VOA标准英语2008年-Five Suspects on Trial at Guantanamo for 9/11 A

By Al Pessin
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
05 June 2008

Five men who were allegedly involved in planning and financing the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001 went on trial before a military commission Thursday near the detention² center where they are held on the U.S. Naval³ Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. VOA's Al Pessin is there and filed this report.
　

A sketch4 by courtroom artist Janet Hamlin, reviewed by the US military, showing four of the Sept. 11 attacks co-conspirator suspects, Guantanamo Bay US Naval Base, Cuba, 05 June 2008

The alleged¹ mastermind of the September 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, chanted from the Koran, called the process an "Inquisition," and indicated he intends to plead guilty to the charges against him and hopes to be executed. He also said he was tortured while in custody⁵ during the last five years and told the military judge he does not want a lawyer to represent him.

Those were among the highlights of Thursday morning's court session, in which the U.S. government formally presented charges of conspiracy⁶ in the murder of nearly 3,000 people in the attacks in Washington and New York, and the crash of a hijacked⁷ airliner⁸ in Pennsylvania. At a closed hearing last year to determine his official status, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed said he is in fact responsible for the attacks, and was involved in a series of other terrorist activities during the last two decades.

This was the first time these men have been seen by anyone outside the U.S. military since they were captured. All wore traditional white Arab-style robes and most had head coverings. Mohammed appeared with black-rimmed glasses and a long, bushy gray beard. Only one, Ramzi Bin⁹ Al-Shibh, wore leg irons and was shackled¹⁰ to the floor.

Officials say the detainees were required to attend this arraignment¹¹, but will be allowed to stay away from later stages of their trial if they want.

Reporters and human rights activists¹³ were allowed to watch and hear the session, with a 20-second audio delay, but no recording¹⁴ or picture-taking was allowed. Sketches¹⁵ by an artist will be distributed.

The detainees took the opportunity of being together to engage in a series of animated¹⁶ conversations up and down the row where they sat at the side of the courtroom, sometimes smiling and even laughing.

In this hearing, the defendants¹⁷ are being told about the charges, which could result in execution, and their rights to be represented by military and civilian¹⁸ attorneys. They are also expected to be given the chance to plead innocent or guilty.

The military judge, Colonel Ralph Kohlman, allowed the defendants to speak freely, but ordered their lawyers to sit down several times when he believed they were speaking out of turn. During the morning, he did not exercise his prerogative¹⁹ to cut off the audio and video feed from the courtroom, which he or a security officer can do if anyone discloses secret information.

One human rights activist¹² observing the hearing called it "dispiriting." The activists, as well as lawyers for both sides, will offer more extensive readouts of the hearing later in the day.

This military commissions process, created specially²⁰ for suspects in the war on terror, is highly controversial. The U.S. Supreme²¹ Court struck down the original plan, and is now considering a case that could invalidate the current, revised process.

1 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

2 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

3 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

4 sketch   

n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述

参考例句：

• My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。
• I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。

5 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。

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 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

8 airliner   

n.客机，班机

参考例句：

• The pilot landed the airliner safely.驾驶员使客机安全着陆。
• The passengers were shepherded across the tarmac to the airliner.旅客们被引导走过跑道去上飞机。

9 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

10 shackled   

给（某人）带上手铐或脚镣( shackle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The hostage had been shackled to a radiator. 当时人质被铐在暖气片上。
• He was shackled and in darkness of torment. 他被困在黑暗中备受煎熬。

11 arraignment   

n.提问，传讯，责难

参考例句：

• She was remanded to juvenile detention at her arraignment yesterday. 她昨天被送回了对少年拘留在她的传讯。 来自互联网
• Wyatt asks the desk clerk which courthouse he is being transferred to for arraignment. 他向接待警员询问了马宏将在哪个法庭接受传讯。 来自互联网

12 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

13 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

15 sketches   

n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概

参考例句：

• The artist is making sketches for his next painting. 画家正为他的下一幅作品画素描。
• You have to admit that these sketches are true to life. 你得承认这些素描很逼真。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

17 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

18 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

19 prerogative   

n.特权

参考例句：

• It is within his prerogative to do so.他是有权这样做的。
• Making such decisions is not the sole prerogative of managers.作这类决定并不是管理者的专有特权。

20 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

21 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。