VOA常速英语2007年-South Africa Announces Pardons for Apartheid-Er

By Scott Bobb
Johannesburg
21 November 2007

South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki says citizens convicted of political crimes during the apartheid era may apply for presidential pardons. He indicated the program was to complete the work of a reconciliation¹ commission that ended seven years ago. VOA's Scott Bobb reports from Johannesburg.

South African President Thabo Mbeki told a joint² session of parliament the pardons were in the interest of national reconciliation, nation-building and enhancing national cohesion³.

But he said they would not undermine the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, known as the TRC, which investigated apartheid-era atrocities⁴.

"For some time since the year 2000 the government has been seized of the challenge to bring to a close the vexing⁵ matter of those prisoners serving sentences for what might be considered to be politically motivated crimes of the kind that fell within the brief of the Amnesty Committee of the T.R.C.," said Mr. Mbeki.

Mr. Mbeki said individuals convicted of what they considered to be political offenses⁶ could apply for presidential pardons during a three month period beginning on January 15 of next year. He asked each political party to appoint a representative to provide recommendations on the pardon requests.

The South African president said the purpose of the program was to deal with what he called the unfinished business of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

But he added that individuals who were refused amnesty by the T.R.C. would not be considered for a pardon. And pardon applications would also be rejected from people convicted of sexual crimes, domestic violence or drug offenses.

More than 7,999 people applied⁷ for amnesty under the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which heard often-emotional testimony⁸ from more than 22,000 victims.

Mr. Mbeki's pardon program covers offenses committed until June of 1999 whereas the Truth and Reconciliation Commission considered crimes committed only until 1994.

As a result, individuals involved in a wave of violence during the years immediately after apartheid, in particular in Kwa-Zulu Natal⁹ Province, are expected to benefit the most from the pardon program.

The opposition¹⁰ Inkatha Freedom Party, whose supporters frequently clashed with government supporters during the late 1990s, welcomed the announcement.

But the party's chief whip, Jacobus Van der Merwe criticized the delay in addressing the issue.

"We are delighted and we will obviously cooperate but we deplore¹¹ the fact that it took seven years to devise this framework to consider political pardons for politically motivated crimes," he said.

The presidency¹² has received more than 1,000 requests for pardons from individuals serving prison sentences for crimes during the apartheid era. Many more are expected before the program closes in mid-April of next year.

1 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 cohesion   

n.团结，凝结力

参考例句：

• I had to bring some cohesion into the company.我得使整个公司恢复凝聚力。
• The power of culture is deeply rooted in the vitality,creativity and cohesion of a nation. 文化的力量，深深熔铸在民族的生命力、创造力和凝聚力之中。

4 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 vexing   

adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论

参考例句：

• It is vexing to have to wait a long time for him. 长时间地等他真使人厌烦。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Lately a vexing problem had grown infuriatingly worse. 最近发生了一个讨厌的问题，而且严重到令人发指的地步。 来自辞典例句

6 offenses   

n.进攻( offense的名词复数 )；（球队的）前锋；进攻方法；攻势

参考例句：

• It's wrong of you to take the child to task for such trifling offenses. 因这类小毛病责备那孩子是你的不对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Thus, Congress cannot remove an executive official except for impeachable offenses. 因此，除非有可弹劾的行为，否则国会不能罢免行政官员。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

7 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

8 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。

9 natal   

adj.出生的，先天的

参考例句：

• Many music-lovers make pilgrimages to Mozart's natal place.很多爱好音乐的人去访问莫扎特的出生地。
• Since natal day,characters possess the visual elements such as dots and strokes.文字从诞生开始便具有了点画这样的视觉元素。

10 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

11 deplore   

vt.哀叹，对...深感遗憾

参考例句：

• I deplore what has happened.我为所发生的事深感愤慨。
• There are many of us who deplore this lack of responsibility.我们中有许多人谴责这种不负责任的做法。

12 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。