2006年VOA标准英语-9/11 Conspirator Moussaoui Sentenced To Li

By Jim Malone
Washington
03 May 2006

A federal jury in Virginia decided¹ Wednesday to spare the life of Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person charged and convicted in connection with the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

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Zacarias Moussaoui    
  

After deliberating about 40 hours over a nearly two-week period, the jury decided that Moussaoui should not be executed and should instead be sent to prison for life without chance of parole.

A death sentence would have required a unanimous vote by the jury. The jury recommendation is binding² on the judge in the case and Moussaoui will be formally sentenced on Thursday.

The verdict was announced by court spokesman Edward Adams outside the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, near Washington.

 
Edward Adams 
  
"Under the law, the jurors may also write in mitigating³ factors they believe have been proven by the evidence but were not suggested to them by defense⁴ counsel," said Edward Adams. "On count one, the jurors wrote in one such factor. They wrote that the defendant⁵ had limited knowledge of the 9/11 attack plans. Three jurors found that mitigating factor to have been proven."

As Moussaoui was led out of the courtroom after the verdict on Wednesday, he shouted, "America, you lost. I won."

Moussaoui is a 37-year-old Frenchman of Moroccan descent. He is the only person charged and convicted in connection with the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Moussaoui was arrested three weeks before the attacks while undergoing flight training in Minnesota. He later testified that while he knew the outlines of the 9/11 plot, he was training to be part of a second wave of terrorist attacks and that he was supposed to fly a hijacked⁶ plane into the White House.

Moussaoui pled guilty last year to six terror conspiracy⁷ charges.

Wednesday's sentencing verdict came after four years of legal maneuvering⁸ and a six-week penalty trial that forced the nine men and three women on the jury to relive the horror of the 9/11 attacks, including photos of the carnage and the playing of cockpit tapes from United Flight 93. That was the plane on which passengers fought back against the hijackers and that eventually crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.

The penalty phase of the trial was punctuated⁹ by frequent outbursts from Moussaoui that included taunting¹⁰ relatives of 9/11 victims who gave emotional testimony¹¹.

Reaction to the life in prison verdict for Moussaoui among 9/11 family members was mixed. But many said they supported the jury's decision not to give Moussaoui the death penalty.

Rosemary Dillard lost her husband Eddie in the attack. He was aboard the hijacked jetliner that crashed into the Pentagon on September 11.

"It is not going to be what all the families want," said Rosemary Dillard. "But what it shows the world is that we are not going to stand for terrorists to come to our country and to be let loose. He will be in confinement¹². He will not be released and we can all take pleasure or gratitude¹³ in that. He is a bad man. But we have a fair society here."

Previously¹⁴, the jury decided that Moussaoui was eligible¹⁵ for the death penalty because he lied about his knowledge of the 9/11 plot after his arrest in August of 2001. Prosecutors¹⁶ said the government might have been able to prevent the 9/11 attacks had he told investigators¹⁷ what he knew.

Defense attorneys argued that Moussaoui had exaggerated his role in and knowledge of the 9/11 plot and that he was mentally unstable¹⁸.

The White House issued a statement that said the verdict represents the end of the Moussaoui case but not an end to the fight against terror. The statement went on to say that the enemy that struck the U.S. on September 11 remains¹⁹ determined²⁰ to kill Americans.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

3 mitigating   

v.减轻，缓和( mitigate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Are there any mitigating circumstances in this case ? 本案中是否有任何情况可以减轻被告的罪行？ 来自辞典例句
• A sentencing judge is required to consider any mitigating circumstances befor imposing the death penalty. 在处死刑之前，要求量刑法官必须考虑是否有任何减轻罪行之情节。 来自口语例句

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

5 defendant   

n.被告；adj.处于被告地位的

参考例句：

• The judge rejected a bribe from the defendant's family.法官拒收被告家属的贿赂。
• The defendant was borne down by the weight of evidence.有力的证据使被告认输了。

6 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• 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。

7 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

8 maneuvering   

v.移动，用策略( maneuver的现在分词 )；操纵

参考例句：

• This Manstein did, with some brilliant maneuvering under the worse winter conditions. 曼施坦因在最恶劣的严冬条件下，出色地施展了灵活机动的战术，终于完成了任务。 来自辞典例句
• In short, large goals required farsighted policies, not tactical maneuvering. 一句话，大的目标需要有高瞻远瞩的政策，玩弄策略是不行的。 来自辞典例句

9 punctuated   

v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 )；不时打断某事物

参考例句：

• Her speech was punctuated by bursts of applause. 她的讲演不时被阵阵掌声打断。
• The audience punctuated his speech by outbursts of applause. 听众不时以阵阵掌声打断他的讲话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 taunting   

嘲讽( taunt的现在分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落

参考例句：

• She wagged a finger under his nose in a taunting gesture. 她当着他的面嘲弄地摇晃着手指。
• His taunting inclination subdued for a moment by the old man's grief and wildness. 老人的悲伤和狂乱使他那嘲弄的意图暂时收敛起来。

11 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

12 confinement   

n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限

参考例句：

• He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。
• The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。

13 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

14 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

15 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

16 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

17 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

19 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

20 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。