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经济学人:卡梅伦·陶德·威廉汉姆 得克萨斯可能杀死了一名无辜者

时间：2016-03-17 07:58:27

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（单词翻译）

 　　Cameron Todd Willingham

　　卡梅伦·陶德·威廉汉姆
　　Irrevocable
　　无法改变
　　Texas may well have killed an innocent man得克萨斯可能杀死了一名无辜者
　　Was the real villain1 a faulty wire?
　　真正的罪魁祸首是一根故障电线？
　　ON THE morning of December 23rd 1991 a fire destroyed a home in Corsicana, Texas shared by Cameron Todd Willingham, his wife and their three daughters. The fire killed the girls; Mrs Willingham was at the Salvation2 Army store shopping for Christmas gifts. Mr Willingham survived. The next year he was convicted of setting the fire. He was sentenced to death and executed in 2004.
　　1991年12月23日上午，一场火烧掉了德克萨斯州科西卡纳城的一处民居，这里住着卡梅伦·托德·威灵厄姆、他的妻子和他们的三个女儿。大火烧死了三个小姑娘，威灵厄姆夫人彼时正在救世军商店买圣诞礼物。威灵厄姆活了下来。一年后他被判有纵火罪。死刑判决于2004年宣判并执行。
　　His conviction rested on arson3 investigators5'findings and the testimony6 of Johnny Webb, a jailhouse informant who claimed that Willingham had confessed to him. Shortly before the execution, Willingham's lawyers sent the governor and parole board a report from Gerald Hurst, another arson investigator4, detailing multiple flaws in the first investigation7. He concluded that the fire was caused by a space heater or faulty electrical wiring. Officials appear to have received this report before Willingham's execution, but did nothing with it. Several independent arson investigators reached similar conclusions.
　　其罪名是基于纵火调查人的发现和狱中报案人约翰尼·韦伯的证词——此人声称威廉汉姆曾向自己供罪——而判处的。处决前不久，威廉汉姆的律师像州长和假释委员会递送了另一位纵火调查人杰拉尔德·哈斯特的报告，报告详述了首次调查中的多项漏洞。哈斯特的结论是，这场大火是由电暖器或故障电线引发的。官员们似乎是在威廉汉姆处决前收到了这份报告，但却不了了之。独立进行纵火调查的数方得出了相似结论。
　　Willingham insisted on his innocence8, refusing to plead guilty even to avoid execution. Mr Webb testified that, as he was passing Willingham's cell, he heard him confess to having done the deed to cover up child abuse committed by his wife. But no bruises9 or signs of abuse were found on the children's bodies.
　　威廉汉姆坚称自己清白无辜，他拒不服罪，甚至拒绝为免除死刑申诉。韦伯作证说，他在经过威廉汉姆的小房间时听到了后者供认自己为掩盖妻子虐女行为而作此举。但是孩子们的尸体上并未发现伤痕或施虐痕迹。
　　Mr Webb recanted his testimony in 2000. He then recanted his recantation, but admitted to a journalist that “It's very possible I misunderstood what [Willingham] said.” Mr Webb also testified that he was promised no benefit in exchange for his testimony. In February, however, lawyers working to get Willingham a posthumous10 pardon revealed a note discovered in Mr Webb's file with the Navarro County prosecutor11 promising12 a reduced charge “based on coop[eration] in Willingham”. On April 3rd Texas denied Willingham a pardon. His lawyers can reapply in April 2016.
　　2000年，韦伯宣布撤回证词。接着他又取消了撤回，但又向记者承认“很有可能是我理解错了[威廉汉姆]那番话”。韦伯还证实了自己作证不会得到任何利益。然而，在二月份，努力为威廉汉姆争取死后赦免的律师们公布了韦伯档案中发现的一则记录，在记录中，纳瓦罗县检察官允诺将“基于威廉汉姆的[配]合”减刑处理。4月3日，德克萨斯方面拒绝了赦免威廉汉姆的要求。其律师可于2016年4月重新申请。
　　1.convict of 宣判（某人）犯有（某罪）
　　例句:She is convict of the manslaughter of her husband.
　　她被宣判犯有杀害丈夫的罪行。
　　2.appear to 似乎
　　例句:On Capitol Hill, senators today appear to view the matter as something of a tempest in a teapot.
　　美国国会的参议员们今天似乎把这个问题小题大做了。
　　3.refuse to 拒绝
　　例句:Local authorities are likely to refuse to hire facilities to unrecognised martial13 arts organisations.
　　当地的主管机构可能会拒绝向非官方的武术组织出租设备。
　　4.cover up 掩盖
　　例句:Sophistry14 can never cover up the truth.
　　狡辩无法掩盖事实真相。
 

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 villain ZL1zA     
n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因
参考例句：
  • He was cast as the villain in the play.他在戏里扮演反面角色。
  • The man who played the villain acted very well.扮演恶棍的那个男演员演得很好。
2 salvation nC2zC     
n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困
参考例句：
  • Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。
  • Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。
3 arson 3vOz3     
n.纵火，放火
参考例句：
  • He was serving a ten spot for arson.他因纵火罪在服十年徒刑。
  • He was arraigned on a charge of arson.他因被指控犯纵火罪而被传讯。
4 investigator zRQzo     
n.研究者，调查者，审查者
参考例句：
  • He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。
  • The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。
5 investigators e970f9140785518a87fc81641b7c89f7     
n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
  • The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 testimony zpbwO     
n.证词；见证，证明
参考例句：
  • The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
  • He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。
7 investigation MRKzq     
n.调查，调查研究
参考例句：
  • In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
  • He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。
8 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。
9 bruises bruises     
n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • He was covered with bruises after falling off his bicycle. 他从自行车上摔了下来，摔得浑身伤痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The pear had bruises of dark spots. 这个梨子有碰伤的黑斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 posthumous w1Ezl     
adj.遗腹的；父亡后出生的；死后的，身后的
参考例句：
  • He received a posthumous award for bravery.他表现勇敢，死后受到了嘉奖。
  • The legendary actor received a posthumous achievement award.这位传奇男星在过世后获得终身成就奖的肯定。
11 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。
12 promising BkQzsk     
adj.有希望的，有前途的
参考例句：
  • The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
  • We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。
13 martial bBbx7     
adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的
参考例句：
  • The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
  • The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。
14 sophistry OwWwG     
n.诡辩
参考例句：
  • Sophistry cannot alter history.诡辩改变不了历史。
  • No one can be persuaded by sophistry.强词夺理不能折服人。

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