VOA标准英语2011--Real-life Vigilantes Come to the Rescue

Real-life Vigilantes Come to the Rescue

现实版义务警察走上街头惩治罪恶

 

You’ve probably heard of “superheroes” - crime fighters possessed¹ of incredible powers, their identities masked behind colorful costumes. Justice-seekers such as Superman, Batman and the Green Hornet.

你或许听过“超级英雄”——就是那些通常身着奇异服饰，拥有不可思议的力量对抗犯罪分子的战士们。这些正义人士包括超人、蝙蝠侠及青蜂侠等等。

They’re make-believe vigilantes - private citizens avenging² evil deeds and subduing³ violent criminals.

他们假装警员，普通百姓，嫉恶如仇，制止犯罪。

In theaters, we cheer vigilantes such as Merry Olde England’s legendary⁴ Robin⁵ Hood⁶. And Paul Kersey, played by actor Charles Bronson, who walked the streets, avenging the murder of his wife and the attack on his daughter in five “Death Wish” movies.

在影视作品中,我们欢呼英格兰的传奇罗宾汉警员Merry Olde及演员查尔斯•布朗森，他饰演的角色 保罗•克塞在电影《猛龙怪客》中主动出击，走上街头对谋杀自己妻子，袭击女儿的犯罪事件加以制裁。

Many Americans applauded the real-life “Subway Vigilante,” Bernhard Goetz, who, in 1984, shot four men who assaulted him on a New York City subway train.

许多美国人对现实版的“地铁义警” 伯恩哈德•戈茨拍手叫好，1984年他在纽约地铁对袭击他的四人开枪。

These days, all over the country, masked vigilantes are leaping out of the shadows to rescue potential victims of violent crime. The HBO cable-television documentary “Superheroes” followed 50 real-life crime fighters - including otherwise mild-mannered plumbers⁷, teachers, and cashiers - who used weapons such as batons⁸ and stun⁹ guns to accost¹⁰ real and perceived lawbreakers.

这些天,全国各地戴着面具的义务警员都从幕后走到台前救助潜在暴力犯罪受害者。HBO的有线电视纪录片“超人”就是跟随着50名这样的现实生活中正义斗士的脚步——包括温文尔雅的水管工、教师甚至收银员——这些人手拿警棍和眩晕枪之类的武器制裁可以预见犯法的人。

"Subway vigilante" Bernhard Goetz was acquitted11 of attempted murder and first-degree assault, but convicted on a weapons charge. He served eight months in jail.

One of latest citizen vigilantes is a 23-year-old Seattle man, Benjamin Fodor, who - wearing a black mask and matching full-body outfit¹² and conveniently followed by a videographer - confronted a man who was menacing another person. “Phoenix Jones,” as Fodor called his superhero persona, doused¹³ the aggressor with pepper spray - but later also sprayed some rowdy partygoers and was arrested for assault.

最近才“入行”的公民义警是一位23岁的西雅图人本杰明•弗多,他戴着黑色的面具—全身着装方便匹配,紧随其后的是一个拍摄者-面对着一个人威胁另一个人的犯罪事件。弗多称他自己这个使用胡椒喷雾的超级英雄为“凤凰琼斯”，但之后由于喷射强烈喷雾被以袭击罪逮捕。

Indeed, law-enforcement agencies take a dim view of vigilantes. Few of them have combat or weapons training, the police say. The avengers sometimes assault innocent people. And they’ve been known to go overboard with their righteous zeal¹⁴, beating citizens for littering or damaging cars whose drivers are thought to be speeding through school zones.

事实上,执法部门对义务警员持态度模棱两可。他们几乎都受过战斗或者武器使用训练,警方表示。复仇者有时还会攻击那些无辜的人。他们已经知道自己的正义情怀有点出格，比如殴打乱扔杂物的公民或因司机在学校区域超速而破坏其汽车。

“If you want to dress up and walk around, knock yourself out,” said Seattle police spokesman Mark Jamieson. “But inserting yourself into situations without knowing the facts is just not a smart thing to do.”

“如果你想打扮起来走动一下,那就尽管去做。”西雅图警方发言人马克•杰姆森说道。“但是自己插手不知道实际情况的事情就不是很明智了。”

1 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

2 avenging   

adj.报仇的，复仇的v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的现在分词 )；为…报复

参考例句：

• He has devoted the past five years to avenging his daughter's death. 他过去5年一心报丧女之仇。 来自辞典例句
• His disfigured face was like some avenging nemesis of gargoyle design. 他那张破了相的脸，活象面目狰狞的复仇之神。 来自辞典例句

3 subduing   

征服( subdue的现在分词 )； 克制； 制服； 色变暗

参考例句：

• They are the probation subduing the heart to human joys. 它们不过是抑制情欲的一种考验。
• Some believe that: is spiritual, mysterious and a very subduing colour. 有的认为：是精神，神秘色彩十分慑。

4 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

5 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

6 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

7 plumbers   

n.管子工，水暖工( plumber的名词复数 )；[美][口]（防止泄密的）堵漏人员

参考例句：

• Plumbers charge by the hour for their work. 水管工人的工作是以小时收费的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Plumbers, carpenters, and other workmen finished the new house quickly. 管道工、木工及其他工匠很快完成了这幢新房子。 来自辞典例句

8 batons   

n.（警察武器）警棍( baton的名词复数 )；（乐队指挥用的）指挥棒；接力棒

参考例句：

• There were many riot policemen with batons. 有许多带警棍的防暴警察。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Chinese police fight? Number one is a person with batons to fight! 满街飘的中国国旗，是一个老华侨在事发时那出来分给大家的，很感动，真的，从来一向多一事不如少一事的中国人今天团结到一起站出来反抗。 来自互联网

9 stun   

vt.打昏，使昏迷，使震惊，使惊叹

参考例句：

• When they told me she had gone missing I was totally stunned.他们告诉我她不见了时，我当时完全惊呆了。
• Sam stood his ground and got a blow that stunned him.萨姆站在原地，被一下打昏了。

10 accost   

v.向人搭话，打招呼

参考例句：

• He ruminated on his defenses before he should accost her father.他在与她父亲搭话前，仔细地考虑着他的防范措施。
• They have been assigned to accost strangers and extract secrets from them.他们被指派去与生疏人搭讪从并从他们那里套出奥秘。

11 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

12 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

13 doused   

v.浇水在…上( douse的过去式和过去分词 )；熄灯[火]

参考例句：

• The car was doused in petrol and set alight. 这辆汽车被浇上汽油点燃了。
• He doused the lamp,and we made our way back to the house. 他把灯熄掉，我们就回到屋子里去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 zeal   

n.热心，热情，热忱

参考例句：

• Revolutionary zeal caught them up,and they joined the army.革命热情激励他们，于是他们从军了。
• They worked with great zeal to finish the project.他们热情高涨地工作，以期完成这个项目。