2007年VOA标准英语-Five British Men Sentenced to Life in Prison in

By Sonja Pace
London
30 April 2007

Five British men have been sentenced to life in prison for their involvement in an al-Qaida inspired plot to carry out bomb attacks across Britain. VOA's Sonja Pace reports from London on the outcome of the trial that has lasted for more than a year.

The judge pronounced sentencing just hours after a jury found five men guilty of plotting to set off fertilizer bombs at major public sites in London and elsewhere in Britain. Two other men were acquitted¹.

Ringleader Omar Khayam was sentenced to life in prison for his part in the plot. The judge also handed down life terms for Waheed Mahmood, Anthony Garcia, Jawad Akbar and Alahuddin Amin.

The five men were arrested in March 2004 during a major police operation and after extensive surveillance by police and security services.

Prosecutors³ presented evidence that the men planned to use 600 kilograms of ammonium nitrate fertilizer to make explosives with the aim of attacking a London nightclub, power plants, and a shopping mall.

"For more than three years, we and the police counter-terrorism command worked exhaustively in cooperation with security and intelligence agencies and international colleagues to present this case,"  said state prosecutor² Deborah Walsh.

In the end, the prosecution⁴ presented almost 12,000 pages of exhibits. The jury saw and listened to video and audio evidence and heard testimony⁵ from numerous witnesses, including U.S.-Islamic militant⁶ Mohammad Babar.

Evidence presented at the trial linked members of the group to contacts in Pakistan, training camps in Afghanistan and to meetings with al Qaida members.

"Five dangerous terrorists are now behind bars due to the efforts of our security services and our police." said British Home Secretary John Reid. "I want to extend my thanks to them and I believe the gratitude⁷ of everyone in this country for the work that they have done."

Reid said the case is a reminder⁸ that the terrorism threat is real and severe.

Evidence presented at the trial also showed links between the convicted men and at least two of the suicide bombers⁹ who carried out the attacks against London's public transit¹⁰ system on July 7, 2005.

1 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

2 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。

3 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。

4 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

5 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

6 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

7 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

8 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

9 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。