2007年VOA标准英语-Hostage Crisis Ends As Taleban Frees Remaining

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
30 August 2007

Taleban insurgents¹ in Afghanistan freed the remaining three South Korean hostages late Thursday bringing to an end a six-week drama that saw two of the 23 original captives executed. Earlier in the day four others were released from captivity². Twelve others were released on Wednesday. VOA Correspondent Benjamin Sand reports from Islamabad.

Released Korean hostages seen accompanied by foreign staff of International Committee of the Red Cross after they were released by the Taleban in Ghazni province, west of Kabul, 30 Aug 2007

South Korean presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon told reporters earlier in the day that the hostages will be returned to their loved ones as soon as possible. He says the group will be flown from Kabul to Dubai and then on to Korea, perhaps as early as Saturday or Sunday.

Taleban insurgents originally kidnapped 23 South Korean Christian³ volunteers as they drove through Ghazni on July 19. The insurgents killed two of the hostages, two others were released several weeks ago.

But South Korea has come under fire for making concessions⁴ to the Taleban to help free the hostages. Seoul reaffirmed an earlier pledge to end its military presence in Afghanistan and also agreed to stop Korean missionaries⁵ from working there.

There are also reports South Korea may have paid a ransom⁶, but both sides insist no money was exchanged. Several Afghan politicians criticized the deal, with or without ransom, saying it would only encourage more kidnappings in the future.

The Afghan government did not participate in the hostage negotiations⁷ that were coordinated⁸ by the Red Cross.

Abductions of local and foreign civilians⁹ have risen steadily¹⁰ throughout the year.

Security experts say the Taleban are increasingly using the tactic¹¹ to destabilize the U.S.-backed central government.

In Washington, U.S. officials dismissed suggestions the South Korean deal would strengthen the Taleban.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, State Department Spokesman Tom Casey welcomed the release of the hostages.

"It has, again, representative of the kind of enemy we are facing in Afghanistan, that the Taleban engages in kidnapping, and also, we should not forget, in the murder of several of these hostages as well," he said.

Taleban insurgents are still holding a number of other hostages, including a German engineer and four Afghan co-workers kidnapped one day before the South Koreans.

A second German, taken at the same time, was shot to death after collapsing¹² while in captivity.

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 captivity   

n.囚禁；被俘；束缚

参考例句：

• A zoo is a place where live animals are kept in captivity for the public to see.动物园是圈养动物以供公众观看的场所。
• He was held in captivity for three years.他被囚禁叁年。

3 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。

4 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

5 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》

6 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。

7 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。

8 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

9 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

10 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

11 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

12 collapsing   

压扁[平]，毁坏，断裂

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The rocks were folded by collapsing into the center of the trough. 岩石由于坍陷进入凹槽的中心而发生褶皱。