时间:2018-12-08 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2018年(一月)


英语课

 


In a bid to protect the rights of citizens, the founders 1 of the United States included in the Constitution, the legal framework of the new government, ten Amendments 3: three to protect individual rights and seven to ensure justice. They are collectively named the Bill of Rights.


The Fifth Amendment 2 defines constitutional limits on the government's prosecution 4 of persons accused of crimes.


FILE - Workers at the Massachusetts State Archives in Boston point to a section of an original copy of the Bill of Rights.


FILE - Workers at the Massachusetts State Archives in Boston point to a section of an original copy of the Bill of Rights.


The Amendment's first clause requires that one may not be tried for a serious crime unless he or she is first indicted 5 by a grand jury. The grand jury, an old common-law English institution, acted as a sort of filter, protecting the accused from unreasonable 6 or punitive 7 prosecutions 8 by the English monarchy 9. The Framers of the Constitution chose to retain the Grand Jury system to protect the accused from overzealous prosecution by the central government.


The second clause protects the accused from repeated trials for the same offence, so-called double jeopardy 10. This means that once an individual is found to be innocent of a crime, he or she cannot be harassed 11 through the courts by multiple prosecutions for the same alleged 12 offense 13.


The third clause protects the accused from being forced to testify against him or herself in criminal cases. During trial, a witness may “plead the fifth” Amendment, thus declining to answer questions where the answers might incriminate him or her.


The fourth, or Due Process clause, guarantees fair treatment through the judicial 14 system for all persons. It requires the government to respect all rights, guarantees, and protections afforded by the Constitution and all applicable laws before the government can deprive any person of life, liberty, or property.


Finally, the Just Compensation clause declares that although the federal government does have the right to take private property for public use, it must pay the owner of that property fair market value at the time of the taking.


The Fifth Amendment prevents excesses of the courts, something that many of the Constitution's Framers had witnessed under British rule. It prevents forcing the accused into self-incrimination through intimidation 15, and guarantees fair treatment by the courts.


In the words of mid-20th century Supreme 16 Court Justice William O. Douglas, “The Fifth Amendment is an old friend and a good friend, one of the great landmarks 17 in men's struggle to be free of tyranny, to be decent and civilized 18.”



1 founders
n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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 prosecution
n.起诉,告发,检举,执行,经营
  • 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。
5 indicted
控告,起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )
  • The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
  • He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。
6 unreasonable
adj.不讲道理的,不合情理的,过度的
  • 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。
7 punitive
adj.惩罚的,刑罚的
  • They took punitive measures against the whole gang.他们对整帮人采取惩罚性措施。
  • The punitive tariff was imposed to discourage tire imports from China.该惩罚性关税的征收是用以限制中国轮胎进口的措施。
8 prosecutions
起诉( prosecution的名词复数 ); 原告; 实施; 从事
  • It is the duty of the Attorney-General to institute prosecutions. 检察总长负责提起公诉。
  • Since World War II, the government has been active in its antitrust prosecutions. 第二次世界大战以来,政府积极地进行着反对托拉斯的检举活动。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
9 monarchy
n.君主,最高统治者;君主政体,君主国
  • The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
  • The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的,无甚实际意义。
10 jeopardy
n.危险;危难
  • His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
  • It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻,上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。
11 harassed
a.被指控的,嫌疑的
  • It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
  • alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为
12 offense
n.犯规,违法行为;冒犯,得罪
  • I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
  • His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。
13 judicial
adj.司法的,法庭的,审判的,明断的,公正的
  • He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
  • Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。
14 intimidation
n.恐吓,威胁
  • The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
  • The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。
15 supreme
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的
  • 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。
16 landmarks
n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 );目标;(标志重要阶段的)里程碑 ~ (in sth);有历史意义的建筑物(或遗址)
  • The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句
17 civilized
a.有教养的,文雅的
  • Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
  • rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为
学英语单词
ability to repay
Abū Kabir
accidental resemblance
Adenacanthus longispicus
anglesite
anteosaurids
anvil cutter
biotite hypersthene trachyte
blnk
bowelless
brammall
carbon dioxide gas laser
cash on the barrel head
catheter a demeure
chiasms
collecting societies
consummate art
control post
creatase
crow step
cryptocrystalline
decreaser
desperance
device-template library
dig one's feet in
direct-care
dirt boat
double-beam optical null
Echinochloa cruspavonis
electrical apparatus element
electrical arc
electromechanical pick up
Ethel Reefs
evacuateth
expansive classification
fibre optic element
forestage
forestiera neomexicanas
fueling distribution
Gelle test
geodetic photogrammetry
grees
have something taped
hydroacoustic contact
ignore rule
indignancies
industrial tyre
integral inner ring
interchange agreement
large bolt rope needle
make same height
marker radio beacon
mechanized packing lot
melchester
multicolor emission
neodigoxin
nephotettix apicalis (st?l)
net filter
owatonna
Pacific Mail
paramilitarism
Pass Christian
Pathum Thani
pepsinogenous
Phenyldimazone
polybag plant
polyvinylacetal
porphyrea
precision emitter location strike system
preliminary assay
quatenus
quesos frescos
quiners
rabbit-ear test
radioxenon
rail joint bond
refunding bond
riding hood
roll bender
Saxifragales
Scutellaria forrestii
sitting ducks
space of discission
special checkout equipment for satellite
speicher
step-by-step transmitter
sulphur dioxide
tear your away
telescopic oiler
the frozen limit
tonomorpheme
tough break
tripudium
unilateral stimulus
unsafety
us-iraqi
vagina bulbi
value-shiftings
veruel
virtual point
whoop-dee-doo
yolks