VOA常速英语2008年-UN: Hariri Tribunal Enters Startup Phase

By Margaret Besheer
United Nations
27 March 2008

The U.N. secretary-general says a special tribunal to try suspects in the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has entered the startup period and will begin functioning in phases, but it could still be several months before any trials begin. From United Nations headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

In a report to the Security Council, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says an agreement has been reached with the Dutch government to base the tribunal near The Hague.
 
Eight trial judges have been selected, but their names have not been made public yet for security reasons. The prosecutor¹ and the registrar² have also been chosen, as has a management committee made up of countries that are helping³ pay the court's expenses.

A total of $50 million was required for the tribunal's start up costs plus the first year's budget.  Mr. Ban's top legal advisor⁴, Nicholas Michel, who briefed the Security Council Thursday on the court's status, said cash and pledges totaling some $60 million have been received.  But despite the financial hurdle⁵ being cleared, Michel said it is up to the secretary-general to decide when the tribunal would start functioning.

Last May, the Security Council authorized⁶ the formation of the tribunal. It will eventually try individuals indicted⁷ for the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 other people killed with him in a massive car bomb attack on Beirut's seaside in February 2005.

Mr. Hariri's assassination⁸ set off a wave of political killings⁹ in Lebanon against prominent anti-Syrian figures.  Michel said the special tribunal has the authority to try persons indicted in the other political killings if it finds there are links between them and the Hariri case.

"There is also potentially, a possibility for the tribunal to extend its jurisdiction¹⁰ over more recent cases, but this decision would take an agreement between the United Nations and the government of Lebanon, plus the approval of the Security Council," said Mr. Michel.

Western diplomats¹¹ expressed support for the court saying punishing the perpetrators would deter¹² future political assassinations¹³ as well as help Lebanon move beyond a difficult period.

Many in Lebanon blame Syria for Mr. Hariri's murder, as well as several of the figures who have been assassinated¹⁴ since. Syria denies any involvement in the attacks. 

1 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

2 registrar   

n.记录员，登记员；(大学的)注册主任

参考例句：

• You can obtain the application from the registrar.你可以向注册人员索取申请书。
• The manager fired a young registrar.经理昨天解雇了一名年轻的记录员。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

5 hurdle   

n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛

参考例句：

• The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍，所以我必须要作好准备。
• She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。

6 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

7 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

8 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

9 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

10 jurisdiction   

n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权

参考例句：

• It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
• Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

11 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

13 assassinations   

n.暗杀( assassination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most anarchist assassinations were bungled because of haste or spontaneity, in his view. 在他看来，无政府主义者搞的许多刺杀都没成功就是因为匆忙和自发行动。 来自辞典例句
• Assassinations by Israelis of alleged terrorists habitually kill nearby women and children. 在以色列，自称恐怖分子的炸弹自杀者杀害靠近自己的以色列妇女和儿童。 来自互联网

14 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句