2007年VOA标准英语-Israel Opens Criminal Probe of Prime Minister
时间：2019-01-10 作者：英语课 分类：2007年VOA标准英语（九月）
Jerusalem
25 September 2007
A new corruption 1 scandal is dogging Israel's embattled Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, it could distract him from efforts to revive the peace process with the Palestinians.
Israeli police are opening a criminal investigation 2 into Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's purchase of a home in Jerusalem. The attorney general suspects bribery 3 and fraud because Mr. Olmert bought the house at far below the market value.
According to an investigation by the state comptroller, Mr. Olmert received a discount of more than $300,000 in exchange for helping 4 a developer obtain construction permits from Jerusalem authorities. This allegedly occurred when he was a Cabinet minister in 2004.
In a statement, Mr. Olmert denied any wrongdoing and insisted that the price he paid was fair.
Right-wing opposition 5 leaders are calling for the prime minister to resign. But Michael Partem of the Movement for Quality Government says he is innocent until proven guilty.
"The investigation is not an indictment 7. It is only an investigation," he noted 8. "So until there is a decision as to whether or not to indict 6 the Prime Minister, we would not be calling on him to step down."
The scandal is another blow to Mr. Olmert whose popularity has plunged 9 since an official inquiry 10 described his handling of last year's Lebanon War as a failure.
The prime minister is also trying to advance peace talks with the Palestinians. Mr. Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are working on a document on Palestinian statehood to be presented at an international peace conference planned for November in the United States.
Partem says the investigation is bound to be a distraction 11 from the prime minister's official duties.
"It is certainly not healthy, and this is obviously not within his purview 12 of the job," he said. "And it is wasting his time and it is wasting our resources."
It is the latest in a series of scandals involving government officials. The justice minister stepped down in a sex scandal, the finance minister resigned amid charges of embezzlement 13 and Mr. Olmert is facing separate allegations of influence peddling 14. The scandals have eroded 15 public confidence in the government.
- The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
- The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。
- 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。
- FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
- He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。
- The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
- By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
- The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
- The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。
- You can't indict whole people for the crudeness of a few.您不能因少数人的粗暴行为就控诉整个民族。
- I can indict you for abducting high school student.我可以告你诱拐中学生。
- He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
- They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。
- The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
- Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
- The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
- She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。
- 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。
- Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
- Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。
- These are questions that lie outside the purview of our inquiry.这些都不是属于我们调查范围的问题。
- That,however,was beyond the purview of the court;it was a diplomatic matter.但是，那已不在法庭权限之内；那是个外交问题。
- 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。