您现在的位置: Language Tips> Easy English> Today in History  
   
 





 
 
November 12
1997: 'Great Train Robber' escapes extradition again
[ 2006-11-12 08:19 ]

November 12
Biggs has lived in Brazil since the 1970s
1997: 'Great Train Robber' escapes extradition again

England have

The so-called 'Great Train Robber', Ronnie Biggs, is celebrating after Brazil's Supreme Court rejected a British request toextraditehim.

The court in Rio de Janeiro ruled that because Biggs' crime was committed more than 20 years ago he could not be extradited under Brazilian law.

In 1963 Biggs was convicted of robbing a mail train, part of a 15-strong gang which stole more than ?.5m in what became known as "The Great Train Robbery".

A spokesman for the Supreme Court said the ruling was final and the British Government would not be able to appeal.

Ronnie Biggs said he was "totally elated and relieved" that the years of uncertainty were now over.

"Finally I can get on with the rest of my life," he said.

In London a spokesman for the Home Office said that it was "very disappointed" with the court's ruling.

Former Scotland Yard detective Jack Slipper, who was involved in the investigation following the robbery, told the BBC he was not surprised by the decision.

"It's a long time since the offence was committed and Biggs is an old man. I can't see any point in bringing him back," Mr Slipper said.

Biggs has lived in Rio de Janeiro for 27 years.

Just 15 months into a 30-year sentence for the robbery, he escaped from Wandsworth prison in London.

He first fled to Australia where he hid out until 1970 before moving on to Brazil.

But it was only in August, when Britain and Brazil formally ratified an extradition treaty, that his return home became a real possibility.  

November 12
Quids out: notes are being replaced by coins

1984: Quid notes out - pound coins in

Artificially 1969:
The The English pound note is to disappear after more than 150 years.

News of the familiar green ? note's withdrawal came when Chancellor Nigel Lawson made his autumn statement in parliament on Monday.

Mr Lawson said the note - popularly known as a "quid" - would be phased out and replaced by coins which were introduced last April.

It was widely expected that ? notes would rapidly be withdrawn.

Their reprieve was credited largely to the intervention of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Speaking in parliament last December, Mrs Thatcher told MPs the pound coin was "not very popular" and she believed the pound note would be retained.

Ironically, ? notes were greeted with public outrage when they were first put into widespread use as an emergency measure to replace gold sovereigns during World War I.

Despite general misgivings the new pound coin has been welcomed by some groups such as blind people because it is easy to distinguish.

It has also found favour among makers of ticket and vending machines.

Announcing the notes' withdrawal Chancellor Nigel Lawson told MPs that coins were slightly more expensive to produce but would last up to 50 times longer.

He said the Bank of England would stop issuing pound notes at the end of the year but they would continue to be legal tender until the end of next year.

The ? notes used in Scotland and Northern Ireland are not being withdrawn.

The wider use of the largest denominator of coin in England is to be balanced by the withdrawal of the smallest - the half penny ceases to be legal tender from the end of this year.

It was introduced only relatively recently in 1971 as part of the decimalisation of British currency.

Vocabulary:
 

extradite: hand over to the authorities of another country(引渡)





中国日报网英语点津版权说明:凡注明来源为“中国日报网英语点津:XXX(署名)”的原创作品,除与中国日报网签署英语点津内容授权协议的网站外,其他任何网站或单位未经允许不得非法盗链、转载和使用,违者必究。如需使用,请与010-84883631联系;凡本网注明“来源:XXX(非英语点津)”的作品,均转载自其它媒体,目的在于传播更多信息,其他媒体如需转载,请与稿件来源方联系,如产生任何问题与本网无关;本网所发布的歌曲、电影片段,版权归原作者所有,仅供学习与研究,如果侵权,请提供版权证明,以便尽快删除。
相关文章 Related Story
 
 
 
本频道最新推荐
 
气象监测 meteorological monitoring
9句英文表达”身体棒”
荷兰将对红灯区妓女征税
Hu's US visit a 'good opportunity' for ties
译协研讨会热词中英对照(二)
翻吧推荐
 
论坛热贴
 
原来国家的名字如此浪漫
Funny lines about getting married
关于工资的英语词汇大全
关于职业装的英语词汇
余光中《尺素寸心》(节选)译