Anger at Lockerbie bomber welcome

　　Relatives of those who died in the bombing of a US plane over Lockerbie voiced anger as the man convicted（定罪） of the attack was welcomed home in Libya.
　　Crowds in Tripoli greeted Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, after he was freed from prison on compassionate² grounds.
　　The son of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi called his release（放松） a courageous³ step by Scotland and Britain.
　　But there was angry reaction from families of those killed in the bombing and from US President Barack Obama.
　　Most of the 270 people who died when Pan Am Flight 103 blew up over Lockerbie in 1988 were Americans.
　　Mr Obama said Megrahi's release, eight years into his life sentence, was "a mistake".
　　US powerless as bomber⁴ freedIn pictures: Bomber's release'A convenient scapegoat⁵?'
　　Bomber release: What now?
　　He said his administration had told the Libyan government that Megrahi, who has terminal cancer, should not receive a hero's welcome and should be placed under house arrest.
　　British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the sight of Megrahi being welcomed in the Libyan capital was very disturbing for families of those who died in the bombing.
　　"Obviously the sight of a mass murderer getting a hero's welcome in Tripoli is deeply upsetting, deeply distressing," he told the BBC.
　　Hundreds of people turned out to meet Megrahi's plane as it landed in Tripoli, many waving flags.
　　Megrahi, who had changed from the tracksuit he wore to leave Greenock prison in Scotland into a dark suit, was met by Col Gaddafi's son.
　　"I would like to thank the Scottish government for its courageous decision and understanding of a special human situation," Seif al-Islam Gaddafi was quoted as saying.
　　There was a considerable amount of new evidence to show that he was innocent, he is reported to have added.
　　Megrahi was then taken to his family home where his wife, Aisha, said she was "overjoyed".
　　"It is a great moment, which we have been waiting for for nine years," she said. "The house is full to bursting, everyone who loves Abdelbaset is with us."'An insult'
　　But relatives of those who died voiced growing anger and outrage⁶ at the decision to release him.
　　Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi has always denied the charges against himStephanie Bernstein, whose husband was killed in the bombing, said the Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill was "naive⁷" in taking the decision to release Megrahi.
　　"Thinking that somehow this shows that they are better people for being compassionate? This shows not compassion¹, it shows weakness," she told the BBC.
　　But other relatives reacted differently to the news.
　　British relatives' spokesman Dr Jim Swire, who lost his daughter Flora⁸ in the atrocity⁹, reiterated¹⁰ his view that Megrahi had "nothing to do with" the bombing.
　　Have Your Say I am ashamed to be Scottish. Where is the justice for the victims?
　　Ross MacDonald, EdinburghSend us your comment "I don't believe for a moment that this man was involved in the way that he was found to have been involved," he said.
　　Megrahi was convicted of murder in January 2001 at a trial held under Scottish law in the Netherlands but has always denied being behind the bombing.
　　Mr MacAskill announced the release order on Thursday morning, saying Megrahi probably had about three months to live.
　　The fact that Megrahi's victims were shown no compassion was "not a reason for us to deny compassion to him and his family in his final days", he said.
　　Mr Miliband said that the decision to release Megrahi had been a choice for the Scottish justice secretary（秘书长） alone. He added that the world would be closely watching the way that Libya responded.
　　"It's very important that Libya knows that how the Libyan government handles itself in the next few days will be very significant in the way the world views Libya's re-entry into the civilised community of nations," Mr Miliband said.
　　The BBC's Christian¹¹ Fraser in Tripoli says that in the short time Megrahi is believed to have left to live, he is likely to be feted as a national hero in Libya.
　　But when he does die, says our correspondent, he will go to the grave a convicted murderer.(本文由在线英语听力室)

1 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

2 compassionate   

adj.有同情心的，表示同情的

参考例句：

• She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。
• The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。

3 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

4 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

5 scapegoat   

n.替罪的羔羊，替人顶罪者；v.使…成为替罪羊

参考例句：

• He has been made a scapegoat for the company's failures.他成了公司倒闭的替罪羊。
• They ask me to join the party so that I'll be their scapegoat when trouble comes.他们想叫我入伙，出了乱子，好让我替他们垫背。

6 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

7 naive   

adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的

参考例句：

• It's naive of you to believe he'll do what he says.相信他会言行一致，你未免太单纯了。
• Don't be naive.The matter is not so simple.你别傻乎乎的。事情没有那么简单。

8 flora   

n.(某一地区的)植物群

参考例句：

• The subtropical island has a remarkably rich native flora.这个亚热带岛屿有相当丰富的乡土植物种类。
• All flora need water and light.一切草木都需要水和阳光。

9 atrocity   

n.残暴，暴行

参考例句：

• These people are guilty of acts of great atrocity.这些人犯有令人发指的暴行。
• I am shocked by the atrocity of this man's crimes.这个人行凶手段残忍狠毒使我震惊。

10 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

11 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。