Berlusconi says to stay in politics after tax fraud verdict

Berlusconi says to stay in politics after tax fraud verdict

 MILAN, Italy, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Saturday that he felt obliged to remain in politics after being "unjustly" convicted of tax fraud.

Berlusconi, who announced this week that he would not run in Italy's spring elections, told a press conference in one of his residences near Milan that he was not willing to allow anymore what he said to be an "intolerable judicial¹ harassment²."

He confirmed that he would not stand for prime minister again, but said he had changed his recent plans to leave politics after "judges in Milan have defined me a person endowed with a natural tendency to criminal acts, which I do not tolerable anymore."

A Milan court on Friday sentenced Berlusconi to four years in jail and banned him from holding public office for five years. The sentence isn't definitive³ until all appeals are exhausted⁴.

Berlusconi, who has faced a number of trials, said he was being persecuted⁵ by left-leaning judges in a country which is being governed by "politicized magistrates⁶."

He said he wanted to "reform the justice system" so that what happened to him will not happen to other citizens.

The 76-year-old media tycoon⁷ said his center-right People of Freedom (PdL) party would propose an alternative plan to the austerity one adopted by Prime Minister Mario Monti's technocratic⁸ government.

Opposing to policies "dictated⁹ by Germany" to other European countries, Berlusconi said his party's program would mainly focus on tax cuts, companies supports, public spending reduction and judicial reform to help families overcome the "desperation and fear" they have plunged¹⁰ into.

In his view, an economy with very solid fundamentals as the Italian one should not have merely followed the path of austerity which triggered a "painful recession" and started a "downward spiral."

Therefore, he will remain the president of his political movement and continue to work actively¹¹ together with his colleagues "in order to participate in the modernization¹² and change of the country."

The moment has come, Berlusconi said, for his party to decide whether to continue supporting Monti's technocratic cabinet or oppose it, which would lead to earlier elections.

The four-term premier¹³ has been wavering about his future since he was forced to resign last November amid a string of sex scandals and his government's inability to reassure¹⁴ international financial markets which put Italy on the edge of a dramatic debt crisis.

1 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

2 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

3 definitive   

adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• No one has come up with a definitive answer as to why this should be so.至于为什么该这样，还没有人给出明确的答复。

4 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

5 persecuted   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

• Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。

6 magistrates   

地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to come up before the magistrates 在地方法院出庭
• He was summoned to appear before the magistrates. 他被传唤在地方法院出庭。

7 tycoon   

n.有钱有势的企业家，大亨

参考例句：

• The tycoon is on the verge of bankruptcy.那名大亨濒临破产的边缘。
• The tycoon has many servants to minister to his needs.那位大亨有很多人服侍他。

8 technocratic   

adj.由技术专家官员组成的；受技术官僚影响的

参考例句：

• But there is method in Europe's technocratic madness, the official went on. 但欧洲的专家政治论者的愤怒是有原因的，这个位官员接着说道。 来自互联网
• Mr Juppé was floored in part by his contemptuous, technocratic attitude towards union leaders. 朱佩对工会领导蛮横与不屑，是导致他一败涂地的部分原因。 来自互联网

9 dictated   

v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• He dictated a letter to his secretary. 他向秘书口授信稿。
• No person of a strong character likes to be dictated to. 没有一个个性强的人愿受人使唤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

11 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

12 modernization   

n.现代化，现代化的事物

参考例句：

• This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
• The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。

13 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

14 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。