时代周刊:揭秘性罪犯治疗 和性犯罪者一起接受治疗(8)

Whether you believe that therapy can redeem¹ someone like Kevin, or the other men we've been speaking about, may depend on whether you believe people can learn empathy.

一个人是否相信心理治疗能拯救凯文那样的人，或上文提到的那些人，可能取决于他是否相信人们能学会同理心。

Researchers at the University of Cambridge published a study in March

剑桥大学的研究人员今年3月发表的一项研究表明，

that suggests subjects' ability to empathize with others

受试者与他人产生情感共鸣的能力

had little to do with their genetic² makeup³ and more to do with how they were raised.

与他们的基因构成基本无关，更多的是由他们的成长方式所决定。

Empathetic people are made, not born.

同理心是后天培养的，而不是与生俱来的。

Many of the men Cheryl and Jennifer counsel experienced emotional, physical or sexual abuse themselves when they were young.

许多咨询过谢丽尔和詹妮弗的人自己年轻时也有过遭受情感、生理或性方面的虐待的经历。

As the therapists often say in group, "Hurt people hurt people."

就像治疗师们经常在小组讨论中说的那样，“受害者也会变成加害者。”

At sentencing hearings, Cheryl testified to the likelihood that a sex offender⁴ can reform based on their history.

在量刑听证会上，谢丽尔试图证明，性犯罪者是可以根据他们的过往改过自新的。

But there are no guarantees.

但并不能保证他们一定会这么做。

In October, the Supreme⁵ Court will consider a complicated case challenging the federal laws that govern some sex offenders⁶.

今年10月，最高法院将审议一个考验约束某些性犯罪者的联邦法律的复杂案件。

The decision could allow hundreds of thousands of convicted offenders to move more easily across state lines

审理结果可能会减轻成千上万已经被定罪的罪犯跨越州界的难度，

and eventually remove their names from the sex-offender registry.

甚至给予他们从性犯罪者名单中除名的机会。

Even if that suit fails, civil rights proponents⁷ and victim advocates will likely confront each other again in the nation's highest court.

即使诉讼失败，民权倡导者和受害者维权人士也可能在美国最高法院再次交锋。

A Colorado federal judge recently ruled that the state's sex-offender registry is unconstitutional.

最近，科罗拉多州一名联邦法官就裁定，该州的性犯罪者登记制度违宪。

He said the list constitutes cruel and unusual punishment

他表示，这份名单上的惩罚措施太过残酷，且不同寻常，

because it can subject these men to ostracism⁸ and violence at the hands of the public

比如罪犯们可能会遭受到来自公众的排斥和暴力，

and that it fails to properly distinguish between different types of offenses⁹.

而且，名单也没有合理区分不同类型的犯罪。

In an attempt to resolve the tension between public safety and individual redemption,

为了解决公共安全与个人救赎之间的紧张关系，

the law has settled on an imperfect compromise: sex offenders are inscribed¹⁰ on a registry, sometimes permanently¹¹.

该法律做出了一个并不完美的妥协：将性犯罪者登记在案，有时甚至是永久性登记在案。

But they are also ordered to attend therapy to get better.

但他们也被要求要接受治疗以便好转起来。

The bad men are left in limbo¹².

那些坏人则被留在了地狱的边缘。

Inside the small taupe house, Cheryl and Jennifer work to move through that limbo, one conversation at a time.

在这座灰褐色的小房子里，谢丽尔和詹妮弗努力地想穿过这一地狱，一次只安排一个对话。

As the bright winter sun sets and the office grows cold, a group therapy session comes to a close 45 minutes after it was supposed to.

随着明亮的冬日夕阳西下，办公室变得越来越冷，这场集体治疗在原定结束时间的45分钟后才真正结束。

The men rise from the worn couch and pull on their coats and hats.

男人们从破旧的沙发上站起来，穿上大衣，戴上帽子。

One has to head home to meet his parole-mandated curfew.

其中一人必须赶回家，因为假释规定了他要宵禁。

The man with the ankle bracelet¹³ needs to charge his battery.

戴脚镣的男子则要回去给脚镣的电池充电。

They file out slowly, loose floorboards creaking under their feet.

他们排着队慢慢地走出了房间，松动的地板在他们脚下吱吱作响。

Tomorrow, Cheryl and Jennifer might text some of these men to see how they're doing.

明天，谢丽尔和詹妮弗可能会给这些男人发短信，问问他们过得怎么样。

They might call their wives or bosses or parole officers.

也可能会给他们的妻子、老板或假释官打电话。

They'll review the homework the men have turned in and prep for individual therapy sessions.

她们会检查这些男子交的作业，并为单独治疗做准备。

After those meetings end and the men leave the house for good, Cheryl and Jennifer may never know what becomes of them.

课程结束，那些人永远离开那间屋子之后，谢丽尔和詹妮弗可能永远也不知道他们之后会怎么样。

Mostly, they hope they won't read about them in the news.

大多数时候，她们都还是希望，不要在新闻上看到他们。

1 redeem   

v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等）

参考例句：

• He had no way to redeem his furniture out of pawn.他无法赎回典当的家具。
• The eyes redeem the face from ugliness.这双眼睛弥补了他其貌不扬之缺陷。

2 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

3 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

4 offender   

n.冒犯者，违反者，犯罪者

参考例句：

• They all sued out a pardon for an offender.他们请求法院赦免一名罪犯。
• The authorities often know that sex offenders will attack again when they are released.当局一般都知道性犯罪者在获释后往往会再次犯案。

5 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。

6 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。

7 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句

8 ostracism   

n.放逐；排斥

参考例句：

• Until I emigrated to America,my family and I endured progressive ostracism and discrimination.我的家庭和我自己忍受着变本加厉的排斥和歧视直到我移居美国。
• For the first time in her life the import and horror of social ostracism flashed upon her.她生平第一次突然想到遭受社交界排斥的意义与可怕。

9 offenses   

n.进攻( offense的名词复数 )；（球队的）前锋；进攻方法；攻势

参考例句：

• It's wrong of you to take the child to task for such trifling offenses. 因这类小毛病责备那孩子是你的不对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Thus, Congress cannot remove an executive official except for impeachable offenses. 因此，除非有可弹劾的行为，否则国会不能罢免行政官员。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

10 inscribed   

v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接

参考例句：

• His name was inscribed on the trophy. 他的名字刻在奖杯上。
• The names of the dead were inscribed on the wall. 死者的名字被刻在墙上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

12 limbo   

n.地狱的边缘；监狱

参考例句：

• His life seemed stuck in limbo and he could not go forward and he could not go back.他的生活好像陷入了不知所措的境地，进退两难。
• I didn't know whether my family was alive or dead.I felt as if I was in limbo.我不知道家人是生是死，感觉自己茫然无措。

13 bracelet   

n.手镯，臂镯

参考例句：

• The jeweler charges lots of money to set diamonds in a bracelet.珠宝匠要很多钱才肯把钻石镶在手镯上。
• She left her gold bracelet as a pledge.她留下她的金手镯作抵押品。