经济学人51:德里之死 Death in Delhi

 　　Books and Arts;Indian film;Death in Delhi;

　　文艺；印度电影;德里之死;

　　Indian film-makers are tackling difficult subjects with a light touch

　　印度电影制作者们正以一种轻快的风格处理棘手的主题。

　　Jessica Lall, a model, was shot dead at a posh party in Delhi in 1999. Working as a bartender, she had refused to serve an obnoxious¹ reveller² at the end of the evening. Feeling snubbed, he pulled out a pistol, pointed³ it at her temple and pulled the trigger. Several partygoers saw the murder and dozens more watched as the killer⁴ fled. Once he was arrested, getting a conviction should have been easy, even in India's bent⁵ and overwhelmed courts. However, the accused, a son of a powerful politician of nearby Haryana state, was let off.

　　杰西卡·莱尔是一名模特儿，1999年，她在德里的一场豪华宴会上遭枪击身亡。当天深夜时分，在吧台工作的杰西卡拒绝为一位令人厌恶的狂欢者提供服务，对方感到受人怠慢，于是拔出手枪，对准杰西卡的太阳穴扣动了扳机。多位来宾目睹了这起谋杀，更有几十号人看到了凶手逃离一幕。一旦凶手被捕，即便是在印度腐化且力不从心的法庭上，被判有罪本也不应是难事。然而，被告身为邻近哈里亚纳邦一位强力政治人物的儿子，被宣判无罪。

　　An energetic new film, “No One Killed Jessica”, relates this true story. It follows Ms Lall's stubborn younger sister, Sabrina, as she tried to get justice done. Alone, she didn't have a chance. Acolytes⁶ of the accused's powerful family bribed⁷ and threatened witnesses. The police were paid off and evidence lost. The film's most compelling scene—and one most damning of India's semi-rotten legal institutions—shows witnesses in turn retracting⁸ their original testimony⁹, saying that they could no longer remember the events, and letting a guilty man go free.

　　一部充满活力的新片——《无人杀害杰西卡》便讲述了这段真实的故事。影片追随莱尔锲而不舍、试图伸张正义的妹妹萨布丽娜。孤身一人的萨布丽娜毫无胜算。被告所在强大家族的助手们对证人威逼利诱，警察也被买通，证据不翼而飞。本片最扣人心弦的场景展示了证人们相继翻供，表示已经忘记了这些事件，并使得罪犯逍遥法外，而这一幕也是对印度部分腐朽的法律制度最严厉的抨击。

　　So far, so discouraging. But where Sabrina failed, India's fourth estate won out. The film's title is from a sarcastic¹⁰ newspaper headline at the time of the trial, commenting on the witnesses' suspicious amnesia¹¹. After the acquittal, journalists got those who had been on the stand to admit, in effect, to their perjury¹². They also helped to organise¹³ a candlelight protest at India Gate, the heart of New Delhi, where local citizens, Dilli-wallahs, demanded “justice for Jessica” and reform of India's legal system. Shamed by the attention, the courts at last in 2006 convicted Manu Sharma, the accused, and sentenced him to life in prison.

　　情节发展至此，令人心灰意冷。不过在萨布丽娜失败之处，印度的第四等级（新闻界）却赢得了胜利。本片片名源于审判时一份讽刺报纸的大标题，以此评论证人们可疑的失忆。在无罪宣判之后，记者令那些曾在法庭上作证之人在事实上承认了自己作伪证一事，他们也帮助人们在新德里的核心地带——印度门组织了一场烛光抗议活动，当地公民（即德里人，Dilli-wallahs）要求“为杰西卡伸张正义”，并改革印度的法律体系。众目睽睽之下感到羞耻的法庭，最终在2006年判决被告摩奴·沙玛(Manu Sharma)有罪，并判处其终身监禁。

　　This is not a heartwarming tale. It took seven years and the combined heft of reporters, broadcasters, street protesters and the victims' relatives to get what should have been a simple conviction. Nor is India's legal system fixed¹⁴. Witnesses remain exposed, corruption¹⁵ is rife¹⁶, the powerless routinely trodden on. Jessica was exceptional—sexy, young, Christian¹⁷, educated, from a middle-class family—an investigative reporter's (or a film director's) dream victim. Delhi's newspapers are filled daily with stories of violent attacks on other, anonymous¹⁸, women, many of whom struggle to see any sort of justice done. Beyond India's cities, women are more vulnerable still.

　　这并非一个令人振奋的故事。记者、播音员、街头抗议者以及受害者亲属合力而为，耗费七年时间，方才获得了本应简简单单的有罪判决。而印度的法律体系也未被修复。证人依旧不受保护，腐败仍在盛行，而无权无势者常常遭人践踏。杰西卡只是个特例，性感、年轻、信奉基督教、受过教育，出身于中产阶级家庭的她正是调查记者（或者电影导演）梦寐以求的受害者。而德里的报纸上每一天都充斥着针对其他无名女性的暴力袭击故事，其中许多受害者为了讨回一点公道，都要竭尽全力。而在印度的城市之外，女性的处境还要更加脆弱。

　　Yet “No One Killed Jessica”, released in India earlier this month and due to be shown in Europe, America and elsewhere, avoids hectoring. In its best moments it evokes¹⁹ an electric Delhi—an edgy²⁰ city bursting with ambitious people and new money—helped along by a thumping²¹ soundtrack. The young director, Raj Kumar Gupta, studies the dark side of booming, urbanising, India and, although he veers²² towards caricatures at times, he has a mostly light touch. Indian film-makers are making a habit of that: last year's “Peepli Live”, an unlikely but successful satire²³ on the grim theme of farmers' suicides, is India's submission²⁴ for next month's Academy Awards.

　　不过，本月早些时候在印度上映，并计划在欧美以及其他地区上映的《无人杀害杰西卡》一片，却没有盛气凌人的叙事。在最精彩的部分，本片借助一段铿锵的音乐，营造出了一个热力四射的德里——一座遍布有志之士和新生财富的前卫城市。年轻导演拉杰·库马尔·古普塔研究着日渐繁荣、正在城市化的印度的阴暗面，尽管他会不时转而进行讽刺，但其主要风格还是轻松明快的。印度电影制作者正在养成这种习惯：去年的《自杀直播现场》便是一部令人意想不到但却获得成功的讽刺影片，该片围绕农民自杀这一残酷主题，它将作为印度的参赛作品，角逐下月的奥斯卡奖。

1 obnoxious   

adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的

参考例句：

• These fires produce really obnoxious fumes and smoke.这些火炉冒出来的烟气确实很难闻。
• He is the most obnoxious man I know.他是我认识的最可憎的人。

2 reveller   

n.摆设酒宴者，饮酒狂欢者

参考例句：

3 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

4 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

5 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

6 acolytes   

n.助手( acolyte的名词复数 )；随从；新手；（天主教）侍祭

参考例句：

• To his acolytes, he is known simply as 'the Boss'. 他被手下人简称为“老板”。 来自辞典例句
• Many of the acolytes have been in hiding amongst the populace. 许多寺僧都隐藏在平民当中。 来自互联网

7 bribed   

v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• They bribed him with costly presents. 他们用贵重的礼物贿赂他。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He bribed himself onto the committee. 他暗通关节，钻营投机挤进了委员会。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 retracting   

v.撤回或撤消( retract的现在分词 )；拒绝执行或遵守；缩回；拉回

参考例句：

• The cart can automatic retracting, releasing and laying cables. 本收放车具有自动收线、放线、排线功能。 来自互联网
• I mean, is the art of retracting just too much for you? 我是说，这个缩进技术对于你太难了吗？ 来自互联网

9 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

10 sarcastic   

adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的

参考例句：

• I squashed him with a sarcastic remark.我说了一句讽刺的话把他给镇住了。
• She poked fun at people's shortcomings with sarcastic remarks.她冷嘲热讽地拿别人的缺点开玩笑。

11 amnesia   

n.健忘症，健忘

参考例句：

• People suffering from amnesia don't forget their general knowledge of objects.患健忘症的人不会忘记关于物体的一些基本知识。
• Chinese medicine experts developed a way to treat amnesia using marine materials.中国医学专家研制出用海洋物质治疗遗忘症的方法。

12 perjury   

n.伪证；伪证罪

参考例句：

• You'll be punished if you procure the witness to commit perjury.如果你诱使证人作伪证，你要受罚的。
• She appeared in court on a perjury charge.她因被指控做了伪证而出庭受审。

13 organise   

vt.组织，安排，筹办

参考例句：

• He has the ability to organise.他很有组织才能。
• It's my job to organise all the ceremonial events.由我来组织所有的仪式。

14 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

15 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

16 rife   

adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的

参考例句：

• Disease is rife in the area.疾病在这一区很流行。
• Corruption was rife before the election.选举之前腐败盛行。

17 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

18 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

19 evokes   

产生，引起，唤起( evoke的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The film evokes chilling reminders of the war. 这部电影使人们回忆起战争的可怕场景。
• Each type evokes antibodies which protect against the homologous. 每一种类型都能产生抗同种病毒的抗体。

20 edgy   

adj.不安的；易怒的

参考例句：

• She's been a bit edgy lately,waiting for the exam results.她正在等待考试结果，所以最近有些焦躁不安。
• He was nervous and edgy, still chain-smoking.他紧张不安，还在一根接一根地抽着烟。

21 thumping   

adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持

参考例句：

• Her heart was thumping with emotion. 她激动得心怦怦直跳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He was thumping the keys of the piano. 他用力弹钢琴。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

22 veers   

v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的第三人称单数 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转

参考例句：

• The car veers out of control. 这辆车失去了控制。 来自辞典例句
• His fondness for his characters sometimes veers towards the sentimental. 他对那位主人公的偏爱有时也稍显矫情。 来自互联网

23 satire   

n.讽刺，讽刺文学，讽刺作品

参考例句：

• The movie is a clever satire on the advertising industry.那部影片是关于广告业的一部巧妙的讽刺作品。
• Satire is often a form of protest against injustice.讽刺往往是一种对不公正的抗议形式。

24 submission   

n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出

参考例句：

• The defeated general showed his submission by giving up his sword.战败将军缴剑表示投降。
• No enemy can frighten us into submission.任何敌人的恐吓都不能使我们屈服。