VOA标准英语2011--Outdated Laws Still on Books in US State

Outdated¹ Laws Still on Books in US States

If you’re planning a trip to the United States, be very careful. You could easily break one of our laws and not know it.
We’re not talking about obvious illegal behavior, like throwing a chair through your hotel window. No, there are other, more obscure offenses² that could get you in trouble.
Say you visit Alabama. Whatever you do, do not sprinkle salt on any railroad tracks. Not only is it against the law in that southern state - it’s punishable by death.
Really, at least according to warnings that are flying all over the Internet. We can’t find the actual legal citation³, though, and this is quite possibly one of those urban legends.
Want to go whale hunting? Don’t do it in Utah, where it’s supposedly illegal. Doesn’t matter that Utah is 1,500 kilometers from the nearest ocean. Whale hunting is forbidden.
And be warned, you can’t legally set a mousetrap in California without a hunting license⁴, either. Tease a skunk⁵ in Minnesota, and they can haul you off to jail.
You’re probably saying, “If these silly old laws are real, why not get rid of them?” Well, suppose you’re on the town council in Waterville, Maine. You stand up and proclaim that it’s high time to do away with the law that makes it illegal to blow your nose in public. The voters in Waterville would toss you out of office for wasting time on such things.
And a lot of old laws, if they really exist, have to do with sex, religious beliefs, and cuddly⁶ animals. So some interest group would get involved if you made a fuss. So laws like one in Indiana that makes it illegal for monkeys to smoke stay on the books.
As for that salt-on-the-tracks law, we asked around to see why such a thing might have become law. Turns out that in the heyday⁷ of railroading all over the nation, crews used to spread salt in the wintertime. Freezing mud that reached track level could derail a train, and rock salt kept the mud soft. Problem was, the salt attracted cattle. And hitting one of them could derail a train for sure.

1 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

2 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

3 citation   

n.引用，引证，引用文；传票

参考例句：

• He had to sign the proposition for the citation.他只好在受奖申请书上签了字。
• The court could issue a citation and fine Ms. Robbins.法庭可能会发传票，对罗宾斯女士处以罚款。

4 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

5 skunk   

n.臭鼬，黄鼠狼；v.使惨败，使得零分；烂醉如泥

参考例句：

• That was a rotten thing to do, you skunk!那种事做得太缺德了，你这卑鄙的家伙！
• The skunk gives off an unpleasant smell when attacked.受到攻击时臭鼬会发出一种难闻的气味。

6 cuddly   

adj.抱着很舒服的，可爱的

参考例句：

• The beautiful crib from Mom and Dad is so cuddly.爸爸妈妈送的漂亮婴儿床真舒服。
• You can't call a hedgehog cuddly.你不能说刺猬逗人喜爱。

7 heyday   

n.全盛时期，青春期

参考例句：

• The 19th century was the heyday of steam railways.19世纪是蒸汽机车鼎盛的时代。
• She was a great singer in her heyday.她在自己的黄金时代是个了不起的歌唱家。