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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
By Lisa Bryant
Paris
21 September 2009
Former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin is among five defendants1 in one of France's most sensational2 trials in years. The case involves an alleged3 smear4 campaign targeting then candidate, now president, Nicolas Sarkozy.
Former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, followed by his wife Marie-Laure, arrives at Paris courthouse, 21 Sep 2009
Former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin has been accused of complicity in the forgery5 and dissemination6 of a fake list of names of clients who supposedly held secret accounts with a clearing house in Luxembourg called Clearstream. The list indicated the accounts were created for leading political and business figures to hold bribes7 linked to the sale of French warships8 to Taiwan in 1991.
Nicolas Sarkozy's name appeared on the fake list in 2007, while he was running for president and de Villepin was his top rival for the job.
Mr. Sarkozy accuses Mr. de Villepin of trying to throw his campaign off course. The indictment9 says Mr. de Villepin knew the list was a hoax10 and should have alerted judicial11 authorities earlier.
Mr. de Villepin denies the charges against him, that include "complicity to slanderous12 denunciations" and "complicity in using forgeries13". In an interview last week on France-Info radio he said his conscience is clear.
He said for months the French public has been presented with stories - and justice, by contrast, was about truth. He said he was happy the trial was opening because now matters would return to facts and law. He said he had nothing to reproach himself for.
Mr. de Villepin has also questioned whether he will be able to get a fair trial, since the French president is one of about 40 plaintiffs in the case. If found guilty Mr. de Villepin faces up to five years in jail and a $550,000 fine.
Four other defendants are also on trial, including the former vice14 president of EADS, the parent company of European aeronautics15 manufacturer Airbus. The trial is expected to wrap up late next month.
1 defendants | |
被告( defendant的名词复数 ) | |
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2 sensational | |
adj.使人感动的,非常好的,轰动的,耸人听闻的 | |
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3 alleged | |
a.被指控的,嫌疑的 | |
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4 smear | |
v.涂抹;诽谤,玷污;n.污点;诽谤,污蔑 | |
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5 forgery | |
n.伪造的文件等,赝品,伪造(行为) | |
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6 dissemination | |
传播,宣传,传染(病毒) | |
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7 bribes | |
n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 );向(某人)行贿,贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 );向(某人)行贿,贿赂 | |
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8 warships | |
军舰,战舰( warship的名词复数 ); 舰只 | |
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9 indictment | |
n.起诉;诉状 | |
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10 hoax | |
v.欺骗,哄骗,愚弄;n.愚弄人,恶作剧 | |
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11 judicial | |
adj.司法的,法庭的,审判的,明断的,公正的 | |
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12 slanderous | |
adj.诽谤的,中伤的 | |
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13 forgeries | |
伪造( forgery的名词复数 ); 伪造的文件、签名等 | |
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14 vice | |
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的 | |
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15 aeronautics | |
n.航空术,航空学 | |
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