VOA标准英语2008年-Malaysian Opposition Leader Arrested

Malaysian opposition¹ leader Anwar Ibrahim has been taken into police custody² in connection with sodomy allegations. Chad Bouchard reports from Jakarta.
　
Anwar Ibrahim waves to photographers as he leaves Anti-Coruption Agency headquarters in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur, 16 Jul 2008

Police arrested Anwar Ibrahim on a road near his home, Wednesday, less than an hour before he was scheduled to appear voluntarily for questioning about accusations⁴ that he sodomized an aide.

Witnesses say about a dozen police officers blocked a road leading from Anwar's home, stopped his car and took him into custody.

Speaking from inside the police headquarters, Tian Chua, spokesman for Anwar's The People's Justice Party, said their leader was needlessly arrested in a public place.

"Anwar's been arrested on his way actually to the police station. Basically it was a brutal⁵ and uncivilized way to handle the incident. And I cannot help but describe this as a provocation," he said.

Anwar denies the sodomy charge as a political conspiracy⁶, but has agreed to cooperate with police.

He is leading a coalition⁷ of parties that threatened to unseat the government after the ruling party's dismal⁸ general election results in March.

Anwar refused to show up for a meeting with police, Monday, as a protest against being blocked from entering the parliament building to hear a debate.

Chua says what he calls "the strong arm tactics of the police" indicate increasing political instability.

"I think it's a prelude⁹ to a mass crackdown," he said. " Well, I expect they will use this case as a beginning of trying to destroy the democratic movement."

The sodomy accusation³ evokes¹⁰ an incident in 1998, when Anwar was forced to resign as deputy prime minister, amid similar accusations. He was jailed for six years on that charge, but the country's supreme¹¹ court later overturned the conviction.

A sodomy conviction carries a prison term of up to 20 years in Malaysia.

　

 

1 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。

2 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

3 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

4 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

5 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

6 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。

7 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

8 dismal   

adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的

参考例句：

• That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
• My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。

9 prelude   

n.序言，前兆，序曲

参考例句：

• The prelude to the musical composition is very long.这首乐曲的序曲很长。
• The German invasion of Poland was a prelude to World War II.德国入侵波兰是第二次世界大战的序幕。

10 evokes   

产生，引起，唤起( evoke的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The film evokes chilling reminders of the war. 这部电影使人们回忆起战争的可怕场景。
• Each type evokes antibodies which protect against the homologous. 每一种类型都能产生抗同种病毒的抗体。

11 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。