The owners of a Hong Kong-registered oil tanker involved in South Korea's worst oil spill say the South Korean decision to indict the ship's officers for the incident is unjust. The owners say the crew should in fact be commended.
在韩国发生事故造成原油大规模泄露的油轮的香港船主表示，韩国决定起诉油轮的操纵人员是不公正的。这些香港的船主说，油轮上的船员实际上应当受到表彰。
Last December, the Hebei Spirit, a Hong Kong-registered tanker, was at anchor off the west coast of South Korea.
去年12月，香港注册的油轮“河北精神”号在韩国西海岸停泊。
A drifting South Korean crane barge, which had broken free from the tugboat towing it, punched holes in the tanker's sides. More than 10,000 tons of crude oil poured from the tanker into the sea, coating a 45-kilometer stretch of the coast. It was the largest oil spill in South Korean history.
一艘韩国起重机船从拖船脱钩一路漂流过去，在“河北精神”号侧面撞出了一些漏洞。一万多吨原油从油轮中泄漏到海里，在海岸上造成延绵45公里的油污。这是韩国有史以来最大的一起原油泄漏事故。
This week, South Korean prosecutors indicted the director of Samsung Heavy Industries, which owns the barge and the tugboat, as well as three South Korean crew members.
本星期，韩国的检察官对三星重工业的董事长提出了起诉。三星重工业是起重船和拖船的船主。检察官也对三名韩国船员提出起诉。
The prosecutors also indicted the captain and the chief officer of the Hebei Spirit, accusing them of criminal negligence while on duty.
检察官还对“河北精神”号的船长和大副提出起诉，指控他们玩忽职守。
Robert Bishop is the chief executive officer of ship management company V. Ships, which manages the Hebei Spirit. He says there was nothing the crew could have done to prevent the collision.
负责经营管理“河北精神”号的船运经营管理公司V. Ships的总管毕晓普说，“河北精神”号上的船员没有任何办法防止这种相撞事故。
At a news conference in Hong Kong, Bishop said the captain's actions should be applauded instead of condemned.
毕晓普在香港举行的记者会上说，“河北精神”号的船长的作为应当受到表彰，而不是谴责。
"What he has been accused of is far from the truth, or far from the reality of what happened, shall we say. So the consequence when all this comes to court should be that we are able to demonstrate that in actual fact, his performance was exemplary and the highest manner of good seamanship," he said.
他说：“对他提出的指控根本就不是事实，跟实际情况完全不符，我们可以这样说。因此，到了法庭上，理应出现的结果是，我们可以证明，在情况实际发生的时候，船长的行为是模范性的，是优秀海员的最佳表现。”
South Korean prosecutors say the Hebei Spirit's chief officer was negligent in performing his lookout duty. They also say the captain failed to take measures to prevent the collision, such as quickly hauling up the tanker's anchor.
韩国的检察官说，“河北精神”号的大副在担任了望期间玩忽职守。他们还表示，“河北精神”号的船长也没有采取应当采取的措施避免碰撞，如迅速起锚。
The Hebei Spirit's managers maintain, however, that the officers did detect the erratic behavior of the crane barge early on and alerted marine traffic authorities. And they say lifting the anchor would not have helped as it takes at least 40 minutes to do so.
“河北精神”号的经理人员表示，该船的船员确实是发现起重船航行轨道怪异，并通知了韩国海事交通当局。他们说，“河北精神”号采取起锚行动也无济于事，因为起锚需要至少40分钟的时间。
Arthur Bowring is the managing director of the Hong Kong ship owners' association. He says his organization objects to South Korea's indictment of the two officers.
香港船主协会的执行理事波林说，香港船主协会反对韩国当局起诉“河北精神”号船长和大副。
"We are very disappointed with any maritime authorities who indict crew members who have been involved in an accident. It's not following basic human rights, it's not following the general course of legal issues," he said.
他说：“我们对任何海事当局起诉卷入事故的船员的做法都感到非常失望。这不符合基本的人权，不符合法律的基本规章。”
The two indicted officers, both Indian nationals, are not in custody, but have to stay in South Korea to await their trial. If convicted, they and the mainland Chinese owner of the Hebei Spirit, who was also indicted, face up to a year in prison and a fine of $150,000.
受到起诉的“河北精神”号船长和大副都是印度人，他们目前没有受到拘押。但是，他们必须留在韩国等待审判。假如他们的罪名被判定成立，他们以及中国大陆的船主将可能被判1年监禁，外加十五万美元的罚款。中国大陆的船主这次也受到韩国当局的起诉。 |