介绍： The Economist | October 1st - October 7th 2016

Dutch investigators strike a blow against Russia’s fact-free politics

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THERE was never much doubt about what brought down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine on July 17th 2014, killing all 298 people on boa...

介绍： The Economist | October 1st - October 7th 2016

Dutch investigators strike a blow against Russia’s fact-free politics

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THERE was never much doubt about what brought down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine on July 17th 2014, killing all 298 people on board: a Russian missile, fired from territory controlled by Russian-backed separatists. Still, it was important to see the facts confirmed. On September 28th the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) laid out its case, backed by an array of photo, video and forensic evidence, satellite and radar data, interviews with eyewitnesses and intercepted phone calls. The investigators called the findings “irrefutable”.

missile英 [ˈmɪsaɪl] 美 [ˈmɪsl]n.导弹;投射物adj.导弹的;可投掷的;用以发射导弹的

forensic英 [fəˈrensɪk] adj.法庭的，法院的;公开辩论的，论争的;适于法庭

irrefutable英 [ˌɪ rɪˈfju:təbl] 美 [ɪˈrɛfjətəbəl, ˌɪrɪˈfju-]dj.确凿;无可辩驳的，驳不倒的;无可争议

The JIT’s preliminary report is the beginning of what is sure to be a long and trying path to justice for the victims. Many had boarded the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with suitcases stuffed with bathing suits, bound for beach holidays in South-East Asia. They were cut short, the JIT found, by a Russian-made BUK 9M38 surface-to-air missile, which had left Russia that morning. The launcher, and three unused missiles, returned there the day after. Investigators say they have some 100 potential suspects, but identifying the perpetrators will be “a matter for the long haul”.

preliminary英 [prɪˈlɪmɪnəri] 美 [prɪˈlɪmɪneri]adj.初步的，初级的;预备的;开端的;序言的n.预赛;准备工作;初步措施;（对学生等的）预考

perpetrator英 [ˈpɜ:pətreɪtə(r)] 美 [ˈpɜ:rpətreɪtə(r)]n.犯罪者;行凶者;加害者;做坏事者

Russia continues to dispute the findings. Vladimir 拉迪米尔Putin’s press secretary dismissed the JIT report as based on “speculation, unqualified and unprofessional information”. Earlier in the week, Russia’s defence ministry released radar data that it said proved the missile was launched from Ukrainian-held territory, the latest in a string of flimsy theories meant to muddy the waters. The Russians seem to have forgotten their earlier claim that a Ukrainian fighter-jet shot MH17 down. Russian media have suggested at various times that Ukrainian forces were trying to shoot down Mr Putin’s plane, or that the CIA, hoping to undermine Russia, had filled the plane with bodies and crashed it intentionally.

flimsy英 [ˈflɪmzi] 美 [ˈflɪmzi]adj.薄的，薄弱的;易损坏的;不足信的;没有价值的

The JIT, which also includes representatives from Australia, Belgium['beldʒəm], Malaysia, and Ukraine, collected evidence of a standard intended for future use in court. It went beyond last year’s Dutch Safety Board report, which showed the plane was brought down by a BUK but did not assign blame. The JIT trail begins with photographs and video of the missile launcher near the town of Snizhne in eastern Ukraine on the day of the crash. It also includes intercepted phone calls of separatist fighters asking for a BUK to defend their forces against intense Ukrainian air strikes. The fact that the missile-launcher came from Russia and returned there after the crash seems to imply official involvement.

representatives [reprɪ'zentətɪvz]

Forensic clues also left little doubt about what happened. Satellite and radar data helped identify the launch site and determine that no other aircraft were flying in the vicinity of MH17. Inside the body of one of the pilots, investigators found butterfly-shaped shrapnel that comes from specific BUK warheads which the Russian army uses, but Ukraine’s does not. The shrapnel also carried traces of glass used for Boeing cockpit windows, making it highly difficult to fake.

vicinity英 [vəˈsɪnəti] 美 [vɪˈsɪnɪti]n.附近地区;附近，邻近;大约的程度或者数量;〈罕〉近亲

shrapnel

英 [ˈʃræpnəl] 美 [ˈʃræpnəl]n.弹片;榴霰弹，子母弹



Delivering justice may prove even tougher than gathering the evidence. Russia has vetoed attempts at the UN to set up an international tribunal. Still, at a time when Mr Putin and other demagogues are practicing a politics of outrageous[aʊtˈreɪdʒəs] lies, it is salutary[ˈsæljətri] to watch a team of meticulous [məˈtɪkjələs] investigators establish the cold, hard truth. The question now becomes: what will the world do about it?



veto英 [ˈvi:təʊ] 美 [ˈvi:toʊ]n.行使否决权;否决权，否认权;否决理由vt.否决，不同意;不批准，禁止

tribunal英 [traɪˈbju:nl] 美 [traɪˈbjunəl, trɪ-]n.特别法庭;审理委员会;法官席;裁决

demagogue英 [ˈdeməgɒg] 美 [ˈdeməgɑ:g]n.煽动者，蛊惑民心的政客

outrageous英 [aʊtˈreɪdʒəs] 美 [aʊtˈredʒəs]adj.粗暴的;无法容忍的;反常的;令人惊讶的

salutary英 [ˈsæljətri] 美 [ˈsæljəteri]adj.有益的，效果好的

meticulous英 [məˈtɪkjələs] 美 [mɪˈtɪkjələs]adj.谨小慎微的;过度重视细节的