Jubilant (adj.喜氣洋洋的) crowds in Israel (n.以色列) and the Palestinian (adj.巴勒斯坦的) territories (n.領土) have been celebrating a historic (adj.歷史性的) prisoner swap (n.交換).
      Israel released (v.釋放) hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, allowing most to go back to Gaza (n.加沙) and the West Bank (n.西岸), in exchange (n.交換) for the return of soldier Gilad Shalit (n.沙利特).
      Sgt (n.中士) Shalit, 25, is spending his first night at home since he was snatched (v.奪走) by militants (n.好戰分子) in a cross-border (adj.跨境的) raid (n.突擊) five years ago. He received a hero's welcome in his hometown (n.家鄉).
      Both PM (n.總理) Benjamin Netanyahu (n.內塔尼亞胡) and leaders of the Islamist (adj.伊斯蘭的) movement Hamas (n.哈馬斯), who closed (v.達成) the deal (n.協議), hailed (v.讚揚) it as a       vindication (n.證明正確) for their policies.
      Meanwhile (adv.同時), 477 Palestinians (n.巴勒斯坦人) were freed, in the first part of an amnesty (n.特赦) that will eventually (adv.最終) see 1,027 prisoners released.
      Some of the Palestinians had been in prison for decades (n.（數）十年), and some had been convicted (v.宣判有罪) of serious crimes such as murder and orchestrating (v.策劃) suicide (n.自殺) attacks.
      But correspondents (n.通訊員) say the swap is unlikely (adj.不大可能的) to have a major effect on wider peace talks (n.談判).
      (BBC, October 19)

      以色列和巴勒斯坦領土內的群眾喜氣洋洋，慶祝歷史性交換囚犯。
      以色列釋放了數百名巴勒斯坦囚犯，准許當中大多數人返回加沙和西岸，以換取士兵沙利特回國。
      沙利特中士現年二十五歲，他五年前在一次跨境突擊行動中被好戰分子奪走，如今在家中度過五年來首個晚上。他在家鄉受到英雄式歡迎。
      這次協議由總理內塔尼亞胡和伊斯蘭哈馬斯運動領袖達成，他們都讚揚協議，認為證明了自己的政策是正確的。
      與此同時，首批共四百七十七名巴勒斯坦人已獲釋，而這次特赦最終會釋放一千零二十七名囚犯。
      一些巴勒斯坦人已被監禁數十年，而有些已因謀殺和策劃自殺式襲擊等嚴重罪行而定罪。
      但多名通訊員都認為，這次交換囚犯不大可能對整體的和平談判帶來重大影響。（英國廣播公司，十月十九日）
      文︰范斌

      閱讀指引
      1. swap (n)　/sw?忀p/，s-WOP　交換、對調
      解讀：swap是可數名詞，但通常都以單數形式出現，很少採用複數，例如文中首段的a historic prisoner swap（歷史性交換囚犯），標題則略去了冠詞；swap也可作動詞，意思相若，例如swap places是交換位置。
      2. militant (n)　/'m?笈l?笈t?瑆nt/，
      MI-li-tunt　好戰分子、動武的人
      解讀：除了用作名詞外，militant也常用作形容詞，解作好戰的、動武的，例如militant nationalist(s) / protester(s)是好戰的種族分子／抗議者，又例如militant group(s) / leader(s)是好戰的組織／領袖。
      3. vindication (n)　/ v?笈nd?笈'ke?笈?瓿?瑆n/，vin-di-KAY-shun　證明正確、證實
      解讀：動詞vindicate解作證明正確、證實，例如︰Our decision to hire him was vindicated when he helped the company overcome the big crisis（他協助本公司克服了這個巨大危機，證明了我們聘用他是正確的決定）；名詞便是vindication。