EZCNN 易英网

Psychics: An Unsolved Case 通灵鉴识奇案

課文朗讀

課文中英文講解

繁體中文譯本

Their fame is like the ebb and flow of the oceans. When they are in favor, people respect them for their alleged clear-sightedness; when they are not, people treat them like pariahs. Regardless of their status, psychics claim that because of their link to the supernatural world, they can see, feel, and predict things that elude most mortals.

他们的名声如潮水般起起落落。受欢迎时，人们因其声称的通灵而给予尊重；不受欢迎时，则被视为贱民。撇开他们的地位不谈，灵媒宣称因为自己能与超自然界沟通，而能够看到、感觉、预测多数凡人感受不到的事物。

Psychics have had different names throughout history. In Greece, they were regarded as oracles; in Israel, they were known as prophets; and in primitive societies, they were referred to as shamans. Nowadays, we call them psychics. These people use various approaches, including tarot, trances, meditation, etc., to access the unknown.

历史上，灵媒有过很多不同的名称。在希腊，他们被奉为祭司；在以色列，称为先知；在原始社会里，他们则是巫师。而现代，我们称之为灵媒。这些人借着不同方法来进入未知的世界，包括塔罗牌、神灵附体、冥想等等。

All societies, at one point or another, have believed in the existence of psychics. In the contemporary world, though, two principal forces have tried to disprove their claims. The first one, the Catholic Church, does believe in the existence of the supernatural, but sees psychic activities as the work of the Devil. The second is the rise of scientific thought, which encourages people to observe the world in terms of fixed laws.

所有社会多少都曾经相信灵媒的存在。然而，在现代社会，有两股主要势力试图驳斥灵媒之说。第一股势力是天主教会，它的确相信超自然的存在，但将灵媒活动视为撒旦的作为。第二股势力是科学思维的兴起，它鼓励人们依据定律来观察世界。

Between the believers and the skeptics lies parapsychology, a branch of psychology that attempts to employ the rational method to explain the paranormal. This field looks at phenomena such as telepathy and haunting. Still, many in the scientific community do not recognize parapsychology as a real science.

超心理学介于信者与不信者之间，是心理学的分科，试图以理性的方式来解释超自然现象。该领域探索心灵感应、闹鬼等现象。然而，科学界许多人不承认超心理学是真正的科学。

Vocabulary

alleged [əˋlɛdʒd] adj. 声称的，被说成的

prophet [ˋprɑfɪt] n. 先知

primitive [ˋprɪmətɪv] adj. 原始的

meditation [͵mɛdəˋteʃən] n. 冥想; 打坐

disprove [dɪsˋpruv] v. 证明……是虚假的；反驳

rational [ˋræʃən!] adj. 理性的；合理的

More Information

psychic [ˋsaɪkɪk] n. 灵媒，巫师

ebb and flow: 潮起潮落 the alternate ebb and flood of the tide; often used figuratively

in favor: 得宠, 受到宠爱  approving, supporting, or endorsing someone or something

clear-sightedness: [ˋklɪrˋsaɪtɪdnɪs] n. 有远见; 有慧眼 having sharp, clear vision

pariah [ˋpærɪə] n. 印度世袭阶级中的贱民

elude [ɪˋlud] v. 使困惑，难倒

mortal [ˋmɔrt!] n. 人，凡人

oracle [ˋɔrək!] n.〔古希腊时〕宣示神谕的人﹐传神谕者

shaman [ˋʃɑmən] n. 萨满（教巫师）

tarot [ˋtæro] n. 塔罗纸牌

trance [træns] n. 催眠状态; 恍惚；出神

at one point or another: :在某些时刻; 偶尔 at several different times (or situation)

contemporary [kənˋtɛmpə͵rɛrɪ] adj. 当代的

law [lɔ] n.（科学等的）法则，定律，原则

skeptic [ˋskɛptɪk] n. 怀疑者

parapsychology [͵pærəsaɪˋkɑlədʒɪ] n. 通灵学﹐ 心理玄学〔对于某些人所声称具有的神奇能力的科学研究〕

paranormal [͵pærəˋnɔrməl] adj. 超过正常范围的；超自然的

phenomenon [fəˋnɑmə͵nɑn] n. 现象  (名复: phenomena)

telepathy [təˋlɛpəθɪ] n. 心灵感应，传心术

haunting [ˋhɔntɪŋ] n.（鬼魂等）常出没于

課文中英文講解

One area in which psychics have made numerous claims of success is that of crime solving. There are many documented instances of psychics assisting police investigators as they try to find a missing person or unmask a criminal. Oftentimes, the authorities will turn to psychics when they have run out of leads and a case is going nowhere.

在某一个领域中，灵媒们多次声称获得成功，那就是协助破案。有许多记录显示，警方在寻找失踪人口或查缉罪犯时，曾寻求灵媒的协助。有关当局在用尽线索而案情仍陷入胶着时，往往会求助于灵媒。

One such case is presented in the Discovery Channel’s Psychic Witness, in which Carol Broman and Dorothy Allison, two psychics, help law enforcement officials crack a terrible case involving teenage boys. Thanks to their powers, several clues are brought to light, such as the name of the city where the police will find one of the boys, the exact date when he will be found, a scar on the perpetrator’s fingertip, and the letter “M” being in the name of the business he works for.

Discovery频道的《通灵鉴识奇案》有一个这样的案例，在节目中，卡萝．布罗曼和朵萝西．艾利森两位灵媒，协助执法人员侦破一件骇人的青少年案件。多亏她们大显神通，多条线索被揭露出来，像是警方将在哪一个城市找到其中一名少年、他被发现的精确的日期、凶手指尖上的疤痕，以及他任职公司的名称中有字母M。

While they do not always have all the facts right, psychics have more than once stunned detectives with accuracy of their visions. Many detectives who have been helped by psychics will seek their assistance with subsequent investigations. In the case mentioned above, the detective in charge had been a skeptic, but by the time the mystery was solved, he had become convinced of the utility of psychics in police work. In the course of assisting in an investigation, psychics often experience tremendous pain, sadness, or fear. Nevertheless, it does not stop them from lending a mind.

虽然灵媒的线索不是每次都正确，不过他们预言的正确性，却不只一次令警探瞠目结舌。许多曾受灵媒帮忙的警探，在之后的调查中仍会继续寻求他们的协助。在前文提到的案例当中，负责调查的警探曾对灵媒存疑，但到了真相大白之际，他便深信灵媒的确对破案有帮助。在协助办案的过程中，灵媒常经历极大的痛苦、悲伤或恐惧。然而，这不会阻止他们出借心智。

Vocabulary

document [ˋdɑkjəmənt] v.〔通过记述﹑拍电影或拍照片的方式来〕记载

investigator [ɪnˋvɛstə͵getɚ] n.〔尤指针对犯罪的〕调查员

lead [lid] n. 线索，提示

enforcement [ɪnˋforsmənt] n. 执行

crack [kræk] v. 破解（密码），解开（难题等）

stun [stʌn] v. 使大吃一惊；使目瞪口呆

subsequent [ˋsʌbsɪ͵kwɛnt] adj. 随后的

utility [juˋtɪlətɪ] n. 效用

tremendous [trɪˋmɛndəs] adj. 巨大的

More Information

unmask [ʌnˋmæsk] v. 撕下……假面具；揭露

bring to light: 揭露 reveal

scar [skɑr] n. 疤；伤痕

perpetrator [͵pɝpəˋtretɚ] n. 做坏事者；犯罪者

detective [dɪˋtɛktɪv] n. 侦探；私家侦探

lend [lɛnd] v. 借给〔某人钱或东西〕﹐借出

課文中英文講解

Despite the case presented in Psychic Witness,  just how true are the psychics’ claims? According to the skeptics, if we look close enough, holes in the astonishing “visions” will soon start appearing. Hard-line critics go even further and contend that psychics have not helped solve a single murder or kidnapping case in the United States.

且不论《通灵鉴识奇案》节目中的案例，灵媒所说的究竟有多少真实性？根据存疑者的说法，如果我们张大眼睛，令人惊奇的「预言」很快就会出现漏洞。强硬派的批评者甚至更进一步声称，灵媒从未对美国任何谋杀或绑架案的破案有贡献。

Many of the clues given by psychics are vague enough as to seem true after the fact. For instance, “I see lots of white …. a house, a church, or a house near a church” are bits of general information. It is likely that whatever is discovered will somehow fit the information. Another accusation often thrown at psychics is that they conduct so-called “cold reading.” By using this technique, a psychic leads his audience – a detective, for example – to give plentiful verbal or visual information without the person being aware of it. With these clues, the psychic is able to gather enough information to know what to say.

许多由灵媒提供的线索都很含糊，以致于事情结束后，似乎确有相符之处。举例来说，「我看到大片白色……一栋房子，一间教堂，或教堂附近的一栋房子」，这些都是笼统的琐碎信息。无论后来发现了什么，可能多少都符合这项信息。另外，灵媒常被指控他们进行所谓的「冷读」。灵媒藉这个方法来引导他的观众（譬如刑警）在不知不觉中，透露许多所见所闻。有了这些提示，灵媒得以收集足够的信息，因而知道该说些什么。

Finally, we must keep in mind that psychic “successes” always get reported, while the “misses” tend to be ignored. Therefore, if one psychic does help a case and twenty do not, can we still assert that psychics are for real? To be fair, however, it would seem that most psychics are convinced of the validity of their claims and do intend to put their powers to good use. As a result, no matter what we believe, this case will probably never be closed.

最后，我们必须记得，灵媒的「成功」总会被传开来，而「失误」往往被忽略。因此，如果一位灵媒成功协助了某个案件，但在另二十个案子没帮上忙，我们仍能断言真的有通灵这种事吗？不过持平而论，多数灵媒都深信自己所说的是真的，也的确有意善用自己的能力。因此，无论我们是否相信，此事大概永远无法结案吧！

－By J. Michael Cole

Vocabulary

astonishing [əˋstɑnɪʃɪŋ] adj. 令人惊讶的；惊人的

kidnapping [ˋkɪdnæpɪŋ] n. 诱拐，绑架

accusation [͵ækjəˋzeʃən] n. 指控，控告

conduct [kənˋdʌkt] v. 引导，带领; 实施

assert [əˋsɝt] v. 断言，声称

More Information

hole [hol] n. 漏洞；缺陷

hard-line [ˋhɑrd͵laɪn] adj. 毫不妥协的；采强硬态度的

contend [kənˋtɛnd] v. 坚决主张，声称

vague [veg] adj. 模糊不清，不明确的

verbal [ˋvɝb!] adj. 口头的

for real: 确实, 实在地, 真的 truly so in fact or actuality

validity [vəˋlɪdətɪ] n. 有效性；效力；合法性