraw some security forces deployed¹ near a hideout of the extremist Abu Sayyaf to facilitate negotiations² for the release of three kidnapped Red Cross workers. The Islamic militants³ have threatened to behead one hostage if security forces remain in position.

Philippine Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno says the government is considering pulling back police and civilian⁴ defense⁵ forces from the area, in an attempt to save the lives of the Red Cross hostages.

Puno says the Marines have already returned to barracks.

But he insists that the government is not bowing to the demands of the Abu Sayyaf for a wider pull out from the southern island of Jolo because it is tantamount to surrounding the population there into the hands of the Islamic extremist group.

The Abu Sayyaf kidnapped three Red Cross workers - a Filipino, an Italian and a Swiss in January, while they were inspecting a prison water project in the area.

Clashes erupted between the military and the rebels last week, reportedly wounding the group's leader. He threatened to behead one hostage if the government fails to withdraw from the area by Tuesday.

Puno's announcement came after the International Committee of the Red Cross appealed to the government to consider the rebels demand. Anastacia Iyuk, spokeswoman for the ICRC in Manila, says the group asked the government to refrain from further military operations in the area.

"We reiterate⁶ our call to the Philippine authorities to do everything in their power to secure the life of the hostages and in the interest of our staff, we ask the authorities to consider the kidnappers⁷ demand to reposition troops," she said.

The Red Cross workers are the latest kidnap victims of the Abu Sayyaf, a group that claims to be fighting for a separate Islamic state in the southern Philippines but has earned notoriety for its kidnap-for-ransom activities and beheadings.

In 2001, the group kidnapped three Americans, including a missionary⁸ couple. One was beheaded. One of the missionaries⁹ was rescued by U.S. trained Filipino soldiers, but her husband was killed during the military operation.

1 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

2 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。

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 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

5 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。

6 reiterate   

v.重申，反复地说

参考例句：

• Let me reiterate that we have absolutely no plans to increase taxation.让我再一次重申我们绝对没有增税的计划。
• I must reiterate that our position on this issue is very clear.我必须重申我们对这一项议题的立场很清楚。

7 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》

8 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。

9 missionaries   

n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时，从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》