2006年VOA标准英语-Suspected French Murder Gang Leader Found

By Nico Colombant
Abidjan
23 February 2006

A Paris gang leader suspected of taking part in the brutal¹ killing² of a French Jewish man faces quick repatriation³ to France, after being caught in Ivory Coast. 

This undated photo released Feb.21, 2006 by French Police authorites shows suspected ringleader Youssouf Fofana   
  
During interrogations in Abidjan by French and Ivorian police, Youssouf Fofana is reported to have admitted to the crime, but said murder was not his intention, and that there were no anti-semitic dimensions to the plot.

He was caught late Wednesday inside a car, at a roadblock  in the Abobo district, carrying a sleeping bag. Ivorian police had tracked him down after he apparently⁴ flew on a commercial flight to Abidjan under his own name and then had checked into a budget hotel under his own name as well.

Fofana, a French citizen of Ivorian origin, is reported to have already been in Ivory Coast once since the death of Ilan Halimi of torture injuries. Halimi died shortly after being found gagged, burned and naked near a railway line outside Paris, earlier this month.

Halimi went missing in late January after apparently being lured⁵ into a trap by a woman.

The gang allegedly led by Fofana sought ransom⁶ money. At least four of their targets in botched kidnapping attempts were also Jewish. Some suspects already arrested in the case were quoted by French government ministers as saying this was because they thought Jews are rich.

An Ivorian journalist who has been closely following the case, Varlet Asia, says Fofana's quick arrest shows Ivory Coast, also known as Cote d'Ivoire, cooperated fully⁷ with France, despite problems with the former colonial power, related to a three-year civil war.

"This is the proof that Cote d'Ivoire is not a very closed country," said Asia. "We are open and we are ready to give the possibility to anyone to come in Cote d'Ivoire and have his mission realized."

But he denied any links between the crime and the current dance craze in Abidjan known as coupe-decale - literally⁸ "cut and slide." The lyrics⁹ of the music glorify¹⁰ Ivorian DJs who go to Europe and use pretty African women to steal credit cards from rich Europeans, before escaping back to Africa, drinking champagne¹¹ and wearing fancy clothes.

"This has nothing to do with coupe decale. It maybe is an accident of mingling¹² of things of both attitudes. We have on one part a criminal who has killed someone, on the other part, some guys maybe doing some poor things but not killing anyone," he added.

The woman suspected of luring¹³ the victim to a fake date in the suburbs of Paris is already being held in France, along with a dozen others.

1 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

2 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• 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。

3 repatriation   

n.遣送回国，归国

参考例句：

• The Volrep programme is the preferred means of repatriation. 政府认为自愿遣返计划的遣返方法较为可取。 来自互联网
• Arrange the cargo claiming and maritime affairs,crews repatriation,medical treatment,traveling so on. （六）洽办货物理赔，船舶海事处理，办理船员遣返，就医，旅游等。 来自互联网

4 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

5 lured   

吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The child was lured into a car but managed to escape. 那小孩被诱骗上了车，但又设法逃掉了。
• Lured by the lust of gold,the pioneers pushed onward. 开拓者在黄金的诱惑下，继续奋力向前。

6 ransom   

n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救

参考例句：

• 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。

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

9 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

10 glorify   

vt.颂扬，赞美，使增光，美化

参考例句：

• Politicians have complained that the media glorify drugs.政治家们抱怨媒体美化毒品。
• We are all committed to serving the Lord and glorifying His name in the best way we know.我们全心全意敬奉上帝，竭尽所能颂扬他的美名。

11 champagne   

n.香槟酒；微黄色

参考例句：

• There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
• They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

12 mingling   

adj.混合的

参考例句：

• There was a spring of bitterness mingling with that fountain of sweets. 在这个甜蜜的源泉中间，已经掺和进苦涩的山水了。
• The mingling of inconsequence belongs to us all. 这场矛盾混和物是我们大家所共有的。

13 luring   

吸引，引诱（lure的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Cheese is very good for luring a mouse into a trap. 奶酪是引诱老鼠上钩的极好的东西。
• Her training warned her of peril and of the wrong, subtle, mysterious, luring. 她的教养警告她：有危险，要出错儿，这是微妙、神秘而又诱人的。