VOA标准英语2008年-Colombia Backs Second Venezuelan Hostage Operat

By Brian Wagner
Miami
10 January 2008

Colombia's government has approved a new attempt by Venezuela to pick up two hostages held by leftist rebels in the Colombian jungle. VOA's Brian Wagner reports Venezuela's president says he has received instructions from rebels about the hostages' location.

Colombia's government responded quickly to the Venezuelan request to pick up the two hostages, former Colombian vice¹ presidential candidate Clara Rojas, and former congresswoman Consuelo Gonzalez. Rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, have held the women in secret jungle camps.

Colombia's peace commissioner² Luis Carlos Restrepo said officials would provide all necessary guarantees to ensure the mission's success.

Restrepo said there is strong cooperation between the Colombian and Venezuelan governments, and both sides are working on operational details to complete the recovery.

Members of the International Committee of the Red Cross are to oversee³ the mission which is expected to begin Thursday.

In Caracas, President Hugo Chavez announced the new effort, saying he had finally received information from FARC leaders about the hostages' location.

He said he hopes the two women will be freed in coming hours, and he hopes sometime soon all people being held in Colombia will be released.

Last month, Mr. Chavez sent aircraft carrying a team of international dignitaries to Colombia to pick up the two women, as well as the son of Rojas, who was born in captivity⁴. The effort fell apart after FARC leaders failed to relay the location of the hostages, saying it was too dangerous because of Colombian military activities in the jungle region.

Colombian officials later confirmed that rebels had not been holding the young boy as they claimed. They said DNA⁵ testing proved the boy had been freed more than two years ago and was living in a foster home in Bogota.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

3 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

4 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。

5 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。