VOA标准英语2009年-Officials Say Somali Piracy is Declining
时间:2019-02-20 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2009年(十月)
By David Axe 1
Aboard the USS Donald Cook
07 October 2009
In 2008, Somali pirates captured more than 100 large commercial vessels 2 in the Gulf 3 of Aden and the Indian Ocean, provoking a massive international response. Today, some 40 warships 4 patrol Somali waters. The patrols and other measures have helped decrease successful hijacking 5 more than 90 percent. Monsoon 6 winds also contributed to the reduction, but U.S. maritime 7 officials warn hijackings may increase now that the regional monsoon season has ended.
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Donald Cook departs the port of Djibouti in East Africa, bound for a patrol zone somewhere in the Gulf of Aden.
In 2008, Somali pirates prowling the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean hijacked 8 more than 100 large vessels.
Commodore Steve Chick
In the last 18 months, warships from more than 12 nations have converged 9 on Somali waters, to combat the pirates. These and other measures have finally had an effect, says the British officer leading the NATO counter-piracy 10 fleet.
"It's significantly down compared to last year," says Commodore Steve Chick.
He says between July and September last year, pirates captured 17 ships. In the same period this year, they captured only one. Commodore Chick says several factors account for piracy's decline.
"Merchant vessels using these shipping 11 lanes are starting to take much better self-protection measures - fire hoses to fend 12 off skiffs coming alongside, barbed wire on the railings and ladders and other access secured - and that's acting 13 as an initial good counter to the pirates," Chick said. "At the same time the naval 14 units here from various nations and organizations are working much closer together and much better with each other, almost seamless boundaries in terms of operations."
Patrolling the waters on the Gulf of Aden
The Virginia-based Donald Cook, assigned to NATO, is halfway 15 through a six-month counter-piracy patrol on the Gulf of Aden.
For Donald Cook's 250 sailors, defeating piracy means long, hot days on unforgiving seas, far from home.
Donald Cook's boarding teams bear the biggest burden.
"It's basically the nautical 16 equivalent of having boots on the ground. You've got to have guys up there that can conduct those inspections 17 and provide intelligence back to the ship of what they see from ten feet [several meters], as opposed to a thousand yards [about a kilometer] away," he said.
To keep pirates at bay, the boarding teams intercept 18 and investigate any suspicious boats.
"We can do as little as come up and say hi how are you, we can do health and comfort searches, we can even searches for illegal things like weapons and drugs and even people," Lieutenant 19 Junior Grade Christopher Bowie, USS Donald Cook said.
With hijackings down more than 90 percent compared to last year, some officials worry that nations will lose their will to continue dangerous, expensive counter-piracy operations, thus allowing the sea bandits to regroup.
"Undoubtedly pirates will change their modus operandi," Chick noted 20. "They may move further south away. They may move away from the shipping lane."
But for now, the international counter-piracy operation is going strong, despite the harsh conditions.
And Somali pirates are mostly staying at home, to seafarers' great relief.
- Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利,你要当心。
- The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。
- 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》
- 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。
- The enemy warships were disengaged from the battle after suffering heavy casualties. 在遭受惨重伤亡后,敌舰退出了海战。
- The government fitted out warships and sailors for them. 政府给他们配备了战舰和水手。
- The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
- The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。
- 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 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。
- Thousands of supporters converged on London for the rally. 成千上万的支持者从四面八方汇聚伦敦举行集会。
- People converged on the political meeting from all parts of the city. 人们从城市的四面八方涌向这次政治集会。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- 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。
- 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。
- I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
- He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。
- Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
- During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
- He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
- The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。
- We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路,天就黑了。
- In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上,最忌讳的是有始无终。
- A nautical mile is 1,852 meters.一海里等于1852米。
- It is 206 nautical miles from our present location.距离我们现在的位置有206海里。
- Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
- Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。
- Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。
- He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
- He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官,递上了一张简短的便条进去。