VOA慢速英语:Indian Diplomat Seeks Dismissal of US Criminal Charges

This week, a lawyer for an Indian diplomat asked a court in the United States to dismiss immigration and employment charges against her. Devyani Khobragade served as Deputy Counsel General at India's consulate in New York City. She is accused of making false statements when she sought permission to bring an Indian national to the US to serve as her housekeeper. She also is charged with paying the woman less than the lowest wage permitted under US law.
本周，一位印度外交官的一名律师要求美国法院驳回针对她的移民和就业控告。Devyani Khobragade担任印度驻纽约总领馆副总领事。她被控在寻求将一位印度公民带到美国作为她的管家时做出了虚假陈述。她还被指控付给这位女管家的工资低于美国法律规定的最低工资。

The case has angered a lot of people in India and led to anti-American demonstrations. The dispute began when US police arrested Ms. Khobragade last month after she dropped off her daughter at school. Police searched the 39-year-old diplomat for weapons possibly hidden inside her clothing. They forced her to wear handcuffs. Later, she was jailed in a room with drug suspects.
此案激怒了很多印度人，并引发了反美示威游行。争议始于美国警方上月在Khobragade女士送女儿上学时逮捕了她。警方搜查了这位39岁的外交官，以防她衣服内可能藏有武器。他们强迫她戴上了手铐，然后她被关押在与毒犯嫌疑人一起的房间里。

Ms. Khobragade was released after a court appearance.
Khobragade女士在出庭后被释放。

The judge agreed to free the diplomat in exchange for her promise to return for trial and a bail payment of $250,000. Ms. Khobragade told the court she was not guilty of the charges. She is accused of paying the housekeeper less than two dollars an hour and making her work as many as 100 hours a week. In official documents, she promised to pay $4,500 in monthly wages to the housekeeper. Instead, the woman received only $537 a month.
法官在她承诺回来受审并交付25万美元保证金后同意释放了这名外交官。Khobragade女士告诉法庭，对于这些指控她是无罪的。她被指控付给管家一小时不到两美元的工资，并让她每周工作长达100小时。在官方文件中，她答应支付给管家每月4500美元工资。相反，这名女管家每月只有537美元。

Some Indians have described the diplomat's treatment by police as shameful. Salman Khurshid is India's Foreign Minister.
一些印度人称这名外交官在警方的遭遇是耻辱的。Salman Khurshid是印度的外交部长。

"We feel a very extreme level of distress in terms of human element that is involved."
“我们对这起事件涉及到的人为因素感到极度忧虑。”

Another official, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, cancelled his meeting with a five-member US congressional delegation. But the diplomatic dispute did not end there. The Indian government asked the US embassy to withdraw one of its officers. It also removed security barriers from outside the embassy, ordered a suspension of some diplomatic activities, and took back airport passes.
另一位官员，印度内政部长Sushil Kumar Shinde取消了与美国国会一个五人代表团的会面。但这起外交纠纷并未就此结束。印度政府要求美国大使馆撤回一位高级职员，还去掉了使馆外的安全路障，下令暂停一些外交活动，并收回机场通行证。

An American law professor says India's government has overreacted. Thomas McDonnell teaches at Pace University Law School.
一位美国法学教授称，印度政府已经反应过度。Thomas McDonnell在佩斯大学法学院任教。

"The idea of removing the concrete barriers in front of our embassy that protect our ambassador and other officials from a terrorist attack seems extraordinarily out of proportion."
“拆除我们大使馆前防止大使和其他官员遭受恐怖袭击的混泥土路障的主意显得格外离谱。”

US officials say New York police followed standard rules in making the arrest. One question is whether Devyani Khobragade had special rights as a diplomat. But a State Department official said she did not have the top level of diplomatic immunity.
美国官员称，纽约警方按照程序进行逮捕。问题在于Devyani Khobragade为外交人员是否享有特权。但美国国务院一位官员称，她并不享有最高级别的外交豁免权。

American media and other groups have been following the case. Jo Becker works for Human Rights Watch.
美国媒体和其它组织一直在跟踪这起案件。Jo Becker就职于人权观察组织。

"The diplomat has been charged with a felony and there has been a big uproar over her treatment. But the controversy had completely overshadowed the exploitation of her employee and similar abuses against millions of domestic workers that happen worldwide every single day".
“这名外交官被控重罪，就她的遭遇引起很大骚动。但争议已经完全盖过了她对佣人的剥削，已经世界各地每天发生的针对家政工人的类似剥削。”

Ms. Becker noted that Secretary of State John Kerry called a top Indian official to express regret over the incident. Yet US officials say the charges against Ms. Khobragade will not be dropped, and that she would face them if she returns.
Becker女士指出，美国国务卿克里给一位印度高级官员打电话就此事件表示遗憾。然而，美国官员称，针对Khobragade女士的指控不会撤销，如果她返回美国将面临指控。