VOA标准英语2013--Pirate Attacks Falling in 2013
时间:2019-01-14 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2013年(七月)
Pirate Attacks Falling in 2013
The number of pirate attacks worldwide has fallen in the first half of 2013. However, maritime 1 officials are warning that the waters off West Africa are growing more dangerous.
International Maritime Bureau Director Pottengal Mukundan highlighted the findings of the latest piracy 2 report.
“We have had 138 incidents compared to 177 incidents for the same period in 2012. This is largely because of the reduction in the attacks off the Horn of Africa, which accounted previously 3 for around 50 percent of the worldwide attacks,” he said.
The reduction is due to a number of reasons, including the international effort that’s been underway off the Horn of Africa. That’s dealt a major blow to Somali pirates.
“The invaluable 4 roll played by the navies in these waters in collecting intelligence – in pursuing suspected mother ships -- interdicting 5 them – and dealing 6 with them before they can pose a threat to merchant shipping 7. That is a role which is unique to the navies. No one else can play that role,” he said.
He also credited a specific code of conduct that vessels 8 now follow when sailing through risky 9 areas – an increase in private security guards on board ships – and an overall improvement in security within Somalia.
“It is the role played by the new government in Somalia, which has been there since September 2012, which has given for the first time in decades a feeling of stability and security within Somalia itself. And if that continues, then it will make it very difficult for the pirates to have a safe haven 10 to take their hijacked 11 vessels to,” he said.
Mukundan said that while progress is being made against piracy off the Horn of Africa, things continue to worsen on the other side of the continent.
“The two main risk areas on the West Coast of Africa [are] the hijacking 12 of product tankers 13 as far away as Ivory Coast in order to steal a small portion of the cargo 14 – usually two to five thousand tons of oil. And in that time the crew are subject to a certain degree of violence. The second disturbing trend in the Gulf 15 of Guinea is the kidnapping of crew members from their vessels,” he said.
The crew members abducted 16 in the Gulf of Guinea are usually released after about six weeks when ransom 17 is paid. That compares to crews abducted off the Horn of Africa who may be held for as long as two years. Mukundan has called on West African nations to act.
“These kinds of crimes can be dealt with proper law enforcement actions taken by the coastal 18 states, particularly Nigeria. They have already put a few gangs – they have caught them and they are now on trial in Nigeria. But clearly more needs to be done,” he said.
The International Maritime Bureau Director warned against complacency following success in reducing pirate attacks. Mukundan says that would be disastrous 19 for international shipping and crew members.
- Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
- The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。
- The government has already adopted effective measures against piracy.政府已采取有效措施惩治盗版行为。
- They made the place a notorious centre of piracy.他们把这地方变成了臭名昭著的海盗中心。
- 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。
- A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。
- This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。
- This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
- His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
- We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
- There's a shipping charge of £5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。
- The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险,但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
- He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。
- It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后,这真是一个安乐窝。
- The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。
- The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
- The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。
- They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
- The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。
- The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
- A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。
- The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
- There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。
- 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。
- 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。
- The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
- This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。
- The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
- Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨,血本无归。