英语听力文摘 English Digest 265、人性的弱点

　　Understanding Abu Ghraib
阿布格莱布监狱始建于上个世纪70年代，在萨达姆时期是用来关押伊拉克平民的监狱，萨达姆政府曾在此关押过因涉嫌与1982年杜贾尔村针对萨达姆的未遂暗杀案有关的平民，当年萨达姆政府在这所监狱内肆意折磨和杀害无辜平民，这里在萨达姆统治时期曾是“死亡与摧残”的象征。美军入侵和占领伊拉克后，在此大量关押、审讯和虐待囚犯，阿布格莱布监狱在2006年7月份关闭，所有犯人都将转移到巴格达机场内的新监狱里，为建设这所新监狱美国政府共花费了5500万美元，监狱内配备一切必要设备，关押条件符合国际标准，警卫工作由美军负责。2004年4月，美国CBS电视台公布了美军虐囚的首批照片后，爆发了举世震惊的美军虐囚丑闻，布什总统被迫为美国军人的非法野蛮行为向伊拉克人民公开道歉。2004年5月开始审判第一名被控犯下虐囚罪行的美军士兵。现在，已有11名美军官兵因虐囚案受到各种程度的处罚，最严厉的处罚是美军士兵格拉纳被判处10年监禁。

　　Understanding Abu Ghraib" on this Moment of Science.
In May, 2004 the world was shocked by the abuse of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison(阿布格莱布监狱), near Baghdad. Lurid¹ photographs and reports caused us to wonder how otherwise (1)law-abiding, (2)well-trained soldiers could commit such abuses.
The question is not new. An experiment conducted by psychologist Phil Zimbardo at Stanford University in the early 1970s explored the behavior of psychologically healthy people in a simulated prison environment.
Volunteer participants were randomly² divided into prisoners and guards. The prisoners were held in a makeshift prison and guards were told to maintain order as they (3)saw fit. It took only one day for the guards to begin abusing their authority. After a brief rebellion, the prisoners were punished by being forced to do (4)push ups and other physically³ demanding exercise. The guards also sprayed the prisoners with a fire extinguisher and threatened sexual abuse. The situation got so (5)out of hand that after only six days the two-week long experiment was aborted⁴.
Based on the experiment and others like it, Zimbardo and other psychologists concluded that in the right context anyone can do things that they would otherwise consider barbaric. During the Holocaust⁵, for example, Nazi⁶ doctors who were known to be good husbands and fathers thought nothing of torturing and killing⁷ concentration camp(集中营) prisoners. But as Zimbardo showed, the capacity for brutal⁸ behavior is not limited to Nazis⁹ or other criminals.
So while the incidents at Abu Ghraib are certainly disturbing, they are not unprecedented¹⁰. If the Stanford experiment and others like it are any indication, what happened at Abu Ghraib was not abnormal. Unfortunately, it was an example of human nature at its very worst.
Notes:
(1)law-abiding ['l?:?,baidi?] adj.守法的
Most guns are owned by law-abiding citizens and are used carefully.
拥有枪支的人大多是守法公民，而且使用非常谨慎。
(2)well-trained ['wel'treind] adj.训练有素的；良好训练
The university boasts a team of well-trained teachers.
这所大学拥有一支训练有素的教师队伍。
(3)see fit 认为(做某事)是恰当的;决定(做某事，尤指蠢事)
Use it as you see fit.
看着合适你就用吧。
(4)push ups n.俯卧撑（等于pushups）
Examples include squats¹¹, lunges, and push ups.
比如下蹲，突然跃进，上推等。
(5)out of hand 无法控制；脱手，告终；立即
I would dismiss your thesis out of hand if … I had a better one myself.
我会立即把你的论述置之脑后，如果……我自己拿得出一个更好的论点。

1 lurid   

adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的

参考例句：

• The paper gave all the lurid details of the murder.这份报纸对这起凶杀案耸人听闻的细节描写得淋漓尽致。
• The lurid sunset puts a red light on their faces.血红一般的夕阳映红了他们的脸。

2 randomly   

adv.随便地，未加计划地

参考例句：

• Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
• Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句

3 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

4 aborted   

adj.流产的，失败的v.（使）流产( abort的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）（某事物）中止；（因故障等而）（使）（飞机、宇宙飞船、导弹等）中断飞行；（使）（飞行任务等）中途失败

参考例句：

• The rocket flight had to be aborted because of difficulties with computer. 因电脑出故障，这次火箭飞行只好中辍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They aborted the space flight finally. 他们最后中止了这次宇航飞行。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

6 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

7 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

8 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

9 Nazis   

n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Nazis were responsible for the mass murder of Jews during World War Ⅱ. 纳粹必须为第二次世界大战中对犹太人的大屠杀负责。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

11 squats   

n.蹲坐，蹲姿( squat的名词复数 )；被擅自占用的建筑物v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的第三人称单数 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• The square squats in the centre of the city. 广场位于市中心。 来自互联网
• Various squats, lunges, jumps and sprints are incorporated for the humans. 主人们还要进行下蹲、弓步、跳跃和短跑等各项训练。 来自互联网