美国国家公共电台 NPR--Lawyers for the Parkland school shooter make the case for him not to be executed

Lawyers for the Parkland school shooter make the case for him not to be executed

Transcript¹

The defense² for the admitted gunman in the 2018 Marjory Stone Douglas High School shooting in Florida has begun. Jurors will determine whether he should be executed or spend life in prison.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Lawyers for the gunman who opened fire on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida have begun to present their case. Nikolas Cruz has already pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder. The jury now has two options, a sentence of life in prison without parole or the death penalty. Defense lawyers are asking the jury to spare Cruz's life. NPR's Greg Allen reports.

GREG ALLEN, BYLINE³: Defense lawyers for Nikolas Cruz deferred⁴ delivering their opening statement until the prosecution⁵ had made its case. For weeks, the jury heard emotional and graphic⁶ testimony⁷ as prosecutors⁸ laid out the grim facts. The facts have never been in dispute. In February of 2018, Cruz, a troubled former student, entered a school building with an AR-15-style rifle and began shooting students and staff members. When he was done, 17 people were dead and 17 others were wounded. The murders were captured on surveillance video. In court, students and teachers who survived the shooting described the horrific events. In her opening statement yesterday, defense attorney Melisa McNeill acknowledged Cruz's responsibility and tried to turn the page.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MELISA MCNEILL: Everyone here agrees that Nikolas deserves to be punished, without a doubt. But life without the possibility of parole is a severe enough penalty.

ALLEN: Under Florida law, a unanimous verdict is required for the jury to deliver a sentence of death. That means they must convince at least one juror that Cruz deserves a sentence of life in prison. Jurors must decide if aggravating⁹ factors outweigh¹⁰ mitigating¹¹ factors. Prosecutors have laid out a host of reasons they're asking for the death penalty - among them, the fact that multiple murders were committed and that it was, in legal parlance¹², horrendous¹³, atrocious or cruel. Yesterday, the defense began telling Cruz's history in hopes that it may sway some jurors from a death sentence. Among the witnesses was Carolyn Deakins, who described herself as a recovering addict¹⁴ who used to abuse alcohol and crack cocaine¹⁵ with Cruz's birth mother, Brenda Woodard. Deakins says both women worked as prostitutes to support their drug habit. She says she was angry when Woodard told her she was pregnant.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

CAROLYN DEAKINS: And I rant¹⁶ and raved¹⁷ a little bit. She said, don't worry about it. It's all took care of. I have a lawyer. And the baby's going up for adoption¹⁸. And so I'm not going to have to worry about it. And that's how she felt. She didn't want it.

MCNEILL: And then she addressed Cruz directly.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

DEAKINS: Nikolas, I'm sorry, but that's how it was.

ALLEN: The jury also heard from Cruz's older sister, who spoke¹⁹ about her mother's rampant²⁰ drug and alcohol abuse. Another witness was one of Cruz's first teachers when he was just 3 years old. She noted²¹ at the time that he was developmentally delayed and had significant behavioral problems. Defense attorney Melisa McNeill said she'll present evidence and testimony from experts that Cruz suffers from fetal alcohol spectrum²² disorder²³. She also talked about disturbing drawings and threats of violence Cruz continues to produce now while he's in jail.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MCNEILL: But his brain is broken. He's a damaged human being. And that's why these things happen.

ALLEN: McNeill placed some of the blame for Cruz's problems on his adoptive mother, Lynda Cruz, now deceased. Cruz at first ignored her son's problems and need for help, McNeill says. Later, over the objections of counselors²⁴ and friends, she brought him first a BB gun, and then when he turned 18, helped him buy a rifle. McNeill says she isn't trying to justify²⁵ or explain the attack and the 17 deaths. She told the jury they should have a full picture of Cruz's troubled history before they decide on his sentence. The defense will continue making its case in court today.

Greg Allen, NPR News, Fort Lauderdale.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 defense   

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。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 deferred   

adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。
• a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划

5 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

6 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

7 testimony   

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。

8 prosecutors   

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。

9 aggravating   

adj.恼人的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• How aggravating to be interrupted! 被打扰，多令人生气呀！
• Diesel exhaust is particularly aggravating to many susceptible individuals. 许多体质敏感的人尤其反感柴油废气。

10 outweigh   

vt.比...更重，...更重要

参考例句：

• The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
• One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。

11 mitigating   

v.减轻，缓和( mitigate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Are there any mitigating circumstances in this case ? 本案中是否有任何情况可以减轻被告的罪行？ 来自辞典例句
• A sentencing judge is required to consider any mitigating circumstances befor imposing the death penalty. 在处死刑之前，要求量刑法官必须考虑是否有任何减轻罪行之情节。 来自口语例句

12 parlance   

n.说法；语调

参考例句：

• The term "meta directory" came into industry parlance two years ago.两年前，商业界开始用“元目录”这个术语。
• The phrase is common diplomatic parlance for spying.这种说法是指代间谍行为的常用外交辞令。

13 horrendous   

adj.可怕的，令人惊惧的

参考例句：

• He described it as the most horrendous experience of his life.他形容这是自己一生中最可怕的经历。
• The mining industry in China has a horrendous safety record.中国的煤矿工业具有令人不安的安全记录。

14 addict   

v.使沉溺；使上瘾；n.沉溺于不良嗜好的人

参考例句：

• He became gambling addict,and lost all his possessions.他习染上了赌博，最终输掉了全部家产。
• He assisted a drug addict to escape from drug but failed firstly.一开始他帮助一个吸毒者戒毒但失败了。

15 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

16 rant   

v.咆哮；怒吼；n.大话；粗野的话

参考例句：

• You can rant and rave at the fine,but you'll still have to pay it.你闹也好，骂也好，罚金还是得交。
• If we rant on the net,the world is our audience.如果我们在网络上大声嚷嚷，全世界都是我们的听众。

17 raved   

v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 )；愤怒地说；咆哮；痴心地说

参考例句：

• Andrew raved all night in his fever. 安德鲁发烧时整夜地说胡话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They raved about her beauty. 他们过分称赞她的美。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

18 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

19 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

20 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

21 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

22 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

23 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

24 counselors   

n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 )；律师；（使馆等的）参赞；（协助学生解决问题的）指导老师

参考例句：

• Counselors began an inquiry into industrial needs. 顾问们开始调查工业方面的需要。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We have experienced counselors available day and night. ) 这里有经验的法律顾问全天候值班。） 来自超越目标英语 第4册

25 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？