2006年VOA标准英语-Negotiations Continue to Free Five Italian

By Sabina Castelfranco
Rome
05 January 2006
 

Yemeni veiled female artists holding picture of President Ali Abdullah Saleh during a protest in front of Cabinet demanding government to take stiff measures against kidnappings of tourists, in San'a, Yemen, Jan. 2, 2006  
  
Negotiations¹ intensified² Thursday to obtain the release of five Italians held hostage in Yemen. The Italians, who were abducted³ Sunday, are believed to be in good health and treated properly.

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Italy's ambassador to Yemen, Mario Boffo said Thursday that negotiations are continuing and intensifying⁴ to obtain the release of the five Italians, kidnapped Sunday. He said one needed to be confident and patient as negotiations resumed in the morning.

The five Italian tourists were kidnapped in Marib province, some 120 kilometers northeast of the Yemeni capital, San'a. A rebel Yemeni tribe is holding the Italians captive in a mountain hideout. They have requested the release of some imprisoned⁵ members of their tribe.

The Yemeni authorities have assured Italy they will not make use of force or any action that could put the lives of the five hostages at risk.

The assurance came Wednesday, just hours after the Yemen government dispatched more helicopter-borne troops to encircle the mountain hideout and cut off water deliveries to the region where the hostages are being held.

In Italy, relatives and friends of the hostages are extremely concerned over their fate. A teacher from Padua, who is a colleague of one of the women, Carla Romigni, said the news took them by surprise and they are anxious about her fate.

Near Milan, where two more of the hostages live, the parish priest has organized a torch-lit procession for Friday to call for the release of the five Italians.

Relatives of the Italian hostages Wednesday issued a joint⁶ appeal to the kidnappers⁷, asking that they return their loved ones as soon as possible and treat them well as long as they are in their custody⁸.

Italian authorities are relatively⁹ optimistic that a solution will be found. In the past, other kidnappings in Yemen have ended positively¹⁰.

In Yemen, residents in San'a have demonstrated against kidnappings they say hurt the country's image for tourism. They say Yemenis are a peaceful people and not a country of kidnappers.

Many other Italian tourists are in Yemen at the moment, most spending their Xmas and New Year's break in the country. They say they are not concerned for their safety.

An Italian tourist said there is no reason to be worried if you are cautious, if you know the places you are visiting and if you are guided by competent people.

Others say they have security guards traveling with them and this makes them feel safe. Tourists continue to arrive and do not appear to be discouraged by the kidnapping.

1 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。

2 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》

3 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

4 intensifying   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的现在分词 )；增辉

参考例句：

• The allies are intensifying their air campaign. 联军部队正加大他们的空战强度。 来自辞典例句
• The rest of the European powers were in a state of intensifying congestion. 其余的欧洲强国则处于越来越拥挤的状态。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史

5 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

6 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

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 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

9 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

10 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。