VOA标准英语2013--Egyptians Wonder When, If, Mubarak Case Will End

 

Egyptians Wonder When, If, Mubarak Case Will End

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is set to appear in court again June 8, as the case against him grinds slowly on.

His retrial on charges he was complicit in the murder of protesters during the uprising against him has been postponed¹ twice.

Lawyers said they will be presenting new evidence, but the delays have raised questions of when, if ever, the case against the 85-year-old ex-leader will be resolved.

The court ordered Mubarak's first trial nearly two years ago.  It began in August 2011.  In June the next year, he was convicted of failing to stop the killings².  Early this year, he was granted the now-postponed retrial.

The delays have angered many: opponents are still bringing civil suits against him, while his supporters argue he should be freed during his appeal.

But there is also a growing sense of resignation.  Crowds, once eager to see their former leader face justice, appear ever smaller as resolution seems farther away.

Professor Said Sadek compares the Mubarak case to unsuccessful efforts against the late Chilean President Augusto Pinochet.

"There was a realization³ that they should follow in Egypt what happened to Pinochet in Chile: a long trial, no solution, no final settlement until the dictator dies and they close the whole book and get rid of any trouble," he said.

That trouble, he believes, would be to the many holdovers in government from the Mubarak era, who Sadek argues would rather bury crimes committed not just during the revolution, but during his long rule.

"I do not say Mubarak was torturing people by his own hands.  He needed people.  He needed officials, and if you go that way, you get a Who's Who in the Egyptian security establishment," he said.

Yet just having the trial is a milestone⁴.  Of all the countries in which leaders were toppled during the Arab Spring, only Egypt has seen its former president in court. 

1 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

2 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

3 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

4 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。