VOA标准英语2009年-Madoff Pleads Guilty to $65 Billion Investment

New York financier Bernard Madoff was jailed Thursday after pleading guilty to bilking investors¹ out of an estimated $64.8 billion - the largest financial scam in U.S. history. Madoff now faces up to 150 years in prison. But investors who lost their savings² say jail time is not enough.
　
Bernard Madoff arrives at Manhattan Federal court, in New York, 12 Mar³ 2009

Bernard Madoff, 70, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of fraud, money laundering⁴ and perjury⁵ in New York Federal court. Madoff admitted he had been defrauding⁶ thousands of clients since the early 1990s - operating a classic Ponzi scheme - using the money that new customers invested to pay those who wanted to withdraw funds. To some, he offered returns as high as 46 percent.

Madoff told the court he was "deeply sorry" and "ashamed" of his crimes. The judge ordered Madoff sent to jail immediately while he awaits sentencing on June 16. That decision brought applause in the courtroom.

Madoff's wide-ranging fraud touched banks, charities, middle class people investing for retirement⁷ in North and South America and Europe, and even celebrities⁸ - including Holocaust⁹ survivor¹⁰ Elie Wiesel.

Now that Madoff has admitted to his crimes, questions have turned to who else might have helped the disgraced financier operate the massive Ponzi scheme.

Former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Harvey Pitt said it is yet to be seen whether Madoff will cooperate in the investigation¹¹.

"Who helped him? I believe that he is determined¹² to try and protect those people who assisted him," he said. "And he's going to have to be worn down in that process."

Madoff, a former NASDAQ chairman, was arrested just three months ago. Until Thursday, he had been living under house arrest in his luxury Manhattan apartment.

Those affected¹³ by his fraud have been enraged¹⁴ that Madoff could remain in luxury surroundings. About 20 of his victims were allowed to testify on Thursday.

Outside the courthouse, victim Richard Friedman, who lost millions of dollars from his retirement savings, said Madoff's guilty plea is not enough.

"What next? Will the government pursue anything else or is it all going to stop right now? It's important that the government pursue everything with the Madoff case to bring everyone else to justice," he said. "If Madoff acted alone, it would all end right now. There is no way this kind of operation could have taken place all by himself."

Victim Cynthia Friedman said she and her husband have had to rethink their future because of their losses. She said the government should pursue financial restitution¹⁵ for all of Madoff's victims.

"He's evil, he's evil! He's way up there with all the evil people in the world," she said. "He stole from charities, from pensioners¹⁶. I mean he's horrible! From friends, from widows - he's awful!"

To date, no one else has been charged in connection with the scam.

1 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

2 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

3 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

4 laundering   

n.洗涤（衣等），洗烫（衣等）；洗（钱）v.洗（衣服等），洗烫（衣服等）( launder的现在分词 )；洗（黑钱）（把非法收入改头换面，变为貌似合法的收入）

参考例句：

• Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering. 洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was charged with laundering money. 他被指控洗钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 perjury   

n.伪证；伪证罪

参考例句：

• You'll be punished if you procure the witness to commit perjury.如果你诱使证人作伪证，你要受罚的。
• She appeared in court on a perjury charge.她因被指控做了伪证而出庭受审。

6 defrauding   

v.诈取，骗取( defraud的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Second is the actor regards defrauding of the wealth as object. 第二，行为人以骗取钱财为目的。 来自互联网
• Therefore, DELL has the motive and economic purpose of intentionally defrauding the Chinese consumers. 因此，戴尔公司存在故意欺诈中国消费者的动机和经济目的。 来自互联网

7 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

8 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

9 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

10 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

11 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。

12 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

13 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

14 enraged   

使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤

参考例句：

• I was enraged to find they had disobeyed my orders. 发现他们违抗了我的命令，我极为恼火。
• The judge was enraged and stroke the table for several times. 大法官被气得连连拍案。

15 restitution   

n.赔偿；恢复原状

参考例句：

• It's only fair that those who do the damage should make restitution.损坏东西的人应负责赔偿，这是再公平不过的了。
• The victims are demanding full restitution.受害人要求全额赔偿。

16 pensioners   

n.领取退休、养老金或抚恤金的人( pensioner的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He intends to redistribute income from the middle class to poorer paid employees and pensioners. 他意图把中产阶级到低薪雇员和退休人员的收入做重新分配。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I am myself one of the pensioners upon the fund left by our noble benefactor. 我自己就是一个我们的高贵的施主遗留基金的养老金领取者。 来自辞典例句