VOA标准英语2009年-West Africa Coup Plotter Lands in Britain

By Selah Hennessy
London
04 November 2009

 
In this video image, Simon Mann talks to reporters in a courtroom following his pardon by the government in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, 03 Nov 2009
A British man who was part of a failed plot to overthrow¹ the government in Equatorial Guinea has arrived back in Britain. He was released from prison in the small West African country Tuesday after being pardoned by the country's president.  

Simon Mann was serving a 34-year sentence for conspiring² to overthrow the government in Equatorial Guinea. But after serving only 15 months of his sentence, he was released from prison Tuesday.

In a statement read out by his spokesman, Mann said he was overwhelmed at being back on British soil.

"This is the most wonderful home coming I could ever have imagined," he said. "There has not been a moment during the last five and a half years where I have not dreamt of being back in Britain with my family. I am especially looking forward to meeting my son Arthur who was born a few months after I left the country and who consequently I have never seen."

Even though he had only served 15 months of his official sentence, Mann had been imprisoned⁴ for more than five years.

Before leaving Equatorial Guinea, Mann spoke³ to the media and gave thanks to the country's president Teodoro Obiang Nguema.

"I am very very grateful for this pardon," he said. "I regret what happened in 2004. It was wrong and I am happy that we did not succeed."

Now back in his home country, Mann will be interviewed by British detectives. He says other Britain-based businessmen were involved in the conspiracy⁵ and says he hopes they will now face justice. He has pointed⁶ the finger at Mark Thatcher⁷, the son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and at Nigerian-born Ely Calil.

The 2004 coup⁸ plot was to replace President Osang with opposition⁹ leader Severo Moto, who was then living in exile. The conspiracy was broken up when Mann and up to 70 mercenaries were arrested in Zimbabwe, where they had traveled to buy weapons. 

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 conspiring   

密谋( conspire的现在分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They were accused of conspiring against the king. 他们被指控阴谋反对国王。
• John Brown and his associates were tried for conspiring to overthrow the slave states. 约翰·布朗和他的合伙者们由于密谋推翻实行奴隶制度的美国各州而被审讯。

3 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。

4 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

5 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。

6 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

7 thatcher   

n.茅屋匠

参考例句：

• Tom Sawyer was in the skiff that bore Judge Thatcher. 汤姆 - 索亚和撒切尔法官同乘一条小艇。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• Mrs. Thatcher was almost crazed; and Aunt Polly, also. 撒切尔夫人几乎神经失常，还有波莉姨妈也是。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

8 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。

9 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。