VOA标准英语 Former Russian Oil Tycoon Could Face More Jail Time

Former Russian oil tycoon¹ Mikhail Khodorkovsky has pleaded not guilty to a new set of charges that could add 22 years to the sentence he is already serving. Human rights activists² say the imprisonment³ of Khodorkovsky, who was once Russia's wealthiest man, is aimed at silencing the influential⁴ Kremlin critic.
　
Imprisoned⁵ former head of the Yukos oil company, Mikhail Khodorkovsky in the defendant's box in the courtroom in Moscow (May 2005 file photo)

Presented in a Moscow court with four new charges against him, Mikhail Khodorkovsky pleaded not guilty as many times. His co-defendant and former business partner, Platon Lebedev, also entered not guilty pleas and referred to the charges as schizophrenic and fraudulent.

Who is Kodorkovky?

Khodorkovsky is the former head of the disbanded Yukos Oil Company. He is accused of money laundering⁶ and of embezzling⁷ about $25 billion. The former oligarch is serving an eight-year sentence following a 2005 conviction for fraud and tax evasion⁸.

Khodorkovsky's defense⁹ attorney has said the charges against his client are contradictory¹⁰ because, in effect, they accuse him of stealing his own oil, and of secretly laundering money derived¹¹ from open transactions and declared on public reports.

Putin vendetta¹²?

Human rights activists say Khodorkovsky is the victim of a Kremlin campaign to silence an outspoken¹³ critic and potential rival to Vladimir Putin, who was president when the businessman was first charged. President Dmitri Medvedev has spoken often about the need for legal reforms in Russia and refuses to intervene in the Khodorkovsky trial, saying courts must be independent.

Irina Shcherbakova, a member of the board of the Memorial International human rights organization, told VOA that former President Vladimir Putin was likely behind Khodorkovsky's imprisonment to send a signal to other oligarchs to stay out of politics.

According to Shcherbakova, there is always talk in Russia that all such matters are associated with the likes and dislikes of the leader, and this plays a role in a regime that is partly authoritarian¹⁴. But she notes that even deeper processes are involved, specifically a lack of official desire to create civil society in Russia.

Former Yukos lawyer granted parole

In another development, a district court in Moscow has granted parole to Svetlana Bakhmina, a former Yukos Company lawyer who was serving a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence on charges of embezzlement¹⁵ and tax evasion. The charges against her are seen as linked to an official campaign against Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Bakhmina, the mother of three, was released two years early. She became pregnant in prison and gave birth to a daughter in late November. Her case had prompted a petition drive calling for a presidential pardon.

1 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。

2 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》

3 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

4 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

5 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

6 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》

7 embezzling   

v.贪污，盗用（公款）( embezzle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Accordingly, object embezzling waste to be carried temporarily the schedule of administration. 因此，反对贪污浪费就提上了临时中央政府的议事日程。 来自互联网
• Some were sentenced for taking bribes, others executed for embezzling funds. 有的因受贿而被判刑，有的因侵吞公款而被判处死刑。 来自互联网

8 evasion   

n.逃避，偷漏(税)

参考例句：

• The movie star is in prison for tax evasion.那位影星因为逃税而坐牢。
• The act was passed as a safeguard against tax evasion.这项法案旨在防止逃税行为。

9 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

10 contradictory   

adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立

参考例句：

• The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。
• What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。

11 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 vendetta   

n.世仇，宿怨

参考例句：

• For years he pursued a vendetta against the Morris family.多年来他一直在寻求向莫里斯家族报世仇。
• She conducted a personal vendetta against me.她对我有宿仇。

13 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

14 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

15 embezzlement   

n.盗用，贪污

参考例句：

• He was accused of graft and embezzlement and was chained and thrown into prison.他因被指控贪污盗窃而锒铛入狱。
• The judge sent him to prison for embezzlement of funds.法官因他盗用公款将其送入监牢。