2019年经济学人 社会名流克劳斯·冯·比洛(1)

 

Claus von Bülow, socialite and protagonist¹ of two sensational² American trials, died on May 25th, aged³ 92. In every person's life, Claus von Bülow said once, there remained a big question mark. A shadow of doubt. It remained even if they had been convicted of a crime, and even if they had been acquitted⁴. He had been both.

社会名流、美国两次轰动一时的审判的主角克劳斯·冯·比洛于5月25日去世，享年92岁。克劳斯·冯·比洛曾表示，在每个人的生活中，都有一个大问号。一丝怀疑。不管他们被判有罪，还是他们被判无罪，这种情况都会存在。他两种情况都经历过。

His glitter-laden trials, among the first to be televised, caused a sensation in America. They left half the country thinking one thing, and half thinking another. He was convicted in 1982 of the attempted murder of his wife, Sunny, by injecting her with insulin. In 1980 she had been found unconscious on the marble floor of the master bathroom of their mansion⁵, Clarendon Court, in Newport, Rhode Island. Soon she was in a coma⁶ from which she did not emerge. She had low bloodsugar, and he knew too much insulin would kill her.

他光彩夺目的审判是第一批在电视上播出的审判之一，在美国引起了轰动。它们让一半的国家持这种观点，一半的国家持另一种观点。1982年，他因试图给妻子桑尼注射胰岛素而被判谋杀罪名成立。1980年，她被发现昏迷不醒，躺在他们位于罗德岛新港市的豪宅克拉伦登法院主浴室的大理石地板上。不久，她就陷入昏迷，再也没有醒过来。她有低血糖，比洛知道过多的胰岛素会害死她。

He had the motive⁷: he wanted to leave her for his mistress, Alexandra Isles⁸, a tv actress, but divorce would cut him off from Sunny's fortune. He also apparently⁹ had the means. A small black travel-bag had been found by Sunny's maid in his closet; it contained a bottle of insulin and a needle encrusted with it. The maid also testified that Sunny had fallen ill before from too much insulin, and her husband had refused for four hours to call a doctor. He called his mistress then to say that he was watching his wife die. The evidence was overwhelming; he was given 30 years.

他有杀死桑尼的动机：他想离开桑尼，去找他的情妇、电视女演员亚历山德拉·艾尔斯。但是离婚会让他们分割财产。很明显，比洛也有工具。桑尼的女仆在他的壁橱里发现了一个小的黑色的旅行袋。里面装着一瓶胰岛素和一根针。女仆也证实了桑尼在摄入很多胰岛素之前就已生病。而且在四个小时的时间里，他都不让桑尼去看医生。然后他打电话给他的情妇，说他眼看着他的妻子死去。证据确凿，比洛被判了30年监禁。

1 protagonist   

n.(思想观念的)倡导者；主角，主人公

参考例句：

• The protagonist reforms in the end and avoids his proper punishment.戏剧主角最后改过自新并避免了他应受的惩罚。
• He is the model for the protagonist in the play.剧本中的主人公就是以他为模特儿创作的！

2 sensational   

adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的

参考例句：

• Papers of this kind are full of sensational news reports.这类报纸满是耸人听闻的新闻报道。
• Their performance was sensational.他们的演出妙极了。

3 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

4 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。

5 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

6 coma   

n.昏迷，昏迷状态

参考例句：

• The patient rallied from the coma.病人从昏迷中苏醒过来。
• She went into a coma after swallowing a whole bottle of sleeping pills.她吃了一整瓶安眠药后就昏迷过去了。

7 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

8 isles   

岛( isle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the geology of the British Isles 不列颠群岛的地质
• The boat left for the isles. 小船驶向那些小岛。

9 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。