VOA常速英语2007-Pfizer in Nigerian Court Over $8.5 Billion in La

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
03 October 2007

A Nigerian court has resumed hearings for U.S. pharmaceutical¹ giant Pfizer on allegations it caused the death of Nigerian children when it conducted a clinical trial in the country. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa has more in this report from Abuja.

 

The federal high court in Abuja granted the Nigerian government's request to serve summons on Pfizer to answer criminal allegations and a $6.5 billion compensation demand in a civil lawsuit² over a 1996 drug trial.

 

The case was then adjourned³ until October 22.

 

Another suit involving Pfizer and the northern state of Kano was also postponed⁴ to allow the defendants⁵ to be served court summons. The Kano state government is seeking $2 billion in compensation.

Both federal and Kano state authorities blame Pfizer for the death of 11 children after the company conducted a clinical trial of Trovan in the country. Several of the 200 children involved in the trial allegedly suffered permanent health problems. Pfizer has also been accused of conducting illegal clinical trials in the West African country.

 

Pfizer has denied wrongdoing and insists the alleged⁶ victims were affected⁷ by meningitis, not Trovan.

More than 12,000 Nigerian children are reported to have died in six months from the 1996 epidemic⁸ of meningitis, an infection of the nervous system that can kill in hours

 

Hundreds of protesters besieged⁹ the regional office of the Pfizer in the northern city of Kaduna on Wednesday to protest Pfizer's alleged culpability¹⁰.

 

Journalist Saxonne Aikhaine watched the protest in Kaduna.

 

"The human rights community in the north, led by Shehu Sani, converged¹¹ with a crowd at the northern zonal office of Pfizer where they held a rally this afternoon. Shehu Sani who spoke¹², said they were going to initiate¹³ a campaign against Pfizer," said Aikhaine. "That if Pfizer refuses to compensate¹⁴ those that were affected by the Trovan drug in Kano, they are going to mobilize Nigerians to boycott¹⁵ their [Pfizer] products."

 

Officials of Kano state are expected to hold talks with Pfizer in the United States in November, raising the prospect¹⁶ of an out-of-court settlement.

1 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

2 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

3 adjourned   

（使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The court adjourned for lunch. 午餐时间法庭休庭。
• The trial was adjourned following the presentation of new evidence to the court. 新证据呈到庭上后，审讯就宣告暂停。

4 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

5 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

6 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

9 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。

10 culpability   

n.苛责，有罪

参考例句：

• As if the estrangement between them had come of any culpability of hers. 姐弟俩疏远的责任竟仿佛落到了她的身上！ 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• The offence, as now defined in English law, covers a wide spectrum of culpability. 英国法律规定，违法包括很多种过失行为。 来自互联网

11 converged   

v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的过去式 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集

参考例句：

• Thousands of supporters converged on London for the rally. 成千上万的支持者从四面八方汇聚伦敦举行集会。
• People converged on the political meeting from all parts of the city. 人们从城市的四面八方涌向这次政治集会。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

13 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

14 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

15 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

16 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。