The Secretary of Defence has said that he would not stand by and let democracy be undermined.

国防部长已经表明他不会袖手旁观，任由民主遭到破坏。

《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》

Schlink, who is also a lecturer in law, writes with an alert sense for moral ambiguities, yet he also makes an impassioned stand in defence of the redemptive power of love. Philip Oltermann

施林克——同时也是一个法律讲师——抱着对道德多义性的警戒感写作了此书，同时也对爱的救赎力作出了慷慨激昂的辩护。

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The President had the accused stand up, and addressed to him the customary question, "Have you anything to add to your defence?"

庭长叫被告立起来，向他提出这照例有的问题：“您还有什么替自己辩护的话要补充吗？”

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Jeffs, who had stood expressionless and silent before the jury for nearly half hour during his closing arguments, called only one defence witness to the stand - a man who read from Mormon scripture.

BBC: Warren Jeffs, polygamist sect leader, gets life in jail

He says the worst can be avoided, but his only practical suggestion is for politicians to stand up against defence cuts.

BBC: Robert Gates on Nato's dim future

The opposition Social Democrats have warned that if the allegations of plagiarism are found to be true then the defence minister will have to stand down because of the damage to his credibility.

BBC: German 'plagiarism' minister Guttenberg drops doctorate