VOA常速英语2007年-Nigerian Delta Militant Wants Former Governor R

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
19 December 2007

A Nigerian rebel leader wants the authorities to free a former governor charged with corruption¹ or face renewed attacks on the oil industry.  For VOA, Gilbert da Costa in Abuja reports the threat comes at a time when the region's militants³ are urging a united front to cripple oil production.
 
Tom Pullo is regarded as the supreme⁴ rebel commander in oil-rich Delta⁵ state, the home of embattled former governor James Onanefe Ibori, who is facing corruption trial.
 
Pullo told VOA his group will hit hard at the beleaguered⁶ oil industry at the expiration⁷ of his deadline.

"That 48 hours to the oil and gas companies to leave the Niger Delta, or else let the Federal Republic of Nigeria come and face us, we are ready for the," he said.  "If they do not leave James Onanefe Ibori, we are ready for them.  They cannot keep Onanefe Ibori under key and lock.  Ibori fought for resource control that is our right, and we want him out."

Pullo, who was involved in a series of attacks on the oil industry in the past, is also upset that President Umaru Yar'Adua has granted only one of the several demands made by armed groups in the region when they declared a ceasefire in June.
 
The demands include the release of former governor Diepreye Alamieyesiagha, the withdrawal⁸ of troops from the region, the granting of greater local access to oil revenues, and the appointment of an ethnic⁹ Ijaw from the Niger Delta as oil minister.
 
The government has not responded to the threat, but many in the oil industry see it as a worrying sign of renewed violence in the oil-producing region.
 
Key militant² leaders are now pressing rebel factions¹⁰ in the Niger Delta to unify¹¹ their positions and join in a massive onslaught against the troubled oil industry.
 
Large amounts of oil revenues have been stolen by the region's leaders, many of whom are believed to have links to the militants.
 
Bombings and attacks since early 2006 by armed groups in the volatile¹² delta have cut Nigeria's estimated 2.5 million barrel daily crude production by more than 20 percent.
 
Any further escalation¹³ of tensions could have grave implications for the Nigerian economy, which relies heavily on oil revenues.

1 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

2 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。

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 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 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。

6 beleaguered   

adj.受到围困[围攻]的；包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词)；困扰；骚扰

参考例句：

• The beleaguered party leader was forced to resign. 那位饱受指责的政党领导人被迫辞职。
• We are beleaguered by problems. 我们被许多困难所困扰。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 expiration   

n.终结，期满，呼气，呼出物

参考例句：

• Can I have your credit card number followed by the expiration date?能告诉我你的信用卡号码和它的到期日吗?
• This contract shall be terminated on the expiration date.劳动合同期满，即行终止。

8 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

9 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

10 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

11 unify   

vt.使联合，统一；使相同，使一致

参考例句：

• How can we unify such scattered islands into a nation?我们怎么才能把如此分散的岛屿统一成一个国家呢？
• It is difficult to imagine how the North and South could ever agree on a formula to unify the divided peninsula.很难想象南北双方在统一半岛的方案上究竟怎样才能达成一致。

12 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

13 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句