Hostage

雖然知道極端組織伊斯蘭國講得出做得到，日本不肯繳付二億美元贖金，兩名人質（hostages）必死無疑，但是怎能夠向恐怖組織低頭？

名詞hostage解「人質」，常配動詞hold，指「挾持人質」。例句：The plane's hijackers held 90 hostages.（劫機者挾持了90名人質。）The school children were held hostage by a hooded gunman.（學童被一名蒙面槍手挾持。）此外，用take someone hostage也可。例句：The terrorists took two Japanese hostage.（恐怖分子抓走兩名日本人作人質。）

相反，「釋放人質」可以配動詞release。例句：The mother of one of the two Japanese hostages pleaded for releasing her son.（兩個日本人質之一的母親懇求釋放她的兒子。）We strongly urge the gunman to immediately release the hostages without harming them.（我們強烈要求槍手立即釋放人質，並且不要傷害他們。）