VOA常速英语2007年-France's Chirac Under Investigation for Embezzl
时间：2019-01-31 作者：英语课 分类：VOA常速英语2007年（十一月）
Paris
21 November 2007
A French judge has put former president Jacques Chirac under formal investigation 1 for suspected embezzlement 2 during his 1977-1995 tenure 3 as Paris mayor. For VOA, Lisa Bryant reports from the French capital the matter is unprecedented 4 in recent French history.
According to one of Jacques Chirac's lawyers, the former president was questioned by judge Xaviere Simeoni in connection to an allegedly fake jobs scheme that took place at Paris city hall when Mr. Chirac was mayor.
Mr. Chirac lost his immunity 5 from prosecution 6 in May, when he stepped down from office after 12 years as French president. He denies wrongdoing, and made his defense 7 in an opinion article published in Le Monde newspaper. He said the 20 hirings now under investigation were completely justified 8.
This is the second time the former president has been questioned by a French judge since leaving office. But this it the first time preliminary charges were filed against him - the first against any modern French president.
Steven Ekovich, a French politics professor at the American University of Paris, says, "I think there is a fundamental message and that is in a democracy nobody is above the law. Except presidents are usually constitutionally covered against any kinds of legal maneuvers 9 because there is always a fear of trying to chase a president for political reasons. But we can say the justice system in France works - it is a solid democracy."
But Mr. Chirac also sits on the constitutional court, France's highest judicial 10 body - an automatic right for a former president. Ekovich says that may create a problem.
"If indeed Jacques Chirac is charged with any kind of crime it is going to be very difficult for him to participate on judgments 11 on that constitutional court," he said.
Mr. Chirac has been dogged by a number of corruption 12 allegations during his marathon political career that includes heading the former conservative Rally for the Republic Party, and tenures as prime minister as well as Paris mayor and French president.
A member of Chirac's ruling Union for a Popular Movement party denounced the inquiry 13 on French radio as a "political inquisition." A leading member of the opposition 14 Socialist 15 Party, Arnaud Montebourg, welcomed it - but said it came far too late.
- 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。
- 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。
- He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
- Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。
- The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
- A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。
- The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
- He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。
- The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
- He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。
- 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。
- She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
- The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。
- He suspected at once that she had been spying upon his maneuvers. 他立刻猜想到，她已经侦察到他的行动。 来自辞典例句
- Maneuvers in Guizhou occupied the Reds for four months. 贵州境内的作战占了红军四个月的时间。 来自辞典例句
- He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
- Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。
- A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
- He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。
- 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。
- 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。
- 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。