经济学人75:监狱人满为患,为尊严而战

 　　Prison overcrowding

　　监狱人满为患

　　win for dignity

　　为尊严而战

　　The Supreme¹ Court orders California to make its prisons more humane²

　　最高法院要求加州监狱更加人性化

　　May 26th 2011 | LOS ANGELES | from the print edition

　　Not that unusual不足为奇

　　ANTHONY KENNEDY, appointed to the Supreme Court by Ronald Reagan and in effect its swing vote nowadays, has for years been speaking out against the inhumane conditions inside America’s prisons. As a native of California, he has also taken an interest in that state’s particularly horrendous³ prison overcrowding. In Los Angeles last year, he called it “sick” that the state’s prison-guards union had sponsored a notorious ballot⁴ measure that, with other sentencing excesses, now keeps far too many Californians locked up.

　　由罗纳德??里根（Ronald Reagan）委任的最高法院法官，实则现在法院提案关键投票者的安东尼??肯尼迪（Anthony Kennedy），在过去的几年里挺身而出，直言抗议美国监狱的非人性化环境。作为一个加州人，他对州里极其糟糕，人满为患的监狱环境也很关注。去年在洛杉矶，他说加州狱警工会出台的有名的表决措施很“恶心”，再加上判刑过重，加州监狱现在的在押人数实在太多。

　　So it was no surprise that Mr Kennedy wrote the majority opinion in a 5-4 decision by the court this week that orders California to reduce its prison overcrowding. Full capacity is defined as one inmate⁵ per cell, which in California currently means 80,000 prisoners. But California’s prisons have at times housed twice as many, with inmates⁶ stacked in bunk⁷ beds in gymnasiums. At the moment, the prisons are about 175% full. The court order requires that ratio to go down to a slightly less egregious⁸ 137.5% within two years.

　　难怪肯尼迪（Kennedy）在本周法院5比4的提案中写下的判词都是要求加州削减其监狱人数。最高容量是指每间牢房住一个囚犯，而这个概念在如今的加州意味着一个牢房住8万名囚犯。可是有时加州监狱在押犯人数量是这个的两倍之多，囚犯就蜗居在体育馆的双层床上。目前，建州监狱人数比率约175%。法院的指示要求两年之内该比率应下降到一个稍微没那么糟的水平，即137.5%Overcrowding has meant not only more violence but woefully inadequate⁹ health and mental care, with more deaths and suicides. “When are you going to avoid or get around people sitting in their faeces for days in a dazed state?” Justice Sonia Sotomayor testily¹⁰ demanded of a lawyer representing California last November. Mr Kennedy, in his opinion this week, referred to an inmate who had been held “in a cage for nearly 24 hours, standing¹¹ in a pool of his own urine, unresponsive and nearly catatonic.”

　　监狱的过度拥挤不仅意味着更多暴力现象的产生，而且犯人们的身心也会极不健康，导致死亡和自杀人数增加。“你何时才能避开那些神智不清且好几天都夹带着粪便的人去透透气呢？”去年11月，索尼亚??索托梅雅法官（Sonia Sotomayor）被来自加州的法官代表这样质问到。本周肯尼迪（Kennedy）提到一个犯人，说他在牢中关了将近一天，站在自己的小便里，神情恍惚，几近昏厥。

　　Such conditions are, in Mr Kennedy’s words, “incompatible with the concept of human dignity” and amount to unconstitutional “cruel and unusual punishment”. The four judges who are considered liberal agreed; the four conservatives did not. For Justice Samuel Alito, the case was a matter not of dignity but of public safety. The decision, he said, will force California to release “46,000 criminals—the equivalent of three army divisions”.

　　用肯尼迪的话来说，这样的环境与“要尊重人格尊严的理念格格不入”，也是违反宪法的“残忍且罕见的处罚”。在大家看来比较开明的四位法官同意他的观点，而另外四位保守型法官则不同意。对塞缪尔??阿利托（Samuel Alito）法官来说，这个案子无关尊严，而有关公共安全问题。他说，那项提案将迫使加州释放“4万6千名囚犯——相当于三个师。”

　　That is quite an exaggeration, and not only in numbers. First, the decision itself does not order releases. In theory, California could build new prisons or send inmates out of state to reduce the ratio to 137.5%. Given the state’s budget crisis, that is admittedly unlikely. But California can also transfer inmates to county jails. As it happens, Jerry Brown, the governor, is trying to do that anyway, and is haggling¹² over the details with local administrations.

　　这种说法实在夸张，而且不仅仅是数字上的夸张。首先，提案本身并未要求释放囚犯。按理说，加州可以通过新建狱所，或将囚犯送往其他州的监狱而将比率减至137.5%。考虑到州的赤字危机，这种方法诚然不太可能实现。但加州也可将犯人转移至县监狱。无巧不成书，州长杰里??布朗（Jerry Brown）正想尽办法无论如何也要转移囚犯，同时正与地方政府就细节事项讨价还价。

　　More generally, many prisoners can indeed be released without any threat to public safety. What caused this overcrowding in the first place were the draconian¹³ sentencing laws that now unnecessarily keep huge numbers of entirely¹⁴ non-violent inmates behind bars: for smoking dope or writing bad cheques, say, or for missing parole appointments.

　　更笼统的说，加州监狱的确可以释放许多囚犯，且不会对公共安全造成威胁。导致监狱人满为患的首要原因就是判决法太过严厉，致使现在监狱里多此一举地关押了大批非刑事罪犯，比如有吸毒的，乱开空头支票的，或是没有假释资格的。

　　More puzzling yet was the tone of the other dissent¹⁵, by Antonin Scalia. Calling the proceedings¹⁶ “a judicial¹⁷ travesty”, Mr Scalia wrote that the decision will benefit inmates who “will undoubtedly¹⁸ be fine physical specimens¹⁹ who have developed intimidating²⁰ muscles pumping iron in the prison gym.” That was the language of sarcasm²¹, not dignity.

　　更让人不解的是持反对意见的安东??斯卡利亚（Antonin Scalia）法官的论调。把这个议程称作是“对司法的嘲弄”，他写到，该提案会便宜了有些囚犯，他们“无疑会成为体魄强壮的家伙，在监狱的健身房里举着铁管上下摆动，练出有威慑力的肌肉”。这是挖苦人的话，而不是尊重人的话。

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

3 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。

4 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

5 inmate   

n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人

参考例句：

• I am an inmate of that hospital.我住在那家医院。
• The prisoner is his inmate.那个囚犯和他同住一起。

6 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 bunk   

n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话

参考例句：

• He left his bunk and went up on deck again.他离开自己的铺位再次走到甲板上。
• Most economists think his theories are sheer bunk.大多数经济学家认为他的理论纯属胡说。

8 egregious   

adj.非常的，过分的

参考例句：

• When it comes to blatant lies,there are none more egregious than budget figures.谈到公众谎言，没有比预算数字更令人震惊的。
• What an egregious example was here!现摆着一个多么触目惊心的例子啊。

9 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

10 testily   

adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地

参考例句：

• He reacted testily to reports that he'd opposed military involvement. 有报道称他反对军队参与，对此他很是恼火。 来自柯林斯例句

11 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

12 haggling   

v.讨价还价( haggle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I left him in the market haggling over the price of a shirt. 我扔下他自己在市场上就一件衬衫讨价还价。
• Some were haggling loudly with traders as they hawked their wares. 有些人正在大声同兜售货物的商贩讲价钱。 来自辞典例句

13 draconian   

adj.严苛的；苛刻的；严酷的；龙一样的

参考例句：

• You can't expect the people to obey such draconian regulations.你不能指望人民服从如此严苛的规定。
• The city needs a draconian way of dealing with robbers.这个城市需要一个严苛的办法来对付强盗。

14 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

15 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

16 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

17 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

18 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

19 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 intimidating   

vt.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的现在分词)

参考例句：

• They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them. 他们被控胁迫选民投他们的票。
• This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. 这种问话的方式可能让孩子们非常害怕。

21 sarcasm   

n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic）

参考例句：

• His sarcasm hurt her feelings.他的讽刺伤害了她的感情。
• She was given to using bitter sarcasm.她惯于用尖酸刻薄语言挖苦人。