VOA常速英语2008年-Kidnapped Foreign Worker Released in Nigeria
时间：2019-02-02 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2008年（三月）
Lagos
05 March 2008
A foreign worker taken hostage by gunmen in Nigeria's troubled oil-region has been released. The kidnapping was the first abduction of a foreign national for almost five months and raised fears that a period of relative calm in the Niger Delta 1 could be coming to an end. For VOA, Sarah Simpson has more from Lagos.
The German construction worker has been released, unharmed, after about 12 hours in captivity 2. Gunmen took the man near the oil city, Port Harcourt, killing 3 as many as three Nigerians, including soldiers, in the attack.
This is the first hostage-taking of a foreign national in the troubled region since October. However, hostage-taking of Nigerians - including children of families considered wealthy enough to pay a ransom 4 - has remained a persistent 5 problem.
Last year, more than 150 foreign nationals were abducted 6 for ransom by criminal gangs operating in the oil-rich south.
Incidents fell after thousands of foreign workers and their families were evacuated 7 from the oil-producing region. Security for those who remained was tightened 8.
New peace talks between the government of President Umaru Yar'Adua, inaugurated in May, and militant 9 groups operating in the Delta has also contributed to the relative calm.
It is not clear whether this latest kidnapping was an isolated 10 incident or the beginning of a new wave of attacks on foreigners.
The main militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation 11 of the Niger Delta, has threatened a return to violence after one of its leaders was extradited to Nigeria by Angola, where he had been detained on gun-running charges.
MEND attacks on oil installations, including sabotage 12 of pipelines 13 and the kidnapping of foreigners, slashed 14 Nigeria's crude production by about 20 percent and helped push global oil prices to record highs.
MEND says it is fighting so that a greater share of the national oil wealth is distributed to the Niger Delta.
But analysts 15 say the violence has spiraled out of control and hostage-taking has become a lucrative 16 criminal enterprise in a region awash with guns and mired 17 in poverty.
- 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。
- 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。
- Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
- Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
- 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。
- Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
- She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。
- 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。
- Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
- The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。
- The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
- His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。
- 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。
- His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
- Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。
- We must arouse them to fight for their own emancipation. 我们必须唤起他们为其自身的解放而斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- They rejoiced over their own emancipation. 他们为自己的解放感到欢欣鼓舞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- They tried to sabotage my birthday party.他们企图破坏我的生日晚会。
- The fire at the factory was caused by sabotage.那家工厂的火灾是有人蓄意破坏引起的。
- The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
- The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。
- Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
- He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
- I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。
- He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
- It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。