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America’s Court of Last Resort 美国司法的最后凭借

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Most of us still remember the U.S. presidential election of 2000. Election results in the deciding state of Florida showed George W. Bush winning by less than 600 votes. Al Gore challenged the results, which led to a multitude of lawsuits by various parties. With these lawsuits pending, the nation waited, teetering on the precipice of constitutional chaos. Just who would be the next president of the United States of America?

我们之中大部分的人都还记得2000年的美国总统大选。关键性的佛罗里达州选举结果显示小布什赢不到600票，高尔质疑这个结果，最后导致一连串由不同当事人提起的诉讼。这些诉讼在等候判定时，全国的人民也在等候，心完全悬在宪政混乱的这个大石头上。到底谁会是下一任美国总统？

Enter the Supreme Court of the United States. In the case commonly known as Bush v. Gore, the Court upheld the original Florida election results and cancelled all vote recounts, thereby giving George W. Bush the presidency. Many Americans were upset with this ruling, but many also seemed to accept the Court’s ruling as the necessary solution to a very serious problem. After all, which institution ought to have been called upon to render judgment in a national emergency other than this “court of last resort”?

来介绍一下美国的最高法院。在这个一般被称为「布什对高尔」的案件中，最高法院【注】支持佛罗里达原来的选举结果，并取消所有的重新验票，因此让布什坐上了总统宝座。许多美国人对这个判决很不满，但似乎还是有很多人接受法院的判决是重大问题的必要解决之道。毕竟，在国家遭遇紧急状况时，不找这个可做最后凭借的法院作判决到底要找哪个单位？

The U.S. Supreme Court was born with the ratification of the U.S. Constitution at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Article IIIof the Constitution provides for the establishment of “one supreme court.” And with its very first legislative act, the Judiciary Act of 1789, the new Congress created the Supreme Court.

美国最高法院是在1787年的制宪大会经由美国宪法批准而诞生的。美国宪法第三条规定要成立「一个最高法院」。新国会在1789年通过了第一条法案「司法法」，于是诞生了最高法院。

【注】在法律与政治用语中，一般称美国的最高法院为「the Court」，美国国会为「Congress」，美国宪法为「the Constitution」。其它情况下，这些简称字不会用大写。

Vocabulary

单词发音

last resort 最后的王牌, 最后的手段 an expedient adopted only in desperation

pend [pɛnd] v. 等候判定或决定

teeter [ˋtitɚ] v. 摇晃；站不稳；动摇 move unsteadily

precipice [ˋprɛsəpɪs] n. 危急的处境；灾难的边缘 the steep sheer face of a cliff or crag

uphold [ʌpˋhold] v. 维持；赞成 to maintain, affirm, or defend against opposition or challenge

ruling [ˋrulɪŋ] n. 裁决，裁定

call upon〔正式〕要求〔某人做某事〕to make a demand or a series of demands on

render [ˋrɛndɚ] v. 作出（判决等）to submit or present, as for consideration, approval, or payment

ratification [͵rætəfəˋkeʃən] n. 批准；承认 approval

convention [kənˋvɛnʃən] n. 会议，大会

legislative [ˋlɛdʒɪs͵letɪv] adj. 由法律规定的；根据法律执行的

judiciary [dʒuˋdɪʃɪ͵ɛrɪ] adj. 司法的

Sentence of the Day

“Judgement, not passion should prevail.”

要用判断力而非激情来战胜他人。

课文讲解

Through a process known as judicial review, the Court hears legal cases arising from the Constitution. As a practical matter, the Court has neither the time nor the resources to review every constitutional case. Accordingly, it reviews only cases it believes are most important to the nation’s welfare. In reaching a decision, the Court generally relies on judicial precedent set by its predecessors in similar cases. The Court’s judgment then becomes part of a body of constitutional jurisprudence, which taken together is the supreme law of the land.

经由一个叫做「司法审查」的过程，最高法院审理宪法中的法律案件。实际上，最高法院既没时间也没资源来审理每个宪法案件，因此只审理它认为对国家利益最重要的案子。为了达成决议，最高法院一般都会依据之前法官在类似案例中所做的司法判决先例来做判决。最高法院的判决随后成了宪法体系的一部分，这整个宪法体系就是美国的最高法律。

It seems remarkable that this enormous power is vested in only nine people. The Court consists of one chief justice and eight associate justices. Each is appointed for life, which means he or she leaves the Court only upon death or voluntary retirement. At this time, the sitting president selects a replacement, whose suitability is then confirmed by the senate. Often, this process is a mere formality, but the senate sometimes may attempt to block an appointment for political reasons, usually tied to partisan party concerns.

值得注意的是，这么大的权力只赋予九名人士。最高法院由一位首席大法官及八位大法官组成，每位都是终身职，意思是说除了过世或自愿退休，大法官永远不会离职。大法官出缺时，现任总统会选择一个继任者，至于适不适任则要由参议院来行使同意权。通常行使同意权的程序只是一个形式而已，但是参议院有时可能会为了政治因素而阻挠任命案，这些因素通常是以党派为考虑。

Though Lady Justice may be blind – hence, perfectly impartial – the august personages of the U.S. Supreme Court can not always be so perfect. As the year 2000 election demonstrated, political acrimony is common-place in America – as in all nations – for better or for worse.

虽然正义女神的眼睛看不见──因此才能大公无私──这些令人敬畏的美国最高法院法官可并非人人都像正义女神一样那么完美。就像2000年美国总统大选所显示的，不管是好是坏，政治角力在美国就跟在世界各国一样是家常便饭。

－by William F. Levings

Vocabulary

单词发音

judicial [dʒuˋdɪʃəl] adj. 司法的；审判的

precedent [ˋprɛsədənt] n. 先例，前例；【律】判例

predecessor [ˋprɛdɪ͵sɛsɚ] n. 前任；前辈

jurisprudence [͵dʒʊrɪsˋprudns] n. 法律体系 the philosophy or science of law

vest [vɛst] v. 授予，赋予（权力，财产等）to confer (a right, title, property, etc., upon) or (of a right, title, etc.) to pass (to) or devolve (upon)

suitability [sutəˋbɪlətɪ] n. 合适﹐ 适合﹐ 适宜 the quality of having the properties that are right for a specific purpose

formality [fɔrˋmælətɪ] n. 拘泥形式 an established form, rule, or custom, especially one followed merely for the sake of procedure or decorum

partisan [ˋpɑrtəzn] adj. 党派性强的

impartial [ɪmˋpɑrʃəl] adj. 公正的，无偏见的 not partial or biased; unprejudiced

august [ɔˋgʌst] adj. 威严的 of noble birth or high rank

personage [ˋpɝsnɪdʒ] n. 名人﹐ 要人 a person of distinction

acrimony [ˋækrə͵monɪ] n.（言语、态度等的）厉害；辛辣；激烈; 【正式】尖刻﹐ 刻薄 bitter, sharp animosity, especially as exhibited in speech or behavior

for better or for worse 不管是好是坏; 不管结果如何 this could be good or bad

Sentence of the Day

If you lose your case, you can try to make it to higher court.

如果打输了官司，可以试着上诉到更高等的法院。