法律类文章精选:GOING BACK AND GETTING IT RIGHT

时间:2006-09-13 02:57:12

(单词翻译:单击)

5 GOING BACK AND GETTING IT RIGHT

  By almost every measure, Paul Pfingst is an unsentimental prosecutor1. Last week the San Diego County district attorney said he fully2 intends to try suspect Charles Andrew Williams, 15, as an adult for the Santana High School shootings. Even before the tragedy, Pfingst had stood behind the controversial California law that mandates4 treating murder suspects as young as 14 as adults.

  So nobody would have wagered6 that Pfingst would also be the first D.A. in the U.S. to launch his very own Innocence7 Project. Yet last June, Pfingst told his attorneys to go back over old murder and rape8 convictions and see if any unravel9 with newly developed DNA10-testing tools. In other words, he wanted to revisit past victories--this time playing for the other team. "I think people misunderstand being conservative for being biased," says Pfingst. "I consider myself a pragmatic guy, and I have no interest in putting innocent people in jail."

  Around the U.S., flabbergasted defense12 attorneys and their jailed clients cheered his move. Among prosecutors13, however, there was an awkward pause. After all, each DNA test costs as much as $5,000. Then there's the unspoken risk: if dozens of innocents turn up, the D.A. will have indicted14 his shop.

  But nine months later, no budgets have been busted15 or prosecutors ousted17. Only the rare case merits review. Pfingst's team considers convictions before 1993, when the city started routine DNA testing. They discard cases if the defendant18 has been released. Of the 560 remaining files, they have re-examined 200, looking for cases with biological evidence and defendants19 who still claim innocence.

  They have identified three so far. The most compelling involves a man serving 12 years for molesting20 a girl who was playing in his apartment. But others were there at the time. Police found a small drop of saliva21 on the victim's shirt--too small a sample to test in 1991. Today that spot could free a man. Test results are due any day. Inspired by San Diego, 10 other counties in the U.S. are starting DNA audits22.

  By Amanda Ripley ez ncisco sijevic rtwell; Lisa McLaughlin; Joseph Pierro; Josh Tyrangiel and Sora Song

  注(1)本文选自Time; 03/19/2001, Vol. 157 Issue 11, p62, 1p, 2c, 3bw

  注(2)本文习题命题模仿对象2004年真题text 1.

  1.How did Pfingst carry out his own Innocence Project?

  [A]By getting rid of his bias11 against the suspects.

  [B]By revisiting the past victories.

  [C]By using the newly developed DNA-testing tools.

  [D]By his cooperation with his attorneys.

  2.Which of the following can be an advantage of Innocence Project?

  [A]To help correct the wrong judgments23.

  [B]To oust16 the unqualified prosecutors.

  [C]To make the prosecutors in an awkward situation.

  [D]To cheer up the defense attorneys and their jailed clients.

  3.The expression “flabbergasted”(Line 1, Paragraph 3) most probably means _______.

  [A]excited

  [B]competent

  [C]embarrassed

  [D]astounded

  4.Why was Pfingst an unsentimental prosecutor?

  [A]He intended to try a fifteen-year old suspect.

  [B]He had no interest in putting the innocent in jail.

  [C]He supported the controversial California law.

  [D]He wanted to try suspect as young as fourteen.

  5.Which of the following is not true according to the text?

  [A]Pfingst’s move didn’t have a great coverage24.

  [B] Pfingst’s move had both the positive and negative effect.

  [C] Pfingst’s move didn’t work well.

  [D]Pfingst’s move greatly encouraged the jailed prisoners.

  答案:CADBC

  篇章剖析

  本文采用的是记叙文的模式。第一段指出芬斯特作为一位铁面无私的检查官的一些做法;第二段指出芬斯特实施“清白计划”的打算及做法;第三段指出实施“清白计划”造成的反应以及可能存在的问题;第四段和第五段是实施“清白计划”的结果和影响。

  词汇注释

  prosecutor [5prRsIkju:tE(r)]n.检察官 ,检察员,起诉人,原告

  controversial [kRntrE5v\:F(E)l]adj.争论的, 争议的

  mandate3 [5mAndeIt]v.批准制订一个训令,如通过法律;发布命令或要求:

  wager5 [5weIdVE(r)]v.下赌注, 保证

  conviction [kEn5vIkF(E)n]n.定罪, 宣告有罪

  unravel[Qn5rAv(E)l]v. 阐明, 解决

  flabbergast[5flAbE^B:st; (?@) -^Ast]v.<口>使大吃一惊, 哑然失色, 使目瞪口呆

  indict[In5daIt]v.起诉, 控告, 指控, 告发

  bust[bQst]v.破产或缺钱

  oust[aJst]v.剥夺, 取代, 驱逐

  discard[dI5skB:d]v.抛开;遗弃;废弃

  molest[mE5lest]v.骚乱, 困扰, 调戏

  saliva[sE5laIvE]n.口水, 唾液

  难句突破

  1.Even before the tragedy, Pfingst had stood behind the controversial California law that mandates treating murder suspects as young as 14 as adults.

  主体句式:…Pfingst had stood behind …

  结构分析:Even before the tragedy是本句的时间状语;主句是Pfingst had stood behind…;that 引导的宾语从句修饰law;在从句中,as…as是一词组,意思是“和…一样”;出现的第三个as是介词,意思是“作为”。

  句子译文:甚至在这场悲剧发生之前芬斯特就支持加利福尼亚州的一项颇有争议的法律。这项法律规定,以成人身份受审的谋杀嫌疑犯的最低年龄可以降到十四岁。

  题目分析

  1.答案为C,属事实细节题。文中对应信息“Pfingst told his attorneys to go back over old murder and rape convictions and see if any unravel with newly developed DNA-testing tools.”是对第二段第一句的补充说明。

  2.答案为A,属推理判断题。从上下文我们可以得知,实施“清白计划”就是使用先进的DNA技术来重新审理过去的案件当中可能存在的冤案错案。

  3.答案为D, 属猜词题。从第二段第一句话我们得知芬斯特可能是美国第一个实施非常独特的“清白计划”的人,因此他的做法很可能是令人感到吃惊的,从而可猜出该词的含义。

  4.答案为B,属推理判断题。从第一段和第二段给出的事例我们可以看出,芬斯特不愿放过任何一个犯罪的人,即便他的年龄还不算大;他也不愿使无辜者蒙冤,即便案件已经审理。

  5.答案为C,属推理判断题。正因为 “Pfingst’s move works well”,美国才又有“ten other counties are starting DNA audits”,而且,“no budgets have been busted or prosecutors ousted”.

  参考译文

  重新审理,有错必纠

  用任何标准衡量,保罗·芬斯特都不是位感情用事的检察官。上周,圣地亚哥县地方检察官说,他决意对桑塔纳高中枪杀案疑犯—15岁的查尔斯·安德鲁·威廉斯—作为成人进行审讯。甚至在这场悲剧发生之前芬斯特就支持加利福尼亚州的一项颇有争议的法律。这项法律规定,以成人身份受审的谋杀嫌疑犯的最低年龄可以降到十四岁。

  谁也不能保证芬斯特会成为美国第一个实施自己“清白计划”的地方检察官。然而,去年六月,芬斯特告诉手下的律师对过去的谋杀罪和强奸罪重新进行审理,看是否有能用最新的DNA检验工具揭开的无头案件。换句话说,他想重新回顾过去的胜利——这回是为了另一方。“我想人们把保守错误地理解成了心存偏见。”芬斯特说,“我认为我自己是一个讲究实际的人。我并无意把无辜的人送进监狱。”

  在美国,那些哑然失色的辩护律师及其被收监的当事人为他的举动感到欢欣鼓舞。然而,在检察官当中却出现了令人尴尬的沉默。毕竟每一次DNA检测的费用都高达5,000美元。这其中还存在隐含的风险——如果出现众多的无罪受害者,地方检察官肯定会自砸饭碗。

  九个月后,并没有出现资金短缺或检察官被罢免的情况。只有极少数案件需要重新审理。该市是从1993年开始进行常规DNA检测的,因此芬斯特的手下只考虑1993年前宣判的案件,并排除了那些被告已被释放的案例。在560份现存档案中,他们重新审理了200份,主要是寻找那些留有生物证据的案件和被告人仍声明无罪的案件。

  到目前为止,他们只确定了三起案件。其中有一起案件最引人注意。案件的当事人因被控调戏一名在他的公寓玩耍的女孩而被判服刑12年。案发时还有他人在场。警方在受害人的衬衣上发现了一小滴唾液—这个样本太小,无法在1991年检验。但在今天,那滴唾液却能使一个人获释。检验结果什么时候都可以拿到。受圣地亚哥的影响,美国又有10个县开始用DNA对案件进行审核。

 


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1 prosecutor 6RXx1     
n.起诉人;检察官,公诉人
参考例句:
  • The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
  • The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。
2 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
3 mandate sj9yz     
n.托管地;命令,指示
参考例句:
  • The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
  • The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。
4 mandates 2acac1276dba74275e1c7c1a20146ad9     
托管(mandate的第三人称单数形式)
参考例句:
  • Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
  • While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处,我不是授权软件的支持者。
5 wager IH2yT     
n.赌注;vt.押注,打赌
参考例句:
  • They laid a wager on the result of the race.他们以竞赛的结果打赌。
  • I made a wager that our team would win.我打赌我们的队会赢。
6 wagered b6112894868d522e6463e9ec15bdee79     
v.在(某物)上赌钱,打赌( wager的过去式和过去分词 );保证,担保
参考例句:
  • She always wagered on an outsider. 她总是把赌注押在不大可能获胜的马上。
  • They wagered on the flesh, but knowing they were to lose. 他们把赌注下在肉体上,心里却明白必输无疑。 来自互联网
7 innocence ZbizC     
n.无罪;天真;无害
参考例句:
  • There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
  • The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。
8 rape PAQzh     
n.抢夺,掠夺,强奸;vt.掠夺,抢夺,强奸
参考例句:
  • The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
  • He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。
9 unravel Ajzwo     
v.弄清楚(秘密);拆开,解开,松开
参考例句:
  • He was good with his hands and could unravel a knot or untangle yarn that others wouldn't even attempt.他的手很灵巧,其他人甚至都不敢尝试的一些难解的绳结或缠在一起的纱线,他都能解开。
  • This is the attitude that led him to unravel a mystery that long puzzled Chinese historians.正是这种态度使他解决了长期以来使中国历史学家们大惑不解的谜。
10 DNA 4u3z1l     
(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸
参考例句:
  • DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
  • Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。
11 bias 0QByQ     
n.偏见,偏心,偏袒;vt.使有偏见
参考例句:
  • They are accusing the teacher of political bias in his marking.他们在指控那名教师打分数有政治偏见。
  • He had a bias toward the plan.他对这项计划有偏见。
12 defense AxbxB     
n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩
参考例句:
  • The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
  • The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。
13 prosecutors a638e6811c029cb82f180298861e21e9     
检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 ); 告发人; 起诉人; 公诉人
参考例句:
  • In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方,检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
  • You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。
14 indicted 4fe8f0223a4e14ee670547b1a8076e20     
控告,起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
  • He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。
15 busted busted     
adj. 破产了的,失败了的,被降级的,被逮捕的,被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • You are so busted! 你被当场逮住了!
  • It was money troubles that busted up their marriage. 是金钱纠纷使他们的婚姻破裂了。
16 oust 5JDx2     
vt.剥夺,取代,驱逐
参考例句:
  • The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
  • The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。
17 ousted 1c8f4f95f3bcc86657d7ec7543491ed6     
驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 ); 革职; 罢黜; 剥夺
参考例句:
  • He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
  • He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。
18 defendant mYdzW     
n.被告;adj.处于被告地位的
参考例句:
  • The judge rejected a bribe from the defendant's family.法官拒收被告家属的贿赂。
  • The defendant was borne down by the weight of evidence.有力的证据使被告认输了。
19 defendants 7d469c27ef878c3ccf7daf5b6ab392dc     
被告( defendant的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
  • As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同,被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
20 molesting 9803a4c212351ba8f8347ac71aad0f44     
v.骚扰( molest的现在分词 );干扰;调戏;猥亵
参考例句:
  • He was accused of sexually molesting a female colleague. 他被指控对一位女同事进行性骚扰。 来自辞典例句
  • He was charged with molesting a woman. 他被指控调戏妇女。 来自辞典例句
21 saliva 6Cdz0     
n.唾液,口水
参考例句:
  • He wiped a dribble of saliva from his chin.他擦掉了下巴上的几滴口水。
  • Saliva dribbled from the baby's mouth.唾液从婴儿的嘴里流了出来。
22 audits c54379fa058a9ad836b60a32f9ceb5bd     
n.审计,查账( audit的名词复数 )v.审计,查账( audit的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Requires that use of all bond funds is subject to independent audits. 需要使用的所有债券基金是受独立审计。 来自互联网
  • Support the locations during customer-visits, audits and quality-improvement programs. 支持客户参观,稽核和提高品质等项目。 来自互联网
23 judgments 2a483d435ecb48acb69a6f4c4dd1a836     
判断( judgment的名词复数 ); 鉴定; 评价; 审判
参考例句:
  • A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
  • He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。
24 coverage nvwz7v     
n.报导,保险范围,保险额,范围,覆盖
参考例句:
  • There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
  • This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

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