VOA常速英语2008年-Indian Prisoner Held for Spying in Pakistan for

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
04 March 2008

An Indian prisoner who spent 35 years on death row in a Pakistan jail has returned to India, after being granted clemency¹ by Pakistani authorities. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi his return is being seen as a symbol of a gradual improvement in ties between the once-bitter South Asian rivals.

Kashmir Singh stepped across the Wagah border, between India and Pakistan, to a hero's welcome from family members, Indian officials and scores of onlookers².

Singh, a short, balding man, in his 60's, was escorted to the border by Pakistani Minister for Human Rights Ansar Burney, who played a key role in his release.

Singh was arrested in Pakistan in 1973, convicted of spying and sentenced to death by a military court. The Pakistani government later stayed his execution.

Pakistan and India frequently arrest each other's citizens - often when they stray across land or sea borders. Some cases date back to the 1970s - a period when hostilities³ ran deep after the rivals fought two wars.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf ordered his release on humanitarian⁴ grounds.

Singh's is one of the most dramatic stories that has come to light.

Singh lost touch with his family soon, after his imprisonment⁵, as he was shuttled from prison to prison. He never received a visitor during his 35 years in confinement⁶.

Hours after his release from jail, he told reporters he would not be able to recognize his children, whom he last saw as toddlers.

Singh says he left his daughter and two sons when they were about one, three and six years old.

Pakistani minister Burney says he searched for Singh in many prisons, across the country, after being told of his case. He finally located him in a Lahore jail.

Burney told reporters the prisoner's release is a matter of pride and honor for Pakistan.

Singh's return to India is being seen as another symbol of the slow improvement in relations between India and Pakistan since they launched a peace process in 2004. The sides have not made much headway in solving their political disputes, but they have restored transportation links and sporting and cultural contacts.

The thaw⁷ has prompted the two countries to hold a series of prisoner exchanges, in recent years - mainly of fishermen who were detained after straying into each other's territorial⁸ waters.

1 clemency   

n.温和，仁慈，宽厚

参考例句：

• The question of clemency would rest with the King.宽大处理问题，将由国王决定。
• They addressed to the governor a plea for clemency.他们向州长提交了宽刑的申辨书。

2 onlookers   

n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene of the crash. 在撞车地点聚集了一大群围观者。
• The onlookers stood at a respectful distance. 旁观者站在一定的距离之外，以示尊敬。

3 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

4 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

5 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

6 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。

7 thaw   

v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和

参考例句：

• The snow is beginning to thaw.雪已开始融化。
• The spring thaw caused heavy flooding.春天解冻引起了洪水泛滥。

8 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。