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Mediation: Keeping It Out of Court 仲裁：避免上法庭打官司

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

These days, the legal systems of many countries are overloaded. Furthermore, resolving civil disputes through the court system is often a slow, expensive, and frustrating process. In response to these challenges, mediation has emerged as a viable and increasingly popular alternative to court trials.

近来，许多国家的司法制度运作都超过负荷了。而且经由上法庭这套制度来解决争端，其中的过程通常耗时、费钱，而且令人深感挫折。因应这些挑战，仲裁应运而生，代替了法庭审判成为可行之道，日渐受到欢迎。

Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution that stands outside the state-sponsored judiciary process. A qualified mediator helps the disputing parties to reach a mutually acceptable resolution. Though the results of mediation are rarely legally binding, it is, nevertheless, encouraged by the legal system since it saves both state funds and court time. In clear contrast to trials, which focus on an adversarial approach and the differences between disputing parties, mediation requires parties to work together towards attaining a mutually acceptable solution.

仲裁是独立于国家司法公器之外，用来解决争端的另一种途径。合格的仲裁人协助发生争执的两造磋商，以达成双方都能接受的解决办法。虽然仲裁的结果绝少带有法律约束力，但是正规的司法制度鼓励人们透过这个管道，因为仲裁能节省国家的经费和法庭的时间。很明显地，法庭审判将重点放在当事人双方的对抗和两造争执的相异之处，相较之下仲裁采取的办法则是双方一起向达成两者都能接受的解决之道前进。

For familial disputes, mediation is particularly attractive. Adoptions and divorces are, by their nature, emotionally charged issues in a less intimidating setting, shielded from uninvited observers.

对于处理家庭纠纷，仲裁特别有吸引力。收养案和离婚案因为在本质上侧重人情，仲裁处理起这类案件的场面比较不伤人，不致成为无关痛痒者旁观看戏的对象。

To succeed, mediation requires the goodwill of both parties. When animosity replaces communication, mediation ceases to be an alternative. And some people will always want the satisfaction of having their day in court. For these folks, old-fashioned litigation remains the best option.

要仲裁成功，必须双方都有善意。一旦敌意取代了沟通，仲裁就无法成为替代的解决方案。总有些人一心想要上法庭，对这些人而言，诉讼这个老办法依旧是最佳选择。

Vocabulary

单词发音

mediation [midɪˋeʃən] n. 调停, 调解, 仲裁

civil dispute 民事纠纷 a civil dispute has to do with cases involving people or groups of people in which no criminal laws are broken

viable [ˋvaɪəb!] adj. 可实行的

judiciary [dʒuˋdɪʃɪ͵ɛrɪ] adj. 司法的；法庭的

mediator [ˋmidɪ͵etɚ] n. 调停者

legally binding  [法]有法律约束力的 enforceable by law

adversarial [͵ædvɚˋsɛrɪəl] adj. 对抗的

familial [fəˋmɪljəl] adj. 家庭的；家族的

adoption [əˋdɑpʃən] n. 收养﹐领养

intimidating [ɪnˋtɪmə͵detɪŋ] adj. 令人紧张不安的; 令人生畏的

animosity [͵ænəˋmɑsətɪ] n. 仇恨，敌意；憎恶

litigation [ˋlɪtəˋgeʃən] n.【法律】〔民事案件的〕诉讼﹐讼争

Sentence of the Day

Mediation is a great way to hash out a dispute without the court system.

采用仲裁是免上法庭而能解决争端的好方法。

hash out  想办法解决,仔细讨论

课文讲解

Christine and John are talking over the phone about their friends’ marriage difficulties:  克莉丝蒂和约翰在电话中交谈，两人谈到了朋友婚姻的困难处境：

J: Sally even told me they’re considering a divorce. It’s really no surprise, I guess. Her relationship with Bob has been on the rocks for a while.

莎莉甚至告诉我，他们考虑要离婚了。我想他们那么做恐怕也没什么奇怪的，她和鲍伯的关系已经触礁很久了。

C: Well, there may still be room for reconciliation. If not, I just hope the divorce is as painless as possible. I hear some divorce cases drag on for months before going to trial.

或者还有转寰的空间也不一定。如果真的不行了，我当然希望他们离婚的过程越不痛苦越好。我听说有些离婚案子拖上好几个月才判决。

J: On top of that, the trial itself sounds agonizing. Who wants the details of one’s personal life dragged across a public courtroom? For the couple, it’s hard, but it can really be traumatic when kids are involved.

再说，审判这种事听起来就很痛苦。谁愿意自己的私人生活细节在法庭上公开？这一对当事人已经够苦的了，如果有小孩牵扯在内，可能对他们更是一种深深的创痛。

C: A colleague of mine recently got divorced. Instead of going to trial, they settled everything through mediation. The mediator helped them work out a settlement together in private.

我有一位同事最近离婚了。她不上法庭，用仲裁来解决一切问题。仲裁人私下帮忙他们一起找解决问题的办法。

J: I understand mediation is also non-confrontational, so there’s less need to rely on lawyers who don’t always have the couple’s best interests at heart.

我知道仲裁比较不会产生正面冲突，所以比较不需要律师，律师有时候并不会把当事人的最大利益摆在第一顺位。

C: That, and mediator fees are much lower than lawyer fees …..

除了那以外，仲裁费比律师费便宜多了…

J: Just in case they can still work out their differences, let’s give them the number of a marriage counselor first. There may still be hope.

万一他们还能够化解歧见的话，让我们先把婚姻咨询顾问的电话号码给他们，或许还有一线希望。

C: Let’s keep our fingers crossed, for their sake.

为了他们好，来祝福他们吧。

－by David Wand

Vocabulary

单词发音

on the rocks 触礁；濒于破裂 likely to fail because of serious problems

reconciliation [rɛkən͵sɪlɪˋeʃən] n. 调解，调停; 和解

drag on 拖延 last unnecessarily long

on top of that 除此之外

agonizing [ˋægə͵naɪzɪŋ] adj. 令人痛苦难忍的; 令人烦恼的

courtroom [ˋkort͵rʊm] n. 审判室﹐法庭

traumatic [trɔˋmætɪk] adj. 〔经历〕痛苦难忘的﹐造成精神创伤的

settle [ˋsɛt!] v. 解决（问题等）

work out  找出处理某事物的方法; 解决某事物

non-confrontational 非对抗性的; 不正面冲突的 not aggressive, hostile, or threatening

confrontational [͵kɑnfrʌnˋteʃənəl] adj. 对抗的；对抗性的

at heart  本质上, 实际上; 心里 in one's deepest feelings; fundamentally

just in case  以防万一

keep one’s fingers crossed 祈求好运  to wish for luck for someone or something, sometimes by actually crossing one's fingers; to hope for a good outcome for someone or something

Sentence of the Day

Before deciding on a divorce, Sally and Bob need to do a little soul searching.

莎莉和鲍伯在决定离婚之前，两人须要先扪心自问，好好反省自己。

soul searching  真挚的自己反省