VOA标准英语2009年-Australian Muslims Found Guilty of Terror

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
17 October 2009

 
An Australian court has convicted five Muslim men of plotting to commit an act of terrorism. The men were found guilty of stockpiling bomb-making instructions and purchasing explosive chemicals in pursuit of what prosecutors¹ called "violent jihad."  Each face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The New South Wales Supreme² Court heard that the group planned to use bombs or firearms to commit "extreme violence" to punish Australia for its involvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The jury viewed more than 3,000 exhibits and heard from more than 300 witnesses. It was told one man participated in a terrorist-run paramilitary camp in Pakistan, while three others received similar training in remote parts of Australia in preparation for an attack.

The men were arrested in 2005 on information provided by hardware store and gun shop owners.  Prosecutors accused them of conspiring³ to commit terrorist attacks, but never divulged⁴ their intended target.

The trial began in November 2008 and lasted more than 170 days - one of the longest in Australian legal history.

The New South Wales police commissioner⁵, Andrew Scipione, welcomed the guilty verdicts.

"It is a very strong statement," he said. "If you come here with a view to committing an act of terrorism you are likely to be caught."

Outside the court in Sydney, there were angry scenes as supporters of the convicted men scuffled with members of the press.

Relatives expressed their disbelief at the jury's decision.

Male: "My uncle - the best person, like, he used to go with me to boxing fights because I was a boxer⁶ and he used train me."

Female: "It is unfair because he has done nothing wrong."

The five men face life in prison and are expected to be sentenced in December.

Four other men, accused of being part of the same conspiracy⁷, had previously⁸ pleaded guilty and have been sentenced to up to 14 years in prison.

 

1 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 conspiring   

密谋( conspire的现在分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They were accused of conspiring against the king. 他们被指控阴谋反对国王。
• John Brown and his associates were tried for conspiring to overthrow the slave states. 约翰·布朗和他的合伙者们由于密谋推翻实行奴隶制度的美国各州而被审讯。

4 divulged   

v.吐露，泄露( divulge的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He divulged nothing to him save the terrible handicap of being young. 他想不出个所以然来，只是想到自己年纪尚幼，极端不利。 来自辞典例句
• The spy divulged the secret plans to the enemy. 那名间谍把秘密计划泄漏给敌人。 来自辞典例句

5 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

6 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

7 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

8 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。