VOA常速英语207--美国《宪法》第四修正案——确保公民隐私

In a bid to protect the rights of citizens, the founders¹ of the United States of America included in the Constitution, or the legal framework of the new government, ten Amendments³: three to protect individual rights and seven to ensure justice. They are collectively named the Bill of Rights.

为了维护市民的权利，美利坚合众国的创建者们在《宪法》（或称美国新政府的法律框架）中写入了10条修正案：其中3条是为了保护个人的权利，另外7条是为了确保正义。这10条修正案合称为《权利法案》。

The Fourth Amendment² deals with issues of privacy. It states that “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable⁴ searches and seizures⁶, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

第四修正案与隐私有关。其中写道，“人民的人身、住宅、文件和财产不受无理搜查和扣押的权利，不得侵犯。除依据可能成立的理由，以宣誓或代誓宣言保证，并详细说明搜查地点和扣押的人或物，不得发出搜查和扣押状。”

Search and seizure⁵ of private property by authorities was a major grievance⁷ with the framers of the Constitution. This is borne out in the writings of James Otis Jr., a colonial lawyer in Massachusetts who argued in court against Writs⁹ of Assistance, used instead of warrants by British officials to enter private homes and businesses to search for evidence of smuggling¹⁰. Writs never expired and were transferrable from one official to another.

当局搜查扣押个人财产是宪法制定者们一个主要的不满。这一点在马萨诸塞州殖民地律师詹姆斯 奥蒂斯的著作中就可以得到证实，詹姆斯在法庭上反对《搜查令状》，《搜查令状》授权英国官员可以在任何个人和企业的屋里搜查走私证据。《搜查令状》永远不会过期，而且可在官员之间手手相传。

Arguing before a British court that writs should not be legal, Otis said that with a writ⁸, “Custom-house officers may enter our houses when they please; we are commanded to permit their entry. Their menial servants may enter, may break locks, bars, and everything in their way; and whether they break through malice¹¹ or revenge, no man, no court can inquire. Bare suspicion without oath is sufficient.”

詹姆斯在一个英国法庭上辩称《搜查令状》违法时说道，只有《搜查令状》在手，“海关官员就可以随意进入我们的房屋；我们被命令要允许他们进入。他们的随从可以也可以随意进入，破坏锁头、栅栏和任何一切挡他们路的事物；无论他们的破门而入是出于恶意还是报复，任何个人、任何法庭都不能追究。他们不需要发誓，觉得可疑这个理由就再充分不过了。”

Otis lost that case. But his arguments, as well as memory of the violations¹² of privacy and unreasonable searches suffered by the colonists¹³ under the British government, influenced the framers of the Constitution. And thus, the first Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to deal with justice, took aim at unreasonable search and seizure.

虽然詹姆斯输掉了那场官司，但是他的辩论以及在英国政府统治下的被殖民者们所遭受的违背隐私和不合理搜查的记忆影响了《宪法》的制定者们。因此，《宪法》第一个与正义有关的修正案就直指不合理的搜查和扣押行为。

As a result, any search, seizure or arrest requires a judicially-sanctioned warrant which must be supported by probable cause. The warrant is limited in scope by specific information supplied to the issuing court. Evidence obtained without a warrant, and thus illegally, cannot be introduced into a criminal trial.

其结果是，任何搜查、扣押、逮捕行为都需要出示司法认可的保证书，保证书必须写明可以支持搜查的理由。从范畴上讲，保证书要受到提交给其下发法庭的特定信息的限制。因此，不是通过保证书获得的证据都是非法的，是不能供刑事审判使用的。

In the words of mid-20th century Supreme¹⁴ Court Justice Potter Stewart, “At the very core stands the right of a man to retreat into his own home and there be free from unreasonable governmental intrusion."

正如20世纪中叶最高法院法官波特所言，“第四修正案的核心是公民待在自己家，并且不受政府无理由闯入的权利。”

1 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

2 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

3 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

4 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

5 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

6 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

7 grievance   

n.怨愤，气恼，委屈

参考例句：

• He will not easily forget his grievance.他不会轻易忘掉他的委屈。
• He had been nursing a grievance against his boss for months.几个月来他对老板一直心怀不满。

8 writ   

n.命令状，书面命令

参考例句：

• This is a copy of a writ I received this morning.这是今早我收到的书面命令副本。
• You shouldn't treat the newspapers as if they were Holy Writ. 你不应该把报上说的话奉若神明。

9 writs   

n.书面命令，令状( writ的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies. 管理局须发出令状的选举，以填补这些空缺。 来自互联网
• Writs of arrest were issued for a thousand students throughout the country. 全国各地有一千名学生被拘捕。 来自互联网

10 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

11 malice   

n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋

参考例句：

• I detected a suggestion of malice in his remarks.我觉察出他说的话略带恶意。
• There was a strong current of malice in many of his portraits.他的许多肖像画中都透着一股强烈的怨恨。

12 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

13 colonists   

n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。