VOA标准英语2010年-Thai Court Allows More Charges Against

A Thai court has ruled more charges against Russian arms dealer¹, Victor Bout², should be heard. The ruling will delay steps to extradite Bout to the United States to face charges of conspiracy³ and support for foreign terrorist organizations.

The 43-year-old Victor Bout arrived at the Thai court under heavy armed escort in a separate van and wearing a bullet proof jacket over his prisoner uniform.

Additional charges

The court ruled a second set of charges of money laundering⁴ and wire fraud that were brought by Washington, should be heard, overruling an appeal by the public prosecutor⁵ for the charges to be dropped.

The additional charges were filed after a Bangkok Criminal Court in August 2009 rejected an initial U.S. extradition⁶ request. The United States had filed an appeal and the new charges against Bout to ensure his continued detention⁷ and eventual⁸ extradition – a move that is now stalling the process.

Denies charges of involvement

Bout, a former Soviet⁹ air force officer known as an arms trader through the 1990s, was arrested in March 2008 in a sting operation at a Bangkok luxury hotel. U.S. agents had posed as arms buyers for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC.

Bout has denied the charges of involvement in illicit¹⁰ arms trading to areas such as Africa, South America and the Middle East. Reports say Washington moved to arrest Bout after allegations arose of him supplying weapons to the Taliban.

Final decision by government

Earlier, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he would have the final say over the issue of Bout's extradition. Government spokesman Panitan Wattanaygorn said the administration would await a final court verdict.

"Well if it is in the case [of the appeal being rejected] the matter is in the court," Panitan said. "The government will not make any decision until the decision is final from the court. So that is our position."

In a letter distributed by his wife to reporters, Bout claimed his innocence¹¹, saying he had never sold weapons to anybody. His wife, Alla Bout, in a separate letter, also appealed to Prime Minister Abhisit, to block the extradition. She had accused U.S. Special Forces of violations¹² during the arrest of her husband.

Moscow protests, calls for his return

Moscow has protested Bout's arrest as being politically motivated and had called for him to be sent back to Russia.

But analysts¹³ say Bout also has knowledge of Russia's military and intelligence operations and these are the key reasons why Moscow does not want Bout sent to the United States.

The hearing of the additional charges means Bout must remain in Thailand until a final verdict. Legal sources say Bout had hoped the charges would come to court to further delay the moves to extradite him. Any extension beyond three months and the order will expire requiring the process to begin again.
 

1 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

2 bout   

n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛

参考例句：

• I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
• That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

3 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。

4 laundering   

n.洗涤（衣等），洗烫（衣等）；洗（钱）v.洗（衣服等），洗烫（衣服等）( launder的现在分词 )；洗（黑钱）（把非法收入改头换面，变为貌似合法的收入）

参考例句：

• Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering. 洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was charged with laundering money. 他被指控洗钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 extradition   

n.引渡（逃犯）

参考例句：

• The smuggler is in prison tonight,awaiting extradition to Britain.这名走私犯今晚在监狱，等待引渡到英国。
• He began to trouble concerning the extradition laws.他开始费尽心思地去想关于引渡法的问题。

7 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

8 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

9 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

10 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

11 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

12 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

13 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。