VOA慢速英语2016 美国警告对穷人罚款这一行为（在线收听）

AS IT IS 2016-03-29 US Warns Against Fines on Poor People 美国警告对穷人罚款这一行为

The U.S. Justice Department says that issuing large fines and putting poor people in prison for not paying them is illegal.

美国司法部表示开出高额罚款，并把交不出罚款的穷人送进监狱是违法的。

The law enforcement agency said putting people in jail or prison for not paying fines is unconstitutional. It damages trust in communities and local governments, it said.

执法部门表示，因为没有交罚款就把人们送进监狱是违宪的，这样做会破坏当地政府的公信力、

The Justice Department warning came after a conference in Washington in December. It revealed that some communities relied on fines as a source of revenue.

去年华盛顿会议之后美国司法部发出此警告，揭露说，有些团体以罚款作为一种收入来源。

The government found that fines and jailing happened frequently in Ferguson, Missouri. The small community near St. Louis was the center of attention in 2014. That year, street protests occurred after a policeman shot a black teenager to death.  

政府发现这种现象在密苏里州，弗格森很常见。2014年圣路易斯附近的一个小团体是公众的焦点。那年，一名警察开枪打死了一个黑人男孩，由此引发了公众示威游行。

It was reported by multiple media sources that Ferguson’s court fines account for 20 percent of the city’s revenue. Fines were enforced for minor crimes like littering and speeding. Fines would reach over $500.

多家媒体报道，弗格森的法院罚款所得占城市总收入的20%。这些罚款都是从像乱扔垃圾和随地吐痰这种小型犯罪而来。罚款额可达到500美元。

Attorney General Loretta Lynch, the U.S.’s top law enforcement official, said local courts should not fine the poor to pay for the government, and then arrest people who cannot pay the fines.

美国的高级执法官员，司法部长洛雷塔·林奇表示当地法院不应该对穷人罚款来支付政府的开支，还逮捕没有能力交罚款的人。

“The consequences of poverty are not only harmful, they are far-reaching,”Lynch said. She continued to say the poor deserve the ability to support their families.

林奇说：“贫困的后果不仅是有害的，他们是深远的。”她还说穷人也应该养家。

Words in This Story

relied - v. to depend on someone or something

revenue- n. money that is collected for public use by a government

account - v. to think of as

consequence - n. something that happens as a result of something else

teenager – n. someone who is between 13 and 19 years old

littering – v. to throw or leave wastes on the ground in a public place

warrants – n. court-approved documents that give police the power to do something