VOA慢速英语:Charles Taylor Found Guilty of War Crimes in Sierra Leone

This week, an international court found former Liberian president Charles Taylor guilty of war crimes in Sierra Leone.
本周，国际法庭裁定利比里亚前总统查尔斯•泰勒在塞拉利昂的战争罪罪名成立。

Charles Taylor stood silently as Presiding Judge Richard Lussick read the judgment by a special United Nations court in The Hague.
当主审法官Richard Lussick宣读由联合国海牙特别法庭做出的裁定时，查尔斯•泰勒静静地站着。

RICHARD LUSSICK: "The trial chamber unanimously finds you guilty of aiding and abetting the commission of the following crimes pursuant to article 6.1 of the statute; planning the commission of the following crimes in the attacks on Kono and Makeni in December 1998, and in the invasion of and retreat from Freetown between December 1998 and February 1999 ..."
RICHARD LUSSICK：“根据本法庭《章程》的第六条第一款，审判庭一致裁定你协助及教唆了以下罪行，1998年11月袭击科诺和马克尼当，以及1998年12月到1999年2月入侵弗里敦及撤退当中谋划以下罪行......”

The reading of the judgment -- which included details of terrible crimes -- lasted two hours.
法庭宣读了包括严重犯罪细节在内的判决持续了两个小时。

The judges found the sixty-four-year-old former president guilty of helping rebels from the Revolutionary United Front. The rebels killed tens of thousands of people and terrorized civilians during Sierra Leone's civil war. The war lasted from nineteen ninety-one to two thousand two. Crimes by the RUF included murder, rape, drafting of child soldiers and sexual slavery.
法官裁定这名64岁的前总统帮助反政府武装革命联合阵线罪名成立。塞拉利昂内战期间，叛乱分子杀害了数以万计平民，并恐吓人民。战争从1991年持续到2002年。革命联合阵线罪行包括谋杀、强奸、雇佣儿童兵以及性奴役。

Judge Lussick said Charles Taylor was publicly involved in peace efforts while secretly financing the hostilities. The court said he received what are called blood diamonds, mined in eastern Sierra Leone. In return, he provided arms, ammunition, communications equipment and planning help to the rebels. But there was not enough proof that his influence amounted to effective command and control of the rebels.
Lussick法官称，查尔斯•泰勒公开参与和平努力的同时，暗中资助敌对行动。法庭称，他收取了塞拉利昂东部开采的所谓“滴血钻石”。作为回报，他提供武器、弹药、通讯设备并帮助反政府武装规划。但是，没有足够证据证实他的影响力达到有效指挥和控制叛军的程度。

Human Rights Watch spokeswoman Geraldine Mattioli-Zeitner said she was pleased with the ruling.
人权观察组织的发言人Geraldine Mattioli-Zeitner称，她对这一裁定感到高兴。

GERALDINE MATTIOLI-ZEITNER: "We think this is an historic moment.  It's the first time a former head of state is prosecuted and judged for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed while he was in office."
GERALDINE MATTIOLI-ZEITNER：“我们认为这是一个历史性的时刻，这是首次有一名前国家元首被起诉并审判其在执政期间的反人类罪和战争罪行。

The former Liberian leader has denied the charges and can appeal the judgment. Sentencing is set for May thirtieth. He faces a possible life sentence. He is expected to serve any prison term in Britain.
该利比里亚前领导人已经否认了这些指控，并可以就判决提出上诉。最终宣判将于5月30日进行。它可能面临被判终生监禁，预计他将在英国服刑。

Charles Taylor was arrested in two thousand six -- three years after he was charged and resigned as president. The trial opened in two thousand seven. It was moved from Freetown, in Sierra Leone, to the Netherlands to avoid unrest.
查尔斯•泰勒在2006年被捕，三年前他被起诉并辞职。审判始于2007年，为了避免动荡，审判从塞拉利昂的弗里敦改到了荷兰。

The court heard evidence from ninety-four witnesses for the prosecution and twenty-one witnesses for the defense, including Taylor himself.
法庭听取了来自控方94名证人证词，以及辩护方21名证人的证词，包括泰勒本人的证词。

The case is expected to be the last major trial for the special court. It was established to try the most serious cases of war crimes during the conflict in Sierra Leone.
该案件预计将成为特别法庭的最后一次重要审判。特别法庭的成立是为了审判塞拉利昂冲突期间最为严重的战争罪行案件。

People in Sierra Leone welcomed the conviction of Charles Taylor. There were mixed emotions in his native Liberia, where he still has some support. Tamba Cole was among Liberians who welcomed the guilty verdict. He said Taylor has now set an example to other leaders in Africa and around the world. Such crimes will no longer be accepted by the international community, he said.
塞拉利昂人们对泰勒被定罪表示欢迎。而在他的祖国利比里亚则有复杂的情绪，他在那里仍然有一定的支持。Tamba Cole是对有罪判决表示欢迎的利比里亚人之一。他说，泰勒现在成为非洲和世界各地其他的领导人一个范例，他说，此类犯罪将不再被国际社会所接受。

Charles Taylor is the first head of state to be found guilty by an international court in almost seventy years. The last time was in ninety forty-six, in the trials in Nuremberg, Germany, for war crimes during World War Two. Karl Doenitz -- who briefly led Nazi Germany after Adolf Hitler killed himself -- was found guilty of crimes against peace and war crimes. He spent ten years in prison.
查尔斯•泰勒是近70年来第一位被国际法庭裁定有罪的领导人。上一次是1946年，德国纽伦堡审判第二次世界大战期间的战争罪。希特勒自杀后短暂领导德国纳粹的Karl Doenitz被判犯下危害和平罪和战争罪。他在监狱里呆了十年。