British Vision Issue 75, 戴安娜之死

(Thanks) very much. The long awaited inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al-Fayed has begun at the high court in London. The jury will determine how the couple died more than 10 years ago in a car crash in Paris. Two separate investigations¹ by French and British police concluded that the chauffeur² Henri Paul had been drinking and was driving too fast. Kief Breeve's report contains flash photography.

Amid a crush of media attention, Mohamed al-Fayed arrived at the High Court this morning. He's waited more than a decade for an inquest although he reached his own verdict long ago.

I'm hoping for the justice. I'm a father who lost his son and fighting for 10 years. At last we are gonna have a jury from ordinary people and I hope to reach the sol(ution) the decision which I believe that my son and Princess Diana (were) being murdered by the royal family.Ok? Today's inquest follows 2 previous investigations, the French inquiry³ and then Lord Stevens report, both concluded Diana's death was an accident.

This is the man who will chair the inquest. Coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker⁴ will sit with a jury of 11 men and women to examine many of the issues surrounding the fatal crash in Paris.

The inquest, expected to last up to 6 months, will look at events leading up to the crash. It will investigate the aftermath, Diana's journey to hospital and treatment, whether the driver Henri Paul was over the blood alcohol limit. And it's excepted to examine claims the couple bought an engagement ring on the day of the crash.

How they died is not simply a medical issue, it's an issue that involves looking at where they were going? What they'd been doing? How they were travelling? All those sorts of things, and there will be a degree of controversy⁵ at the inquest as to how extensive and how much detail the Coroner goes into and is trying to probe into that issue.

Just before Easter next year, the jury will be expected to reach a verdict. They can decide that the deaths were accidental. That the couple were unlawfully killed, or if it's still unclear they can record an open verdict.

Well, our reporter Jane Dodge⁶ is at the High Court, where the inquest is taking place, and what's happened so far?

Well, that jury that Mr. al-Fayed has campaigned so hard to get respond in this morning, 6 women, 5 men. And the Coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker's very much directing his opening comments towards them. He ran through those events of that tragic⁷ night 31st of August 1997, and he told the jurors "most of you will remember where you were when you heard about the death of Diana princess of Wales. None of you would for a moment have thought that more than 10 years later you would be on a jury investigating what happened." He said there were four main questions they needed to find answers to. Who the deceased were? How they? (what) When they died? Where they died? But most importantly how they died? He said to the jury that they would be the most in the public highlight no other inquest jury had been before, and that evidence by the widespread worldwide interest here from the media in fact so much so a special annex⁸ has been built behind it, the wall of courts of justice to accommodate those dozens of journalists, and with that in mind the Coroner said to the jurors television programs have abounded⁹, newspapers have frequently carried reports and articles, some he said near to the point of obsession¹⁰. And he told the jurors "you must put anything that you have read or picked up out of your mind and concentrate on the evidence given here." He is due to continue that opening statement today. This inquest could last up to 6 months. Next week, those juries will be taken to Paris to see the crash site for themselves.

Jane, of course it's not just journalists who are obsessed¹¹ with this whole saga¹², uh, I mean, it's attracting all sorts of people at courtroom.

A handful of members of the public managed to get places. One was indeed queuing from 5 o'clock yesterday morning. He sat there, rather tearful with ''Diana at last'' painted on his face, who one of us likes to say, a handful of members of the public there for the duration. Jane Dodge at the High Court.

1 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

2 chauffeur   

n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车

参考例句：

• The chauffeur handed the old lady from the car.这个司机搀扶这个老太太下汽车。
• She went out herself and spoke to the chauffeur.她亲自走出去跟汽车司机说话。

3 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

4 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

5 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

6 dodge   

v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计

参考例句：

• A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪，才没被车从身上辗过。
• The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。

7 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

8 annex   

vt.兼并，吞并；n.附属建筑物

参考例句：

• It plans to annex an England company in order to enlarge the market.它计划兼并一家英国公司以扩大市场。
• The annex has been built on to the main building.主楼配建有附属的建筑物。

9 abounded   

v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Get-rich-quick schemes abounded, and many people lost their savings. “生财之道”遍地皆是，然而许多人一生积攒下来的钱转眼之间付之东流。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Shoppers thronged the sidewalks. Olivedrab and navy-blue uniforms abounded. 人行道上逛商店的人摩肩接踵，身着草绿色和海军蓝军装的军人比比皆是。 来自辞典例句

10 obsession   

n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)

参考例句：

• I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。
• She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。

11 obsessed   

adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的

参考例句：

• He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。
• The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。

12 saga   

n.(尤指中世纪北欧海盗的)故事，英雄传奇

参考例句：

• The saga of Flight 19 is probably the most repeated story about the Bermuda Triangle.飞行19中队的传说或许是有关百慕大三角最重复的故事。
• The novel depicts the saga of a family.小说描绘了一个家族的传奇故事。