经济学人328:测谎仪 谎话连篇

 　　Polygraphs

　　测谎仪

　　Lies, damn lies

　　谎话连篇

　　Scientifically dodgy lie-detector tests may prove surprisingly useful

　　科学的测谎仪可能惊人的有用

　　POLYGRAPHS, or “lie detectors”, make frequent appearances on “The Jeremy Kyle Show”, a television programme that resembles nothing so much as bear-baiting, but with humans. Guests are fond of the tests as a means of proving their loved ones' philandering¹ ways, or their own innocence². Now the government seems to be growing similarly keen.

　　测谎仪，经常出现在跟逗熊游戏差不多的“逗人节目”杰瑞米·凯尔脱口秀。嘉宾很喜欢用测试来检测他们所爱慕的对象或者证明他们是否无辜。如今政府似乎也和这个节目一样越发喜欢用测谎仪了。

　　科学的测谎仪可能惊人的有用.jpg

　　In May a small number of probation³ officers began training as polygraph examiners. From October around 1,000 sex offenders⁴ released from prison on licence in England and Wales but deemed to be at high risk of reoffending will be required to undergo polygraph tests. The checks will help to determine whether offenders have breached⁵ the conditions of their licences, such as restrictions⁶ on visiting children's playgrounds. Failing a test will not result in a return to prison but could prompt closer supervision⁷ or surveillance.

　　在5月，一小部分缓刑监督官开始训练使用测谎仪。自10月份约1000名性犯罪者从英格兰和威尔士的监狱假释，但那些被视为高犯罪风险者且将会被要求接受测谎仪测试。检测将有助于鉴别罪犯是否违反了假释的条件，如限制访问儿童游乐场。没有通过测试并不意味着要回到监狱，但意味着要受到更强监督或监视。

　　Polygraphs are used widely in America, including on sex offenders, but in Britain many remain sceptical. Polygraphs do not detect lies. They measure changes in physiology⁸, such as breathing rate, sweating and blood pressure. Telling lies is often stressful and can prompt jumps in the readings. But other things–fear, embarrassment⁹, worries about being wrongfully accused–can do the same. Enthusiasts¹⁰ say that polygraphs accurately¹¹ detect lies 80-90% of the time. The British Psychological Society cites studies showing similar figures but cautions that problems in the research mean that the real rate is probably much lower. And “false positive” rates (dubbing a truthful¹² person a liar) can be as high as 47%.

　　测谎仪在美国被广泛使用，其中也会用在性犯罪者身上，但在英国很多人都对测谎仪持怀疑态度。测谎仪并不能检测谎言。它们只是测量生理变化，例如呼吸频率。但其它会引起恐惧的事物、尴尬、对误判的焦虑也会在测谎仪上有相同的体现。热心人称测谎仪当时准确率可高达80%-90%。英国心理学会引用的研究得出了相似的数据，但同时也告诫我们实际成功率比这要低得多的问题。并且“假阳性”比率（误指一个诚实的人撒谎）可以高达47%。

　　Boosters of the government's scheme say the point is that using polygraphs encourages sex offenders to reveal more information, before, during and after the test. In a 2010-11 pilot study offenders who took polygraph tests made more than twice as many “clinically significant disclosures”–information that could prompt changes in the way they are managed–as those that did not. Many said they would not have done so without undergoing the test. Jane Wood, a forensic¹³ psychologist at the University of Kent who co-authored the report on the pilot, says that some offenders found the tests helpful as way to convince their families they were being honest about their behaviour. Others said that the discussions prompted when they failed the test helped them better to understand the conditions of their licence.

　　政府计划的支持者称使用测谎仪的核心目的是为了诱使性犯罪者在测试前后以及期间透露更多信息。在一个2010-11初步研究中，接受测谎仪测试的罪犯与没有接受测试的罪犯相比，多做出了两倍多的“临床上的重要披露”，这些披露是促使他们改变的重要信息。很多罪犯称若没有接受测谎仪的测试，他们不会做出这么多的改变。肯特大学的法庭心理学家简·伍德合著了一篇关于初步研究的报告，称一些罪犯发现测试是说服他们家人自己言行可信的一个有效方式。其他人认为当罪犯没有通过测试时，争议就产生了，但这也帮助罪犯更好地了解他们假释的条件。

　　Polygraph tests do not stand on their own, argues Don Grubin, a professor of forensic psychiatry¹⁴ at Newcastle University who is leading the probation officers' training; they should be one of a number of tools used to assess offenders. Nonetheless some remain uneasy. Those using the tests may become complacent¹⁵, worries Anne-Marie McAlinden of Queen's University, Belfast, and give them undue¹⁶ weight. In the government's study, the more tests offenders took, the fewer lies were flagged. That might indicate that they became more truthful, or it might suggest that they were getting better at gaming the test.

　　测谎仪测试并不能独立存在，纽卡斯尔大学的法医精神病学教授，同时也带头进行缓刑监督官训练的唐·格鲁宾争论道；测谎仪应该只是评估罪犯的众多工具中的一个。尽管如此情况仍旧不易。贝尔法斯特皇后大学的安妮·玛丽·麦卡林登担心那些使用测试的人可能会变得自满，然后因而过于依赖测谎仪。政府研究显示，罪犯接受的测试越多，被标记的谎言越少。这或许可以说明罪犯变得越来越诚实，不过这也可能说明这些罪犯越来越会在测视力耍花招了。

　　The polygraph's power may rely on offenders' inflated¹⁷ belief in the accuracy of its tests. But getting more information from sex offenders about their behaviour–even on this basis–is still a good thing, suggests Professor Grubin. Instead of Mr Kyle, the government might look to “The Wire”, an American TV drama about murderous gangs, where detectives hooked suspects up to photocopiers¹⁸, claiming they were polygraphs.

　　测谎仪的能力依赖于罪犯过于相信测试的准确性。但是即使是以此为基础从性犯罪者那里得到更多关于他们行为举止的信息仍是一件好事。格鲁宾教授如是说。与凯尔的脱口秀不同，政府似乎更倾向于美剧《火线》，这部美剧是关于警探们将凶残的帮派嫌疑人连接上了类似影印机的工具，并宣称这些是测谎仪。

　　1.fond of 喜欢；爱好

　　例句:He seemed fond of her in a strictly¹⁹ professional way.

　　他似乎只是出于职业缘故而喜欢她。

　　2.seem to 似乎

　　例句:I seem to fritter my time away at coffee mornings.

　　我似乎把时间全都浪费在咖啡早茶会上了。

　　3.require to 需要

　　例句:Drain piping may require to be protected against freezing.

　　泄水管要求有防冻保护措施。

　　4.return to 回到；返回

　　例句:Ford²⁰ never desisted from trying to persuade him to return to America.

　　福特从未停止过劝说他返回美国。

1 philandering   

v.调戏，玩弄女性( philander的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• And all because of a bit of minor philandering. 何况这只是区区一桩风流韵事所引起的呢。 来自飘（部分）
• My after-school job means tailing philandering spouses or investigating false injury claims. 我的课余工作差不多就是跟踪外遇者或调查诈骗保险金。 来自电影对白

2 innocence   

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。

3 probation   

n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期)

参考例句：

• The judge did not jail the young man,but put him on probation for a year.法官没有把那个年轻人关进监狱，而且将他缓刑察看一年。
• His salary was raised by 800 yuan after his probation.试用期满以后，他的工资增加了800元。

4 offenders   

n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
• Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

5 breached   

攻破( breach的现在分词 )； 破坏，违反

参考例句：

• These commitments have already been breached. 这些承诺已遭背弃。
• Our tanks have breached the enemy defences. 我方坦克车突破了敌人的防线。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

8 physiology   

n.生理学，生理机能

参考例句：

• He bought a book about physiology.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• He was awarded the Nobel Prize for achievements in physiology.他因生理学方面的建树而被授予诺贝尔奖。

9 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

10 enthusiasts   

n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive. 一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored. 一群热心人计划修复这架飞机。 来自新概念英语第二册

11 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

12 truthful   

adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的

参考例句：

• You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.你放心，他会对事故作出如实的报告的。
• I don't think you are being entirely truthful.我认为你并没全讲真话。

13 forensic   

adj.法庭的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence.该报告包括他对法庭证据的诠释。
• The judge concluded the proceeding on 10:30 Am after one hour of forensic debate.经过近一个小时的法庭辩论后，法官于10时30分宣布休庭。

14 psychiatry   

n.精神病学，精神病疗法

参考例句：

• The study appeared in the Amercian science Journal of Psychiatry.这个研究发表在美国精神病学的杂志上。
• A physician is someone who specializes in psychiatry.精神病专家是专门从事精神病治疗的人。

15 complacent   

adj.自满的；自鸣得意的

参考例句：

• We must not become complacent the moment we have some success.我们决不能一见成绩就自满起来。
• She was complacent about her achievements.她对自己的成绩沾沾自喜。

16 undue   

adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的

参考例句：

• Don't treat the matter with undue haste.不要过急地处理此事。
• It would be wise not to give undue importance to his criticisms.最好不要过分看重他的批评。

17 inflated   

adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨

参考例句：

• He has an inflated sense of his own importance. 他自视过高。
• They all seem to take an inflated view of their collective identity. 他们对自己的集体身份似乎都持有一种夸大的看法。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 photocopiers   

n.影印机，复印机( photocopier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I was quite taken with your line of photocopiers with collation and stapling capability. 我被贵公司能够自动整理和装订的系列复印机吸引住了。 来自辞典例句
• Printers, photocopiers and fax machines are modern office appliances. 打印机、印机和传真机是现代办公用具。 来自互联网

19 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

20 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。