2007年VOA标准英语-Suspect in British Murder Case Runs for Russian

By Peter Fedynsky
Moscow
18 September 2007

Russia's ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party has confirmed Andrei Lugovoi, a man wanted for murder in Britain, to be one its candidates for upcoming elections to the Russian Parliament.  Lugovoi is a prime suspect in last year's London murder of former KGB officer and Kremlin critic, Alexander Litvinenko.  VOA correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports from Moscow.

Andrei Lugovoi was chosen Monday at a Liberal Democratic Party congress to be second on the organization's list of candidates in upcoming elections to the State Duma, or lower house of Parliament.  The vote was 148 in his favor, and only two against.  To become a lawmaker, Lugovoi's party would need to gain at least seven percent of the vote on Election Day, December 2. 

At a Moscow news conference, the candidate said he is not concerned about the British demand for his extradition¹ as prime suspect in the poison death of former KGB officer and Kremlin critic, Alexander Litvinenko.

"There are no criminal charges against me in Russia," says Lugovoi.  "On the contrary, he adds, the Russian Federal Security Service in June opened a very active investigation² into subversive³ British intelligence activities against governments worldwide."

Appearing with Lugovoi at the news conference was party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who launched into a lengthy⁴ anti-British tirade⁵ when he was asked a question by VOA.

"Get out of here," shouted Zhirinovsky.  "You Brits are spilling blood the world over!  The whole world will hate you!  Your country creates more provocations⁶ than any other.  Terror?  You create terror!"

Zhirinovsky, among other things, also accused Britain of such offenses⁷ as not honoring his diplomatic passport, of murdering Litvinenko, harboring criminals, provoking the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and the Chechen War, and intentionally⁸ dragging out World War II in order to allow the Nazis⁹ to kill millions of Soviet¹⁰ soldiers. 

Zhirinovsky finished after nearly five minutes by accusing the entire British government and the Queen of England of criminality and threatening to throw this reporter out of Moscow.
 
Ties between Britain and Russia have deteriorated¹¹ over London's insistence¹² that Lugovoi be extradited to stand trial for murder.  He is suspected of using radioactive polonium to poison Alexander Litvinenko in London last December.  Russia says its constitution prohibits extradition of Russian citizens.

Andrei Lugovoi says that constitutional guarantee is sufficient and that he is not seeking office to get parliamentary immunity¹³ from extradition to Britain.  But Zhirinovsky said lawmakers are not immune from justice, given proper legal procedures.

Zhirinovsky says if criminal elements run for office to gain parliamentary immunity, then the first presentation of charges by any prosecutor¹⁴ will result in an immediate¹⁵ vote to send those elements to court.  He says no parliamentary mandate¹⁶ will save criminals.

Andrei Lugovoi said remarks on Monday regarding his interest in the Russian presidency¹⁷ were misinterpreted.  He explained that any Russian citizen would like to be president, including himself, but that does not mean he has the qualifications for such high office.  But Lugovoi said that Liberal Democratic Party leader Zhirinovsky is qualified¹⁸.

1 extradition   

n.引渡（逃犯）

参考例句：

• The smuggler is in prison tonight,awaiting extradition to Britain.这名走私犯今晚在监狱，等待引渡到英国。
• He began to trouble concerning the extradition laws.他开始费尽心思地去想关于引渡法的问题。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 subversive   

adj.颠覆性的，破坏性的；n.破坏份子，危险份子

参考例句：

• She was seen as a potentially subversive within the party.她被看成党内潜在的颠覆分子。
• The police is investigating subversive group in the student organization.警方正调查学生组织中的搞颠覆阴谋的集团。

4 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

5 tirade   

n.冗长的攻击性演说

参考例句：

• Her tirade provoked a counterblast from her husband.她的长篇大论激起了她丈夫的强烈反对。
• He delivered a long tirade against the government.他发表了反政府的长篇演说。

6 provocations   

n.挑衅( provocation的名词复数 )；激怒；刺激；愤怒的原因

参考例句：

• We cannot ignore such provocations. 对于这种挑衅，我们不能置之不理。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• They must immediately cease all their provocations. 他们必须停止一切挑衅。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 offenses   

n.进攻( offense的名词复数 )；（球队的）前锋；进攻方法；攻势

参考例句：

• It's wrong of you to take the child to task for such trifling offenses. 因这类小毛病责备那孩子是你的不对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Thus, Congress cannot remove an executive official except for impeachable offenses. 因此，除非有可弹劾的行为，否则国会不能罢免行政官员。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

8 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

9 Nazis   

n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Nazis were responsible for the mass murder of Jews during World War Ⅱ. 纳粹必须为第二次世界大战中对犹太人的大屠杀负责。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

11 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

12 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。

13 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

14 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

15 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

16 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

17 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

18 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。