A doctor's mother was yesterday jailed (監禁) for five years for conspiring with (note 1) Chinese University doctoral student Cheung Ka- wo to use a sex video to extort (敲詐) HK$6.3 million from two members of a religious group.
The sentence came a year after Cheung, 27, was jailed for four years for conspiring with Dr Edwin Poon's mother, Dora Kay Li, in blackmailing the victims between April and May last year.
The court heard that Li, 59, persuaded (勸服) Cheung to take an intimate video of himself with a religious leader (宗教領袖), identified only as X, last year. The 73-minute video shows both naked and bathing and scrubbing (用力摩擦) each other's back.
The judge said it was apparent that Cheung had no intention of stopping X from fondling his genitals and spanking his backside. Li and Cheung threatened to use the video to wreak havoc (note 2) on X's reputation if they were not paid.
The court also heard they took the video to the office of Y, a senior member of X's organization, to demand money. Li told Y that if the video was made public, it would taint (note 3) his religious group.
District Court Justice Douglas Yau Tak-hong criticized Li for using X's sexual preferences (note 4) to blackmail him, describing her act as "shameful." (可恥)
The blackmail succeeded because of the religious group's stance (立場) against homosexuality, leading the judge to say the case has "inflicted unredeemable spiritual harm" (note 5) on its believers.
Yau said Li sacrificed Cheung's dignity (尊嚴) to get the money she wanted.
A recording of a conversation between Li and Cheung was played in court: "The money is still not in our pockets (note 6), meaning that we have not succeeded yet.
From good to better English:
(note 1) conspiring with=同謀, 勾結。Conspire=搞陰謀。conspire against the state= 圖謀賣國。All things conspire against me, Victor complains= Victor埋怨事事湊合起來跟他作對。
(note 2) wreak havoc= 破壞 (Disrupt, damage, destroy, cause destruction or chaos)。wreak havoc也可以用raise havoc和 play havoc代替。例句: The earthquake wrought havoc in this Japanese old town=地震把這個日本老鎮破壞了。
(note 3) taint=弄髒，污染。Mo Mo’s character is tainted by her self-seeking=Mo Mo的性格帶有利己的缺點。tainted goods=壞了的貨物。 tainted meat= 腐肉。
(note 4) sexual preferences=性傾向。Preference=優先選擇；偏愛。This is Victor’s preference=Victor喜歡這個。have a preference for=喜歡。preference of something to another=寧要某東西而不要另一物。
(note 5) inflicted unredeemable spiritual harm=在靈性上創下無可補救的破壞。Inflict=加以打擊。inflict a wound on Chris=使Chris受傷。The terrorists inflict heavy casualties in its attack on Hung Hum=恐怖分子攻擊使紅勘區居民蒙受重大傷亡。
(note 6) in our pockets=錢已入袋, 代代平安。Pocket=衣袋；錢袋。a deep pocket=充足的財力。 An empty pocket=兩手空空；窮光蛋。Victor puts his pride in his pocket= Victor忍辱，抑制自尊心。
Victor’s View: Blackmailing is a heinous crime that should be condemned. The publicity of the case involving a religious leader can only hurt the religious group’s followers.
(Victor Fung Keung, director of HK Baptist University’s M.A. in international journalism program, has published 4 books on English-enhancement [the latest, titled <<學會演說、改變你的人生>>, was published on July 18] and plans to write 6 more by the end of 2012. Write to him: deanfungenglish@gmail.com)
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