时代周刊 总统议程最有力的执行者 杰夫·塞申斯(5)

To critics, all these theories are no more than window dressing¹ for a racist² system

对批评者们而言，所有这些理论不过是种族主义制度的粉饰门面，

that intimidates³, imprisons⁴ and kills black people indiscriminately in order to make white people feel safe.

为了让白人感到安全，他们不分青红皂白地恐吓、监禁和杀害黑人。

Since the 1960s, "law and order" has been a coded political slogan, a fear-based appeal to galvanize white voters.

20世纪60年代以来，“法律与秩序”就一直是一个暗藏的政治口号，一直是一种基于恐惧的诉求，为的是激励白人选民。

"There is a consensus⁵ that the war on drugs of the 1980s and '90s destroyed communities, disproportionately impacted people of color,

“人们一致认为，80年代和90年代的禁毒战争不仅摧毁了众多社区，给有色人种造成了严重的影响，

ballooned the criminal-justice system and the prisons, and exacerbated⁶ poverty and inequality in our country, "

让刑事司法系统和监狱变得人满为患，还加剧了我国的贫困问题和不平等问题。

says Todd Cox, director of policy for the NAACP Legal Defense⁷ and Educational Fund.

“全国有色人种协进会”法律辩护和教育基金政策主任托德·考克斯说到。

By turning the Justice Department away from civil rights and toward harsh enforcement, Sessions embodies⁸ what many see as the institutional racism⁹ of the Trump¹⁰ Administration.

将司法部的事务从民权转向严厉执法的塞申斯代表着许多人眼中特朗普政府的那种制度性种族主义。

He has taken the racially coded messages that served as dogwhistles during the campaign and operationalized them into policy.

他不仅接受了竞选期间充当狗哨（政治术语）的种族主义信息，还将它们纳入了实际的政策。

The conviction among his critics that Sessions is racist has sometimes led them to overreach.

批评人士中间那种坚信塞申斯是种族主义分子的信念有时也会导致这些人贪功致败。

In February, a Democratic Senator and the American Civil Liberties Union blasted him for referring to the "Anglo-American heritage of law enforcement" in a speech.

今年2月，一名民主党参议员和美国公民自由联盟因为塞申斯在一次演讲中提到了“英美执法传统”这一说法便对他进行了抨击。

It was a factual description, one Obama had used on many occasions.

然而，这一说法不过是种事实性描述，奥巴马也曾在多个场合下使用过这一说法。

But in explaining it to me, Sessions couldn't resist a detour¹¹ into cultural stereotypes¹².

不过，在向我解释该问题的时候，塞申斯还是未能避免陷入文化成见。

"I believe the American legal system, which clearly developed out of England, is a wonder of the world,

“我相信，美国的司法体系，这一司法体系明显根植于英国的司法体系，称得上是世界的一大奇迹，

and it's based on the fact that lady justice is blindfolded," he said.

这一司法体系也是建立在正义女神被蒙住了眼睛这一事实基础之上的，”他说。

"When you go and travel like I have—to Kosovo, to Afghanistan, to Iraq--where we've invested huge amounts of money and effort to export our legal system to a culture that's totally unfamiliar¹³ with it,

当你和我一样，去过科索沃，阿富汗和伊拉克——我们为了往他们那种对司法体系完全陌生的文化输出我们的司法体系投入了大量的人力物力的地方，

it doesn't work.

你就知道，这一套行不通。

It's because it requires a degree of trust and respect, education and maybe even a cultural predisposition.

因为要对他们输入我们的司法体系，还需要一定程度的信任，尊重，教育，甚至是文化倾向性。

Sessions contends that the policies he champions help minority communities by cleaning up their neighborhoods.

塞申斯认为，他倡导的政策是有功于弱势群体社区的，因为他的政策让那些社区变得更加有序了。

"If you do the map of your city and you've got five times the murders in a minority neighborhood, do you just go away?"

“如果你画一张你所在城市的地图，结果发现弱势群体社区发生谋杀案的概率是其他地区的五倍，你是直接搬走呢？”

he asked me, eyes narrowed.

他眯着眼睛向我问到。

"Or do you prosecute¹⁴ the criminals who are committing the murders?

还是起诉那些犯下了谋杀罪的凶手呢？

That's the fundamental answer.

这才是最基本的答案。

And the other thing is, you think the mothers who've got children, the older people who are afraid to walk to the grocery store—

还有就是，你觉得，那些拖着孩子的母亲，那些连街都不敢上的老人，

shouldn't they be free just like they are in the elite¹⁵ part of town? "

他们难道不应该像精英社区那些人一样自由自在吗？”

Sessions leaned over the plastic airplane table.

塞申斯靠在飞机上的塑料桌上。

"Whose side are you on?" he asked.

“你会站在哪一边？”他问。

"I'm on the victims' side, and overwhelmingly the victims are minorities.

“反正我是站在受害人一边的，而我们绝大多数的受害者都是弱势群体。

The prosecution¹⁶ of certain minorities for murder, the victim is overwhelmingly another African American or Hispanic.

某些弱势群体被指控犯有谋杀罪的案件中，受害者也十有八九是他们的非裔或者拉丁裔同胞。

It occurs within their own communities."

那些谋杀案其实就发生在他们自己社区内部。”

1 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

2 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

3 intimidates   

n.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的名词复数 )v.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He intimidates the children by shouting at them. 他朝孩子们大声叫喊以吓唬他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Militant Islam condemns and intimidates and kills Muslims before anyone else. 穆斯林武装分子非难、恐吓和杀害穆斯林自己人在先。 来自互联网

4 imprisons   

v.下狱，监禁( imprison的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Gatsby was overwhelmingly aware of the youth and mystery that wealth imprisons and preserves. 盖茨比深切地体会到财富怎样禁锢和保存着青春与神秘。 来自辞典例句
• And he who defines his conduct by ethics imprisons his song-bird in a cage. 那用伦理道德界定他行为的人就像将他歌唱的鸟儿关进了笼子。 来自互联网

5 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

6 exacerbated   

v.使恶化，使加重( exacerbate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The symptoms may be exacerbated by certain drugs. 这些症状可能会因为某些药物而加重。
• The drugs they gave her only exacerbated the pain. 他们给她吃的药只是加重了她的痛楚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 embodies   

v.表现( embody的第三人称单数 )；象征；包括；包含

参考例句：

• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This document embodies the concern of the government for the deformity. 这个文件体现了政府对残疾人的关怀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

10 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

11 detour   

n.绕行的路，迂回路；v.迂回，绕道

参考例句：

• We made a detour to avoid the heavy traffic.我们绕道走，避开繁忙的交通。
• He did not take the direct route to his home,but made a detour around the outskirts of the city.他没有直接回家，而是绕到市郊兜了个圈子。

12 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 unfamiliar   

adj.陌生的，不熟悉的

参考例句：

• I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
• The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。

14 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

15 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

16 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。