2017考研英語《經濟學人》閱讀：無法改變的悲劇

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Cameron Todd Willingham

卡梅倫·陶德·威廉漢姆

Irrevocable

無法改變

Texas may well have killed an innocent man

得克薩斯可能殺死了一名無辜者

Was the real villain a faulty wire?

真正的罪魁禍首是一根故障電線?

ON THE morning of December 23rd 1991 a fire destroyed a home in Corsicana, Texas shared byCameron Todd Willingham, his wife and their three daughters. The fire killed the girls; MrsWillingham was at the Salvation Army store shopping for Christmas gifts. Mr Willinghamsurvived. The next year he was convicted of setting the fire. He was sentenced to death andexecuted in 2004.

1991年12月23日上午，一場火燒掉了德克薩斯州科西卡納城的一處民居，這里住著卡梅倫·托德·威靈厄姆、他的妻子和他們的三個女兒。大火燒死了三個小姑娘，威靈厄姆夫人彼時正在救世軍商店買圣誕禮物。威靈厄姆活了下來。一年后他被判有縱火罪。死刑判決于2004年宣判并執行。

His conviction rested on arson investigators'findings and the testimony of Johnny Webb, ajailhouse informant who claimed that Willingham had confessed to him. Shortly before theexecution, Willingham's lawyers sent the governor and parole board a report from GeraldHurst, another arson investigator, detailing multiple flaws in the first investigation. Heconcluded that the fire was caused by a space heater or faulty electrical wiring. Officials appearto have received this report before Willingham's execution, but did nothing with it. Severalindependent arson investigators reached similar conclusions.

其罪名是基于縱火調查人的發現和獄中報案人約翰尼·韋伯的證詞——此人聲稱威廉漢姆曾向自己供罪——而判處的。處決前不久，威廉漢姆的律師像州長和假釋委員會遞送了另一位縱火調查人杰拉爾德·哈斯特的報告，報告詳述了首次調查中的多項漏洞。哈斯特的結論是，這場大火是由電暖器或故障電線引發的。官員們似乎是在威廉漢姆處決前收到了這份報告，但卻不了了之。獨立進行縱火調查的數方得出了相似結論。

Willingham insisted on his innocence, refusing to plead guilty even to avoid execution. MrWebb testified that, as he was passing Willingham's cell, he heard him confess to having donethe deed to cover up child abuse committed by his wife. But no bruises or signs of abusewere found on the children's bodies.

威廉漢姆堅稱自己清白無辜，他拒不服罪，甚至拒絕為免除死刑申訴。韋伯作證說，他在經過威廉漢姆的小房間時聽到了后者供認自己為掩蓋妻子虐女行為而作此舉。但是孩子們的尸體上并未發現傷痕或施虐痕跡。

Mr Webb recanted his testimony in 2000. He then recanted his recantation, but admitted to ajournalist that “It's very possible I misunderstood what [Willingham] said.” Mr Webb alsotestified that he was promised no benefit in exchange for his testimony. In February,however, lawyers working to get Willingham a posthumous pardon revealed a note discoveredin Mr Webb's file with the Navarro County prosecutor promising a reduced charge “based oncoop[eration] in Willingham”. On April 3rd Texas denied Willingham a pardon. His lawyers canreapply in April 2016.

2000年，韋伯宣布撤回證詞。接著他又取消了撤回，但又向記者承認“很有可能是我理解錯了[威廉漢姆]那番話”。韋伯還證實了自己作證不會得到任何利益。然而，在二月份，努力為威廉漢姆爭取死后赦免的律師們公布了韋伯檔案中發現的一則記錄，在記錄中，納瓦羅縣檢察官允諾將“基于威廉漢姆的[配]合”減刑處理。4月3日，德克薩斯方面拒絕了赦免威廉漢姆的要求。其律師可于2016年4月重新申請。

1.convict of 宣判(某人)犯有(某罪)

例句:She is convict of the manslaughter of herhusband.

她被宣判犯有殺害丈夫的罪行。

2.appear to 似乎

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

美國國會的參議員們今天似乎把這個問題小題大做了。

3.refuse to 拒絕

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

當地的主管機構可能會拒絕向非官方的武術組織出租設備。

4.cover up 掩蓋

例句:Sophistry can never cover up the truth.

狡辯無法掩蓋事實真相。