《中英對照讀新聞》Kashmiri militant asks president to spare his life 喀什米爾好戰份子求總統饒命

◎羅彥傑

An Islamist militant sentenced to death for his role in an attack on India’s parliament in 2001 has appealed to the country’s president for mercy, a jail official said.

一名因參與2001年攻擊印度國會案而被判死刑的伊斯蘭好戰份子，已籲請該國總統赦免，一名監獄官員說。

"The mercy petition addressed to the president is being examined and will be forwarded to the appropriate authority," said the official of New Delhi’s high-security Tihar jail where Mohammed Afzal is lodged.

「這項向總統提出的赦免請願案正在審查，將轉交給合適的當局處理，」新德里警戒森嚴的提哈爾監獄的這名官員說，這處監獄是阿夫札爾被關的地方。

A separate mercy plea was filed by last month by Afzal’s wife who met President A.P.J Abdul Kalam, along with her young son and Afzal’s mother.

阿夫札爾的妻子上個月帶著幼子與婆婆晉見卡拉姆總統時，也提出另一份赦免請願書。

Afzal was sentenced in September by India’s Supreme Court, sparking violent protests in his native Indian Kashmir.

阿夫札爾在9月間被印度最高法院判刑，在其故鄉印屬喀什米爾地區引起抗議暴動。

The Press Trust of India quoted Afzal as saying in his petition that the support he has received against his death sentence "has truly given me a new hope that I may still live and （be） able to see my son grow up".

印度信託通訊社引述阿夫札爾的請願書內容說，他所獲得反對其死刑判決的支持，「真的給我新的希望，我或許可以活下去，而且見到兒子長大」。

The parliament attack, in which five gunmen stormed the legislature in December 2001, nearly sparked an India-Pakistan war.

5名槍手於2001年12月闖進國會攻擊案，幾乎引起一場印巴戰爭。

新聞辭典

appeal：懇求、訴諸或上訴。例句：The woman appealed to the government for help in smoking ban.（這名婦女籲請政府協助禁菸。）

mercy：憐憫、寬恕。例句：The jury found him guilty and didn’t recommend mercy.（陪審團認為他有罪，所以並未建議赦免他。）