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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
US Jury Considers Case Against Russian Arms Merchant
A federal jury in New York City has begun deliberating in the case against alleged2 Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout3, accused of conspiring4 to sell weapons to Colombian rebels. Bout faces a sentence of 25 years to life if convicted. From New York, our correspondent has more on the closing arguments against the former Soviet5 air force officer who is reported to have earned billions in the trade.
Russian businessman Viktor Bout - arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the U.S. last year - is charged with conspiring to supply arms to U.S. agents posing as Colombian FARC rebels. He allegedly believed the buyers would use the weapons to kill American pilots stationed in Colombia.
Outside the courthouse, defense6 attorney Albert Dayan spoke7 to reporters:
“All the information we wanted the jury to know, I believe we have delivered with success, and the rest is in their hands," said Dayan. "It’s time now for them to deliberate, and hopefully now they will reach the right and just verdict.”
In closing arguments, federal prosecutors8 argued that secretly recorded phone calls, messages and meetings all showed that Bout was eager to earn millions of dollars selling weapons to FARC, which the U.S. has designated a terrorist organization. The prosecutors said Bout offered air-drops of more weapons than the fake rebels had asked for - including surface-to-air missiles and explosives. And he allegedly offered additional help, such as training and forged documents.
Prosecutors also referred to evidence that Bout had long traded arms in African countries, leading to a 2004 U.N. resolution asking members to refuse him transit9, and to freeze Bout’s reported $6 billion in assets. Kathi Austin is a former arms investigator10 for the U.N.
“Viktor Bout initiated11 wars in parts of West Africa by basically going to leaders of rebel groups or governments and promising12 massive weapons supply for them to carry out war, in exchange for natural resources such as diamonds and timber," said Austin.
Although Viktor Bout is not on trial for his dealings in Africa, defense attorney Dayan said in his closing arguments that Bout had never been a weapons seller there - only a cargo13 transporter. He told the jury that Bout never even believed the undercover informants were genuine FARC members. He said that Bout’s offer to supply them with weapons was only a ploy14 to get them to buy two air-cargo planes from his former business. And Dayan said that if Bout’s testimony15 at a Thai extradition16 hearing was incomplete, it was because Bout was ashamed to admit he was, quote, “broke and a con1 man.”
1 con | |
n.反对的观点,反对者,反对票,肺病;vt.精读,学习,默记;adv.反对地,从反面;adj.欺诈的 | |
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2 alleged | |
a.被指控的,嫌疑的 | |
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3 bout | |
n.侵袭,发作;一次(阵,回);拳击等比赛 | |
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4 conspiring | |
密谋( conspire的现在分词 ); 搞阴谋; (事件等)巧合; 共同导致 | |
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5 Soviet | |
adj.苏联的,苏维埃的;n.苏维埃 | |
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6 defense | |
n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩 | |
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7 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 | |
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8 prosecutors | |
检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 ); 告发人; 起诉人; 公诉人 | |
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9 transit | |
n.经过,运输;vt.穿越,旋转;vi.越过 | |
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10 investigator | |
n.研究者,调查者,审查者 | |
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11 initiated | |
n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始,创始,启蒙,介绍加入 | |
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12 promising | |
adj.有希望的,有前途的 | |
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13 cargo | |
n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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14 ploy | |
n.花招,手段 | |
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15 testimony | |
n.证词;见证,证明 | |
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16 extradition | |
n.引渡(逃犯) | |
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