2007年VOA标准英语-Military Force Ruled Out For Now, in South Kore

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
02 August 2007

Senior South Korean and U.S. officials say they have agreed to hold off on using military force to free 21 Korean hostages being held in Afghanistan. Taleban insurgents¹ have already killed two of the hostages, and intensive diplomatic efforts are underway to save the rest. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.

South Korean protester holds poster with pictures of hostages held in Afghanistan, 02 Aug 2007

The body of 29-year-old Shim Sung-min arrived at South Korea's main international airport Thursday. Taleban insurgents executed Shim by gunfire this week, as they did with 42-year-old Bae Hyung-kyu last week. The two men were among 23 South Korean Christian² activists³ kidnapped in Afghanistan two weeks ago.

The South Korean authorities are facing enormous domestic pressure to save the lives of the remaining 21 hostages. But they continue to say that for now, military options are off the table.

South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon met Thursday in Manila with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte on the sidelines of a regional gathering⁴. The two officials ruled out any kind of forcible rescue attempt.

Here in Seoul, South Korean presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon said any such attempt would require South Korean permission.

Cheon says he is not aware of any plans by the Afghan government or international stabilization⁵ forces to attempt a rescue.

An Afghan policeman stands guard at a check point in an effort to find the Korean hostages, 2 Aug 2007

Senior presidential envoy⁶ Baek Jong-chun has spent this week in Afghanistan seeking a resolution to the crisis. He traveled to neighboring Pakistan Thursday as part of a desperate effort by Seoul to enlist⁷ the influence of Muslim leaders. He is expected to return to Seoul on Friday.

Eight senior members of South Korea's National Assembly who left for Washington on a previously⁸ scheduled trip Thursday were expected to urge U.S. officials to take an active approach to the crisis. Some South Koreans are saying Washington could help end the crisis by influencing Afghanistan's government to meet the hostage-takers' demand, and swap⁹ the hostages for captured insurgents.

But Washington has a strict policy against negotiating with terrorists, and reiterated¹⁰ this week that it will not do so in this case.

In Manila, foreign ministers attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum¹¹ issued a statement unanimously condemning¹² the abductions, and calling for the hostages' release. Philippine Foreign Minister Alberto Romulo, the forum chairman, extended the ministers' sympathy to South Korea.

"May I take this occasion, as we meet the Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Song, to express to him the foreign minister's sympathies to the Republic of Korea, to him, and to the families of those who have been taken hostage in Afghanistan, and express our deepest regret at what has happened," said Romulo.

The kidnappers¹³ have set several deadlines since the hostage drama began, saying they will kill more hostages if their demands are not met. The latest of these deadlines passed Wednesday with no further killings¹⁴.

About 40 Muslim guest workers in South Korea made their voices heard at a public gathering in Seoul Thursday. The group accused the Taleban kidnappers of violating Islamic principles, and called for the hostages' release.

1 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

6 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

7 enlist   

vt.谋取(支持等)，赢得；征募；vi.入伍

参考例句：

• They come here to enlist men for the army.他们来这儿是为了召兵。
• The conference will make further efforts to enlist the support of the international community for their just struggle. 会议必将进一步动员国际社会，支持他们的正义斗争。

8 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

9 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

10 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

11 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

12 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

13 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》

14 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。