经济学人:卡梅伦·陶德·威廉汉姆得克萨斯可能杀死了一名无辜者

时间:2016-01-18 17:31:48 编辑:mike 可可英语APP下载 | 可可官方微信:ikekenet

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ON THE morning of December 23rd 1991 a fire destroyed a home in Corsicana, Texas shared by Cameron Todd Willingham, his wife and their three daughters.
1991年12月23日上午，一场火烧掉了德克萨斯州科西卡纳城的一处民居，这里住着卡梅伦·托德·威灵厄姆、他的妻子和他们的三个女儿。

The fire killed the girls; Mrs Willingham was at the Salvation Army store shopping for Christmas gifts.
大火烧死了三个小姑娘，威灵厄姆夫人彼时正在救世军商店买圣诞礼物。

His conviction rested on arson investigators'findings and the testimony of Johnny Webb, a jailhouse informant who claimed that Willingham had confessed to him.
其罪名是基于纵火调查人的发现和狱中报案人约翰尼·韦伯的证词—此人声称威廉汉姆曾向自己供罪—而判处的。

Shortly before the execution, Willingham's lawyers sent the governor and parole board a report from Gerald Hurst, another arson investigator, detailing multiple flaws in the first investigation.
处决前不久，威廉汉姆的律师像州长和假释委员会递送了另一位纵火调查人杰拉尔德·哈斯特的报告，报告详述了首次调查中的多项漏洞。

He concluded that the fire was caused by a space heater or faulty electrical wiring.
哈斯特的结论是，这场大火是由电暖器或故障电线引发的。

Officials appear to have received this report before Willingham's execution, but did nothing with it.
官员们似乎是在威廉汉姆处决前收到了这份报告，但却不了了之。

Willingham insisted on his innocence, refusing to plead guilty even to avoid execution.
威廉汉姆坚称自己清白无辜，他拒不服罪，甚至拒绝为免除死刑申诉。

Mr Webb testified that, as he was passing Willingham's cell, he heard him confess to having done the deed to cover up child abuse committed by his wife.
韦伯作证说，他在经过威廉汉姆的小房间时听到了后者供认自己为掩盖妻子虐女行为而作此举。

He then recanted his recantation, but admitted to a journalist that It's very possible I misunderstood what Willingham said.
接着他又取消了撤回，但又向记者承认很有可能是我理解错了威廉汉姆那番话。

Mr Webb also testified that he was promised no benefit in exchange for his testimony.
韦伯还证实了自己作证不会得到任何利益。

In February, however, lawyers working to get Willingham a posthumous pardon revealed a note discovered in Mr Webb's file with the Navarro County prosecutor promising a reduced charge based on cooperation in Willingham.
然而，在二月份，努力为威廉汉姆争取死后赦免的律师们公布了韦伯档案中发现的一则记录，在记录中，纳瓦罗县检察官允诺将基于威廉汉姆的配合减刑处理。

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1.convict of 宣判（某人）犯有（某罪）
例句:She is convict of the manslaughter of her husband.

她被宣判犯有杀害丈夫的罪行。

2.appear to 似乎

例句:On Capitol Hill, senators today appear to view the matter as something of a tempest in a teapot.

美国国会的参议员们今天似乎把这个问题小题大做了。

3.refuse to 拒绝

例句:Local authorities are likely to refuse to hire facilities to unrecognised martial arts organisations.

当地的主管机构可能会拒绝向非官方的武术组织出租设备。

4.cover up 掩盖

例句:Sophistry can never cover up the truth.

狡辩无法掩盖事实真相。

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重点单词		查看全部解释
misunderstood	[,misʌndə'stud]	想一想再看 adj. 被误解的 v. 误解，误会（misunders	联想记忆 X 单词misunderstood 联想记忆： mis错，understood理解
independent	[indi'pendənt]	想一想再看 adj. 独立的，自主的，有主见的 n. 独立	联想记忆 X 单词independent 联想记忆： in不+(de加强+pend=hang悬挂+able→可靠的)→独立的
promising	['prɔmisiŋ]	想一想再看 adj. 有希望的，有前途的
irrevocable	[i'revəkəbl]	想一想再看 adj. 不能唤回的，不能取消的，不能变更的	联想记忆 X 单词irrevocable 联想记忆： revoke（vt 撤回；废除）re反，voke喊－废除
deed	[di:d]	想一想再看 n. 事迹，行为，[法]契约 vt. 立契转让
sophistry	['sɔfistri]	想一想再看 n. 诡辩
martial	['mɑ:ʃəl]	想一想再看 adj. 军事的，战争的	联想记忆 X 单词martial 联想记忆：源于：Mars（n 火星；战神）
benefit	['benifit]	想一想再看 n. 利益，津贴，保险金，义卖，义演 vt.	联想记忆 X 单词benefit 联想记忆： bene好，fit做－做事后的好处
recantation	[.ri:kæn'teiʃən]	想一想再看 n. 取消，撤回，改变宗教信仰
pardon	['pɑ:dn]	想一想再看 n. 原谅，赦免 vt. 宽恕，原谅	联想记忆 X 单词pardon 联想记忆： par平等+don给予→给予平等→原谅，宽恕