美国国家公共电台 NPR--German Special Forces arrest 25 people for a plot to overthrow the government

German Special Forces arrest 25 people for a plot to overthrow¹ the government

Transcript²

German Special Forces arrested 25 people for a domestic terrorism plot to overthrow the government there.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

German forces have arrested numerous people for allegedly plotting to overthrow the German government. The suspects in this coup⁴ attempt are members of a number of far-right extremist groups that allegedly are Qanon followers⁵ influenced by ideas from the United States. NPR's Esme Nicholson is in Berlin. Hi there.

ESME NICHOLSON, BYLINE⁶: Hi, Steve.

INSKEEP: What are you learning?

NICHOLSON: Well, Germany's federal prosecutor⁷ has so far confirmed that a group of 52 people are suspected of plotting a violent coup against the government. That was to include targeted killings⁸ of state representatives. He also says there are indications the group was planning to storm the Bundestag, the lower house, with a small army. Police have detained 25 suspects who come from a number of far-right political groupings, including the so-called Reichsburger, the Reichs citizens who don't recognize the modern German state and want to abolish democracy. Others are members of the so-called Querdenker scene, which is a Qanon-inspired movement which sprung up during the pandemic and consists mainly of radicalized corona⁹ deniers who adhere to conspiracy¹⁰ theories. And one of those detained is a Russian citizen suspected of supporting the group.

INSKEEP: Now, of all those things you said, the thing that leaped out for me the most was the idea of storming the Bundestag, because that sounds like the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. It sounds like from the other things that you said, that people were influenced by movements in the United States, at least partly.

NICHOLSON: Yes, that's true, partly, as you know, based on the information we have so far. On the other hand, far-right extremists in Germany have a long history. And there is a broad church, if you will, or a broad spectrum¹¹ of of far-right extremists. The federal prosecutor today actually spoke¹² about the group's alleged³ leader, a 71-year-old man who goes by the name of Prince Heinrich XIII of Reuss, who is a descendant from German royalty¹³, which, of course, was abolished a century ago. Allegedly, this man was going to be installed as the new leader of Germany as part of this coup. The federal prosecutor went on to say that this man was starting to nominate ministers for a post-coup government, including a former German army paratrooper as head of its military wing. So, yes, there's a mix of of influence from the U.S., but a lot of this is homegrown.

INSKEEP: Is it clear to you from what the prosecutor general said anyway, if this is a serious plot that had serious chances of doing damage as opposed to someone's fantasy?

NICHOLSON: At the moment, investigations¹⁴ are undergoing. And it isn't clear at this stage just how capable the group would have been in their aims to stage a coup and - or just how many weapons they had amassed¹⁵. German domestic intelligence estimates there are about 21,000 so-called Reichsburger who reject the modern German state and democracy. But only a very small percentage are considered to be violent and are considered to be a threat to democracy, which will be about 5% to 10%. It's not insignificant¹⁶, certainly, but it's really not clear how successful they would have been. That said, there is serious concern. And the interior minister, Nancy Faeser, has condemned¹⁷ this group. And since taking an office a year ago, she's really cracked down on the far right. By contrast, her predecessors¹⁸ focused much more on Islamist extremism and the far left.

INSKEEP: Esme Nicholson is in Berlin. Thanks for the update.

NICHOLSON: Thank you, Steve.

1 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

4 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

5 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 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。

8 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。

9 corona   

n.日冕

参考例句：

• The corona gains and loses energy continuously.日冕总是不断地获得能量和损失能量。
• The corona is a brilliant,pearly white,filmy light,about as bright as the full moon.光环带是一种灿烂的珠白色朦胧光，几乎像满月一样明亮。

10 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。

11 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

12 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

13 royalty   

n.皇家，皇族

参考例句：

• She claims to be descended from royalty.她声称她是皇室后裔。
• I waited on tables，and even catered to royalty at the Royal Albert Hall.我做过服务生， 甚至在皇家阿伯特大厅侍奉过皇室的人。

14 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

15 amassed   

v.积累，积聚( amass的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He amassed a fortune from silver mining. 他靠开采银矿积累了一笔财富。
• They have amassed a fortune in just a few years. 他们在几年的时间里就聚集了一笔财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 insignificant   

adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的

参考例句：

• In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季，这种作用是不明显的。
• This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。

17 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

18 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》