VOA常速英语2007-Spanish Court Convicts 21 for Madrid Train Bombi

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
31 October 2007

A Spanish court found 21 people guilty and acquitted¹ seven others of involvement in 2004 train bombings in Madrid, closing a trial on the most deadly Islamist terrorist attack to date in Europe. Lisa Bryant has more on the sentencing from Paris.

Three of the lead defendants² were each sentenced to tens of thousands of years in prison for their involvement in the early morning Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people and injured more than 1,800 others. But under Spanish law they can only spend a maximum of 40 years behind bars.

Fourteen others were convicted of lesser³ charges and seven of the defendants were acquitted - including the alleged⁴ mastermind of the terrorist plot, 35-year-old Egyptian Rabei Osman. Also known as Mohammed the Egyptian, Osman is currently serving time behind bars in Italy on separate terrorism charges.

University of Barcelona political scientist Pere Vilanova described the verdict as a success for the rule of law in Spain.

"It seems to me evidence that the judiciary has been doing excellent work with the police," he said. "The jury has been legally oriented and I think this shows the rule of law works and that you can fight terrorism on legal grounds and you get the end results. Those who who are acquitted [benefited] from the basis of due process - that there was no evidence, or insufficient⁵ evidence."

The verdict brings to a close one of the most tumultuous chapters in recent Spanish history - the bombings changed the course of the country's legislative⁶ elections. The then-ruling conservative Popular Party initially⁷ suggested the Basque ETA separatist movement was likely behind the attacks, even as evidence mounted that Islamist terrorists were the probable culprits.

Three days later, the Popular Party was toppled from power by a public that felt it had been deceived - and was also angry over Madrid's support for the war in Iraq.

But today, Vilanova says Spaniards - who are already veterans of living with the threat of Basque terrorism - have put the Islamist attacks behind them.

"All in all it can happen again, but we do not live with that paranoia⁸ at all," he said. "We will not allow them to not only not set up our agenda but to modify our institutions and democratic rules.

Spain's Socialist⁹ Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero hailed the verdict. He called for the country's political parties and ordinary Spaniards to work together to fight terrorism.

1 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

2 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

3 lesser   

adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地

参考例句：

• Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
• She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及，但程度较轻。

4 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

5 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

6 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

7 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

8 paranoia   

n.妄想狂，偏执狂；多疑症

参考例句：

• Her passion for cleanliness borders on paranoia.她的洁癖近乎偏执。
• The push for reform is also motivated by political paranoia.竞选的改革运动也受到政治偏执狂症的推动。

9 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。