VOA标准英语2010年-Haitian Judge Recommends Release of 10

"They did not force us, we all agreed to give the kids away" -- Melanie Augustin, a Haitian adoptive mother

A Haitian judge has recommended the release of 10 American missionaries¹ accused of trying to take orphaned² children out of earthquake-ravaged Haiti without proper authorization³. The judge, Bernard Saint-Vil, says he sent his recommendation to the Haitian prosecutor⁴'s office. Under Haitian law, the prosecutor can oppose or support the request, but cannot overrule it. .

Outside a court house in Port-au-Prince, the judge announced his recommendation for the Americans' release.  "I await the government's decision. They (the Americans) may decide to ask the lawyer to petition for conditional⁵ liberty, after I receive that, I will decide," he said.

The five men and five women say they only wanted to help 33 orphans⁶ left destitute⁷ by the earthquake that struck Haiti last month.

They were detained and jailed in Port-au-Prince January 29, after trying to take Haitian children to the Dominican Republic. The missionaries said they wanted to set up an orphanage⁸ in the neighboring country.

Shortly after the arrests, the group's leader, Laura Silsby,  told the Associated Press that she and her colleagues only took children from orphanages⁹ or from distant relatives to be placed for adoption¹⁰.

But it is now known that many of the children have living parents. And some of these parents told the judge they willingly gave up their children on the promise they would receive an education and a better life.

"It is hard to find someone to help you with the kids and we had no choice but to give the kids away because we just hope for a better life for  them. They did not force us, we all agreed to give the kids away," said Melanie Augustin, a Haitian adoptive mother.

"They have to set the Americans free. They came to help us and my wife and I agreed to give them the kids. I want a better education for them," said Antoine Johnny, father of twins.

Most of the 10 missionaries are members of a Baptist church in the western state of Idaho.

 

1 missionaries   

n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时，从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 orphaned   

[计][修]孤立

参考例句：

• Orphaned children were consigned to institutions. 孤儿都打发到了福利院。
• He was orphaned at an early age. 他幼年时便成了孤儿。

3 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

4 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。

5 conditional   

adj.条件的，带有条件的

参考例句：

• My agreement is conditional on your help.你肯帮助我才同意。
• There are two forms of most-favored-nation treatment:conditional and unconditional.最惠国待遇有两种形式:有条件的和无条件的。

6 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

7 destitute   

adj.缺乏的；穷困的

参考例句：

• They were destitute of necessaries of life.他们缺少生活必需品。
• They are destitute of common sense.他们缺乏常识。

8 orphanage   

n.孤儿院

参考例句：

• They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage.他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。
• They gave the proceeds of the sale to the orphanage.他们把销售的收入给了这家孤儿院。

9 orphanages   

孤儿院( orphanage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It is Rotarians running orphanages for children who have no homes. 扶轮社员们为没有家的孩子办孤儿院。
• Through the years, she built churches, hospitals and orphanages. 许多年来，她盖了一间间的教堂、医院、育幼院。

10 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。