The Trial That Rocked the World
John Scopes
A buzz ran through the crowd as I took my place in the packed court on that sweltering July day in 1925. The counsel for my defence was the famous criminal lawyer Clarence Darrow. Leading counsel for the prosecution was William Jennings Bryan, the silver-tongued orator , three times Democratic nominee for President of the United States, and leader of the fundamentalist movement that had brought about my trial.
A few weeks before I had been an unknown school-teacher in Dayton, a little town in the mountains of Tennessee. Now I was involved in a trial reported the world over. Seated in court, ready to testify on my behalf, were a dozen distinguished professors and scientists, led by Professor Kirtley Mather of Harvard University. More than 100 reporters were on hand, and even radio announcer s, who for the first time in history were to broadcast a jury trial. "Don't worry, son, we'll show them a few tricks," Darrow had whispered throwing a reassuring arm round my shoulder as we were waiting for the court to open.
The case had erupted round my head not long after I arrived in Dayton as science master and football coach at the secondary school. For a number of years a clash had been building up between the fundamentalists and the modernists. The fundamentalists adhered to a literal interpretation of the Old Testament. The modernists, on the other hand, accepted the theory advanced by Charles Darwin -- that all animal life, including monkeys and men, had evolved from a common ancestor.
Fundamentalism was strong in Tennessee, and the state legislature had recently passed a law prohibiting the teaching of "any theory that denies the story of creation as taught in the Bible." The new law was aimed squarely at Darwin's theory of evolution. An engineer, George Rappelyea, used to argue with the local people against the law. During one such argument, Rappelyea said that nobody could teach biology without teaching evolution. Since I had been teaching biology, I was sent for.
"Rappelyea is right," I told them.
"Then you have been violating the law," one of them Said.
"So has every other teacher," I replied. "Evolution is explained in Hunter's Civic Biology, and that's our textbook." Rappelyea then made a suggestion. "Let's take this thing to court," he said, "and test the legalityof it."
When I was indicted on May 7, no one, least of all I, anticipated that my case would snowball into one of the most famous trials in U. S. history. The American Civil Liberties Union announced that it would take my case to the U. S Supreme Court if necessary to establish that a teacher may tell the truth without being sent to jail." Then Bryan volunteered to assist the state in prosecuting me. Immediately the renownedlawyer Clarence Darrow offered his services to defend me. Ironically, I had not known Darrow before my trial but I had met Bryan when he had given a talk at my university. I admired him, although I did not agree with his views.
By the time the trial began on July 10, our town of 1,500 people had taken on a circusatmosphere. The buildings along the main street were festoonedwith banners. The streets around the three-storey red brick law court sproutedwith rickety stands selling hot dogs, religious books and watermelons. Evangelists set up tents to exhortthe passersby. People from the surrounding hills, mostly fundamentalists, arrived to cheer Bryan against the " infidel outsiders" Among them was John Butler, who had drawn up the anti-evolution law. Butler was a 49-year-old farmer who before his election had never been out of his native county.
The presiding judge was John Raulston, a florid-faced man who announced: "I'm just a reg'lar mountaineer jedge." Bryan, ageing and paunchy , was assisted in his prosecution by his son, also a lawyer, and Tennessee's brilliant young attorney-general, Tom Stewart. Besides the shrewd 68-year-old Darrow, my counsel included the handsome and magnetic Dudley Field Malone, 43, and Arthur Garfield Hays, quiet, scholarly and steeped in the law. In a trial in which religion played a key role, Darrow was an agnostic, Malone a Catholic and Hays a Jew. My father had come from Kentucky to be with me for the trial.
The judge called for a local minister to open the session with prayer, and the trial got under way. Of the 12 jurors, three had never read any book except the Bible. One couldn't read. As my father growled, "That's one hell of a jury!"
After the preliminary sparring over legalities, Darrow got up to make his opening statement. "My friend the attorney-general says that John Scopes knows what he is here for," Darrow drawled. "I know what he is here for, too. He is here because ignorance and bigotryare , and it is a mighty strong combination."
Darrow walked slowly round the baking court. "Today it is the teachers, "he continued, "and tomorrow the magazines, the books, the newspapers. After a while, it is the setting of man against man and creed against creed until we are marching backwards to the glorious age of the sixteenth century when bigots lighted faggots to burn the men who dared to bring any intelligence and enlightenment and Culture to the human mind. "
"That damned infidel," a woman whispered loudly as he finished his address.
The following day the prosecution began calling wit-nesses against me. Two of my pupils testified, grinning shyly at me, that I had taught them evolution, but added that they had not been contaminated by the experience. Howard Morgan, a bright lad of 14, testified that I had taught that man was a mammal like cows, horses, dogs and cats.
"He didn't say a cat was the same as a man?" Darrow asked.
"No, sir," the youngster said. "He said man had reasoning power."
"There is some doubt about that," Darrow snorted.
After the evidence was completed, Bryan rose to address the jury. The issue was simple, he declared "The Christian believes that man came from above. The evolutionist believes that he must have come from below." The spectators chuckled and Bryan warmed to his work. In one hand he brandished a biology text as he denounced the scientists who had come to Dayton to testify for the defence.
"The Bible," he thundered in his sonorous organ tones, " is not going to be driven out of this court by experts who come hundreds of miles to testify that they can reconcile evolution, with its ancestors in the jungle, with man made by God in His image and put here for His purpose as par t of a divine plan."
As he finished, jaw out-thrust, eyes flashing, the audience burst into applauseand shouts of "Amen". Yet something was lacking. Gone was the fierce fervour of the days when Bryan had swept the political arena like a prairie fire. The crowd seemed to feel that their champion had not scorched the infidels with the hot breath of his oratory as he should have. Dudley Field Malone popped up to reply. "Mr. Bryan is not the only one who has the right to speak for the Bible, he observed. "There are other people in this country who have given up their whole lives to God and religion. Mr. Bryan, with passionate spirit and enthusiasm, has given post of his life to politics." Bryan sipped from a jug of water as Malone's voice grew in volume. He appealed for intellectual freedom, and accused Bryan of calling for a duel to the death between science and religion.
"There is never a duel with the truth," he roared. "The truth always wins -- and we are not afraid of it. The truth does not need Mr. Bryan. The truth is eternal, immortal and needs no human agency to support it! "
When Malone finished there was a momentary hush. Then the court broke into a storm of applause that surpassed that for Bryan. But although Malone had won the oratorical duel with Bryan, the judge ruled against permitting the scientists to testify for the defence.
When the court adjourned, we found Dayton's streets swarming with strangers. Hawkerscried their wares on every corner. One shop announced: DARWIN IS RIGHT – INSIDE. (This was J. R. Darwin's everything to Wear Store.) One entrepreneur rented a shop window to display an ape. Spectators paid to gaze at it and ponderwhether they might be related.
"The poor brute cowered in a corner with his hands over his eyes, ” a reporter noted, "afraid it might be true. "
H. L. Mencken wrote sulphurous dispatches sitting in his Pants with a tan blowing on him, and there was talk of running him out of town for referring to the local citizenry as yokels . Twenty-two telegraphists were sending out 165 000 words a day on the trial.
Because of the heat and a fear that the old court's floor might collapse, under the weight of the throng, the trial was resumed outside under the maples. More than 2 000 spectators sat on wooden benches or squattedon the grass, perched on the tops of parked cars or gawked from windows.
Then came the climax of the trial. Because of the wording of the anti-evolution law, the prosecution was forced to take the position that the Bible must be interpreted literally. Now Darrow sprang his trump card by calling Bryan as a witness for the defence. The judge looked startled. "We are calling him as an expert on the Bible," Darrow said. "His reputation as an authority on Scripture is recognized throughout the world."
Bryan was suspicious of the wily Darrow, yet he could not refuse the challenge. For year s he had lectured and written on the Bible. He had campaigned against Darwinism in Tennessee even before passage of the anti-evolution law. Resolutely he strode to the stand, carrying a palm fan like a sword to repel his enemies.
Under Darrow's quiet questioning he acknowledged believing the Bible literally, and the crowd punctuated his defiant replies with fervent "Amens".
Darrow read from Genesis: "And the evening and the morning were the first day." Then he asked Bryan if he believed that the sun was created on the fourth day. Bryan said that he did.
"How could there have been a morning and evening with-out any sun?" Darrow enquired.
Bryan mopped his bald dome in silence. There were sniggers from the crowd, even among the faithful. Darrow twirled his spectacles as he pursued the questioning. He asked if Bryan believed literally in the story of Eve. Bryan answered in the affirmative.
"And you believe that God punished the serpent by condemning snakes for ever after to crawl upon their bellies?"
"I believe that."
"Well, have you any idea how the snake went before that time?"
The crowd laughed, and Bryan turned livid. His voice rose and the fan in his hand shook in anger.
"Your honor," he said. "I will answer all Mr. Darrow's questions at once. I want the world to know that this man who does not believe in God is using a Tennessee court to cast slurs on Him..."
"I object to that statement,” Darrow shouted. “ I am examining you on your tool ideas that no intelligent Christian on earth believes."
The judge used his gavel to quell the hubbuband adjourned court until next day.
Bryan stood forlornly alone. My heart went out to the old warrior as spectator s pushed by him to shake Darrow's hand.
The jury were asked to consider their verdict at noon the following day. The jurymen retired to a corner of the lawn and whispered for just nine minutes. The verdict was guilty. I was fined 100 dollars and costs.
Dudley Field Malone called my conviction a "victorious defeat." A few southern papers, loyal to their faded champion, hailed it as a victory for Bryan. But Bryan, sad and exhausted, died in Dayton two days after the trial.
I was offered my teaching job back but I declined. Some of the professors who had come to testify on my be-half arranged a scholarship for me at the University of Chicago so that I could pursue the study of science. Later I became a geologist for an oil company.
Not long ago I went back to Dayton for the first time since my trial 37 years ago. The little town looked much the same to me. But now there is a William Jennings Bryan University on a hill-top over looking the valley.
There were other changes, too. Evolution is taught in Tennessee, though the law under which I was convicted is still on the books. The oratorial storm that Clarence Darrow and Dudley Field Malone blew up in the little court in Dayton swept like a fresh wind through the schools and legislative offices of the United States, bringing in its wake a new climate of intellectual and academic freedom that has grown with the passing years.
(from Reader's Digest, July, 1962)
第十課
震撼世界的審判
約翰o司科普斯
在一九二五年七月的那個酷熱日子里,當我在擠得水泄不通的法庭里就位時,人群中響起一陣嘁嘁喳喳的議論聲。我的辯護人是著名刑事辯護律師克拉倫斯o達羅。擔任主控官的則是能說會道的演說家威廉o詹寧斯o布萊恩,他曾三次被民主黨提名為美國總統(tǒng)候選人,而且還是導致我這次受審的基督教原教旨主義運動的領導人。
幾個星期之前,我還只是田納西州山區(qū)小鎮(zhèn)戴頓的一名默默無聞的中學教員,而現(xiàn)在我卻成了一次舉世矚目的庭審活動的當事人。在法庭就座為我作證的有以哈佛大學的科特里o馬瑟教授為首的十幾位有名望的教授和科學家。到場的還有一百多名新聞記者,甚至還有一些廣播電臺的播音員,他們也要破天荒地播放一次庭審實況。就在我們靜候著法庭開審的當兒,達羅關切地摟住我的肩膀低聲安慰道:"別擔心,孩子,我們會給他們點厲害瞧瞧。"
我剛到戴頓中學任自然科學教員兼足球教練不久,這件案子就突然降臨到我的頭上。若干年來,原教旨主義者和現(xiàn)代主義者之間就一直在醞釀著一場沖突。原教旨主義者堅持嚴格按照字面意義去理解《舊約全書》,而現(xiàn)代主義者則接受查爾斯o達爾文的進化論--認為一切動物,包括猿和人,都是由同一個祖先進化而來的。
在田納西州,原教旨主義勢力很強,州立法機構最近還通過了一項法令,禁止公開講授"任何否定《圣經(jīng)》上宣講的創(chuàng)世說的理論。"這項新法規(guī)的矛頭直接指向了達爾文的進化論。有位名叫喬治o拉普利亞的工程師因反對這項法規(guī)常和當?shù)厝诉M行辯論。有一次辯論中,拉普利亞說,任何人要講授生物學,就不能不講進化論。因為我就是講授生物學的,所以他們便把我叫去作證。
"拉普利亞是對的,"我對他們說。
"那么說,你在觸犯法律,"他們中的一位說。
"所有其他的教師也都在觸犯法律,"我回答說。"亨特所著的《生物學基礎》中就講到了進化論,那是我們使用的教科書。"
于是拉普利亞提出一個建議。"讓我們將此事交付法庭判決,"他說,"以檢驗其是否合法。"
當我于五月七日被正式起訴時,誰也不曾料到,我本人更沒有料到我的這件案子竟會越鬧越大,以至成為美國歷史上最著名的庭審案例之一。美國公民自由聯(lián)合會宣布:如有必要,聯(lián)合會將把我的案子提交美國最高法院審理,"以確保教師不至于因講授真理而被送進監(jiān)獄。"接著,布萊恩自告奮勇地要協(xié)助州政府方面對我進行起訴。著名律師克拉倫斯o達羅也立即主動提出要替我辯護。具有諷刺意味的是,在這次審判之前我并不認識達羅,但我卻見過布萊恩,那是我念大學的時候,他來校作過演講。我很欽佩他,盡管我并不贊同他的觀點。
到七月十日庭審開始的時候,我們這個擁有一千五百人口的小鎮(zhèn)上呈現(xiàn)出一派看馬戲似的熱鬧氣氛。大街兩旁的建筑物上都掛起了彩旗。在法院的三層紅磚房子周圍的街道上突然冒出了許多搖搖晃晃的攤販貨架,出售的是熱狗、宗教書籍和西瓜。福音傳教士們也在街上搭起帳篷向行人傳教布道。附近一帶的山區(qū)居民,其中多半是原教旨主義者,也紛紛趕到鎮(zhèn)上來為布萊恩吶喊助威,打擊那些"外來的異教徒"。他們當中就有具體起草了那條反進化論法令的約翰o巴特勒。巴特勒是一位四十九歲的農(nóng)場主,在當選之前還從未跨出過自己的縣境。
主審法官名叫約翰o勞爾斯頓,是一位面色紅潤的男人。他操著濃重的地方口音高聲說道:"我只是個平平常常的山區(qū)法官。"布萊恩的樣子老態(tài)龍鐘,大腹便便。協(xié)助他進行起訴工作的有他的兒 1 85子--也是個律師--及田納西州年輕有為的檢察長湯姆o斯圖爾特。我的辯護人當中則除了六十八歲的精明老練的達羅外,還有英俊瀟灑、富于魅力的四十三歲的達德雷o費爾德o馬隆和文質(zhì)彬彬、學識豐富,尤其精通法學的阿瑟o伽費爾德o黑斯。在一場宗教起著關鍵作用的審判案中,達羅是個不可知論者,馬隆是個天主教徒,而黑斯則是個猶太教徒。我的父親也特意從肯塔基州趕來陪我面對這次審判。
法官請了一位當?shù)氐哪翈熤鞒珠_庭禱告儀式,接著審判便開始了。陪審團的十二名成員中,有三人除《圣經(jīng)》之外再沒有念過什么別的書,還有一人則根本不識字。難怪我父親氣呼呼地罵道:"真是他媽狗屁的陪審團!"
履行完規(guī)定的法律訴訟程序之后,達羅站起來開始發(fā)言了。"我的朋友檢察長先生方才告訴我們說約翰o司科普斯知道他為什么會被帶上法庭,"達羅拖長著聲音說。"我也知道他為什么會被帶上法庭。那是因為愚昧和偏見還很猖獗,而且這兩者又結合在一起,形成一股強大的勢力。"
達羅在熱得像烘箱似的法庭里來回踱著方步。"今天受攻擊的是教師,"他接著說道,"明天就會輪到雜志、書籍和報紙。要不了多久,社會上便會是一種人與人為仇,教派與教派為敵的局面,直到我們的社會大踏步地退回到十六世紀那光輝的年代,那時如果有誰膽敢給人類帶來智慧、知識和文化,就會被那些愚昧的偏執(zhí)狂們點燃柴堆活活燒死。"
他的話音剛落,就聽到一個婦女高聲咕嘟了一句:"這個該死的異教徒!"
第二天,控方開始傳喚證人出庭作證。出庭作證的是我的兩個學生,他們一邊羞澀地對我傻笑,一邊向法庭證明說我向他們宣講過進化論,但又補充說他們并沒有因此而受到毒害。一個叫霍華德.摩根的聰明的十四歲小男孩作證說我對他們講過,人也像牛、馬、狗、貓一樣是哺乳動物。
"他沒有說貓和人完全一樣吧?"達羅問。
"沒有,先生,"那孩子說道。"他說人是有思維能力的。" "這話怕不一定對哩,"達羅哼著鼻子說。
證人作證完畢后,布萊恩起立向陪審團陳辭。問題很簡單,他說,"基督徒相信人來自天上,進化論者則認為人一定是來自地下。"旁聽的群眾忍不住咯咯地笑了起來,布萊恩也就越說越起勁,他一只手揮動著一本生物學教科書,一邊口中發(fā)話譴責那些來到戴頓為我作證的科學家們。
"《圣經(jīng)》,"他用洪亮的嗓音大喊大叫道,"是不會被那些千里迢迢趕來作證的學者專家們趕出這個法庭的。這些專家們來到這里的目的是想證明主張人類祖先來自叢林的進化論和上帝按照天機,依其形象創(chuàng)造人類并安排到這個世界上來的看法,是并行不悖的。"
他講完話時,下巴翹得老高,眼里閃著光芒,聽眾席中立刻爆發(fā)出喝采的掌聲和"阿門"的喊聲。但似乎還是缺少了一點什么東西。昔日當布萊恩如燎原的烈火般席卷政界時表現(xiàn)出的那種火熱的激情已消失殆盡。聽眾們似乎覺得他們的這位英雄沒能充分發(fā)揮出應有的辯才將那些異端分子打個落花流水。
達德雷o費爾德o馬隆跳起來反駁布萊恩。"布萊恩可不是唯一有資格為《圣經(jīng)》辯護的人,"他說。"在我們這一國度,還有些人將自己的全部生命都奉獻給了上帝和宗教。而布萊恩先生卻滿腔熱情地將自己的大半生命獻給了政治。"布萊恩從水杯中呷了一口水,馬隆說話的音調(diào)隨之變得越來越高。他呼吁學術自由并指責布萊恩存心在科學與宗教之間挑起一場殊死決斗。
"從來沒有人能同真理決斗,"他大聲怒吼,"真理從來都是勝利者--我們并不害怕這一點。真理不需要布萊恩先生。真理是永存的、不朽的,而且并不需要依靠人的力量去維護它!"
馬隆發(fā)言結束時,場上出現(xiàn)了一陣沉默,但接著法庭里便爆發(fā)出一陣暴風驟雨般的掌聲.超過了剛才為布萊恩發(fā)出的掌聲。然而,盡管馬隆在同布萊恩進行的這場舌戰(zhàn)中取得了勝利,法官還是決定不許在座的科學家們?yōu)檗q方作證。
休庭期間,我們發(fā)現(xiàn)戴頓鎮(zhèn)的街頭巷尾到處擠滿了陌生人,每個角落里都有一些小商小販在叫賣貨物。有家商店的招牌上寫道:達爾文:沒錯--就在里面。(這是小達爾文的服裝店。)還有一個承包商租了一個商店櫥窗來展出一只猿猴。有些人便花錢去觀看這只猿猴,并思量著自己是否可能與它有什么淵源。
"這只可憐的畜牲雙手捂住眼睛,蜷縮在一個角落里,"一位記者這樣寫道,"生怕人猿同源是真的。"
HoL。門肯穿著短褲,一邊吹著電扇,一邊寫出了一些含辛辣諷刺意味的電訊文稿。由于他在文中將當?shù)鼐用穹Q作"鄉(xiāng)巴佬",因此人們議論著要將他驅(qū)逐出鎮(zhèn)。二十二個報務員每天要拍發(fā)十六萬五千字的報道這場庭審的電文。
由于天氣炎熱,加之又擔心古老的法庭地板會因承受不住人群的重量而坍塌,審判活動改在戶外楓樹蔭下繼續(xù)進行。前來觀審的有兩千多人,他們有的坐在長條木凳上,有的蹲在草地上,有的趴在停放著的汽車的車頂上,還有的人則從窗戶里傻呆呆地伸長脖子向外張望?! 〗又鴮徟械母叱钡絹砹?。由于反進化論法律條文的限制,控方只得堅持《圣經(jīng)》必須嚴格按字面意義解釋的立場。這時,達羅突然打出他的王牌,點名要布萊恩充當辯方證人。法官也滿臉驚訝。"我們要他當證人是因為他是《圣經(jīng)》研究專家,"達羅說道。"作為經(jīng)學權威,他的聲譽是舉世公認的。"
布萊恩滿心狐疑,不知那詭計多端的達羅葫蘆里在賣什么藥,但他又不能不接受這一挑戰(zhàn)。多年來他一直在講解《圣經(jīng)》,并且還曾圍繞《圣經(jīng)》著書立說。甚至在反進化論法令通過之前,他就在田納西州發(fā)動過反達爾文主義的運動。這時,只見他剛毅果敢地握著一把芭蕉扇,像是拿它當成一把退敵的利劍似的,大步流星地向證人席走去。
在達羅的平靜語調(diào)套問下,他承認自己對《圣經(jīng)》的字字句句深信不疑,旁觀的人群對他的激昂的回答不時和以熱烈的"阿門,,的喊聲。
達羅翻開《創(chuàng)世紀》念道:"夜盡晨來乃第一天也。''接下來他問布萊恩是否相信太陽是第四天創(chuàng)造出來的,布萊恩回答說他相信。
"沒有太陽之前又怎么會有早晨和晚上呢?"達羅問道。
布萊恩悶聲不響地擦拭著自己的禿頂。人群中傳出陣陣暗笑聲,連一些虔誠的基督徒也在發(fā)笑。達羅一面捻弄著他的眼鏡,一面繼續(xù)發(fā)問。他問布萊恩是否相信有關夏娃的故事字字句句都是真實的,布萊恩作了肯定的回答。
"那末你也相信上帝為了懲罰引誘夏娃的那條蛇便讓所有蛇類從那以后永遠匍匐爬行的故事是真的了?"
"我相信那是真的。"
"好哇,那么你是否知道那以前蛇類是如何行走的呢?"
觀審的人群哄地笑了起來。布萊恩氣得臉色發(fā)青,盛怒之下他調(diào)門提高了,手里拿著的扇子一個勁兒抖動著。
"法官大人,"他說。"我即刻就要回答達羅先生的所有問題。我要讓世界知道這個不信上帝的人正在利用田納西州的法庭誹謗上帝……"
"我反對這種說法,"達羅大聲叫道。"我只是在考驗你的那些愚蠢的想法,世界上沒有哪個有知識的基督徒會相信你的那些想法。"
法官敲響小木槌止住了喧嘩聲,隨即宣布休庭,次日再審。
布萊恩孤零零地站在那兒。當觀眾們紛紛從他身邊擠過去同達羅握手時,我的心替這位昔日的英雄難過起來。
第二天中午,陪審團受命對此案進行裁決。陪審員們離席退到草坪的一角,只低聲議論了九分鐘,結果是判決被告有罪。我被罰款一百美元,并支付訴訟費用。
達德雷o費爾德o馬隆稱這次庭審結果對我來說是一次"勝利的敗仗"。有幾家南方報紙,出于對他們那位已失去昔日光彩的英雄的忠誠,稱這次審判結果為布萊恩的勝利,并為之歡呼??刹既R恩本人卻因傷心勞神過度,審判結束后才過了兩天便在戴頓去世。
學校要請我回去繼續(xù)擔任原先的教學職務,但我謝絕了。有幾位前來為我作證的教授已為我爭取到了一份芝加哥大學的獎學金,因而我得以繼續(xù)進修自然科學。.后來,我成為一家石油公司的地質(zhì)學專家。
前不久,我在那次審判三十七年之后第一次重返戴頓。在我眼中,小鎮(zhèn)景物依舊,只是多了一所威廉o詹寧斯o布萊恩大學,它坐落在一個小山坡上,俯視著下面的山谷。
還有一o些其他方面的變化。進化論已經(jīng)可以在田納西州公開講授了,盡管那條曾判我有罪的法令仍未廢除。由克拉倫斯o達羅和達德雷o費爾德o馬隆在戴頓鎮(zhèn)的小小法庭上掀起的那些辯論風暴猶如一股清風吹遍了美國的學校和立法機關,隨之而來的是日漸增長的思想自由和學術自由的新氣象。
(摘自《讀者文摘》1962年7月)
詞匯(Vocabulary)
sweltering ( adj.) :that swelters or suffers from the heat;very hot;sultry熱得發(fā)昏的;酷熱
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counsel ( n.) :a lawyer or group of lawyers giving advice about legal matters and representing clients in court辯護律師;法律顧問;辯護人
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silver-tongued ( adj.) :eloquent;persuasive雄辯的;口才流利的
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orator ( n.) :a skilled,eloquent public speaker雄辯家
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jury ( n.) :a group of people sworn to hear the evidence and inquire into the facts in a law case,and to give decision in accordance with their findings陪審團
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erupt ( v.) :burst forth or out,as from some restraint進發(fā);爆發(fā);噴出
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clash ( n.) :a sharp disagreement;conflict抵觸;沖突;意見不一致;對立
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fundamentalism ( n.) :religious beliefs based on a literal interpretation of everything in the Bible and regarded as fundamental to Christian faith and morals原教旨主義(相信《圣經(jīng)》所記載的傳統(tǒng)的基督教信仰,反對較為近代的教義)
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legislature ( n.) :a body of persons given the responsibility and power to make laws for a country or state(esp. the lawmaking body of a state,corresponding to the U.S.Congress)立法機構(尤指美國的州議會)
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prohibit ( v.) :refuse to permit;forbid by law or by an order禁止;不準
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legality ( n.) :quality,condition,or instance of being legal or lawful;conformity with the law合法性
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indict ( v.) :accuse;charge with the commission of a cime; esp. make formal accusation against on the basis of positive legal evidence usually said of the action of a grand jury控告, 控訴;指控,告發(fā),對……起訴
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prosecute (v.) :institute legal proceedings against,or conduct criminal proceedings in court against對……起訴
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festoon ( v.) :adorn or hang with festoons飾以(或懸掛)花彩,結彩于
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sprout (v.) :grow or develop rapidly迅速生長,迅速發(fā)展
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rickety ( adj.) :1iable to fall or break down because weak;shaky易倒的;易垮的;不結實的;不穩(wěn)固的
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evangelist ( n.) :anyone who evangelizes(esp. a traveling preacher or a revivalist)福音傳教士(尤指巡回說教者或信仰復興者)
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exhort ( v.) :urge earnestly by advice,warning,etc.規(guī)勸,勸告,勸戒
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infidel ( n.) :a person who holds no religious belief無宗教信仰者,不信宗教者
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florid ( adj. ) : flushed with red or pink(said of the complexion)(臉色)紅潤的
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paunchy ( adj. ) :[derog. or humor](esp. of a man)having a fat stomach[貶或幽](尤指男性)大腹便便的
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attorney ( n.) :.any person legally empowered to act as agent for. or in behalf of,another(esp. a lawyer)(被當事人授權的法律事務中的)代理人
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shrewd ( adj.) :keen-witted,clever,astute or sharp in practical affairs機敏的;精明的;伶俐的
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magnetic ( adj.) :vpowerfully attractive(said of a person,personality,etc.)有吸引力的;有魅力的(指人或個性等)
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steep ( v.) :immense,saturate,absorb,or imbue(esp. used as steeped鋤:thoroughly filled or familiar with)沉浸;埋頭于(尤用作steeped in充滿著;沉湎于;精通)
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agnostic ( n.) :a person who believes that the human mind cannot know whether there is a God or an ultimate cause,or anything beyond material phenomena;atheist不可知論者
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growl (v.) :complain in an angry or surly manner牢騷滿腹地說
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spar ( v. ) :wrangle or dispute爭論;爭吵
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drawl ( v.) :speak slowly,prolonging the vowels慢慢吞吞地說
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bigotry ( n.) :the behavior,attitude,or beliefs of a bigot:intolerance;prejudice偏執(zhí)的行為(或態(tài)度、信念等);偏執(zhí);頑固;偏見
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rampant ( adj. ) :spreading unchecked;widespread蔓延的;猖獗的
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faggot ( n.) :a bundle of sticks,twigs,or branches(esp. for use as fuel)柴捆;柴把
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contaminate ( v.) :make impure,infected,corrupt,etc.使感染,傳染,毒害
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mammal ( n.) :any of a large class of warm-blooded. usually hairy vertebrates whose off springs are fed with milk secreted by female mammary glands哺乳動物
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snort ( v.) :wave,shake. or exhibit in a menacing, challenging,or exultant way(威脅地、挑戰(zhàn)似地、狂喜地)揮舞
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denounce ( v.) :condemn strongly as evil譴責,指責,痛斥
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sonorous ( adj. ) :having a powerful,impressive sound(聲音)響亮的;洪亮的
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reconcile ( adj. ) :settle(a quarrel,etc.)or compose(a difference,etc.)調(diào)解;調(diào)和;使一致;使相符
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divine ( adj. ) :given or inspired by God;holy;sacred神授的,天賜的;神圣的
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fervour ( n.) :great warmth of emotion;ardor;zeal;passion熱烈;熱情,熱心,熱誠
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arena ( n.) :any sphere of struggle or conflict競爭場所;活動場所
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prairie ( n.) :a large area of level or slightly rolling grassland大草原
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scorch (v.) :char,discolor,or damage the surface of sth. by superficial burning;burn;make a caustic attack on;assail scathingly;excoriate燒焦;烤焦;挖苦;嚴厲指責(或批評)
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pop ( v.) :[colloq.]arise;happen or arrive unexpectedly[口]突然發(fā)生,突然出現(xiàn),突然來到
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duel ( n.) :any contest or encounter suggesting such a fight,usually between two persons(常指兩人間的)爭斗,沖突,斗爭
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hush ( n.) :absence of noise;quiet;silence寂靜,平靜,安靜;默不作聲,沉默
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adjourn ( v. ) :close a session or meeting for the day or for a time休會,閉會;延期
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swarm (v.) :be filled or crowded;teem(with)充滿,被擠滿(常與with連用)
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hawker ( n.) :a person who hawks goods in the street;peddle;huckster(沿街叫賣的)小販
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entrepreneur ( n.) :[Fr.]a person who organizes and manages a business undertaking.assuming the risk for the sake of the profit[法語]企業(yè)家
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ape ( n.) :any of a family(Pongidae)of large,tailless monkeys that can stand and walk in an almost erect position猿
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ponder ( v.) :weigh mentally;think deeply about;consider carefully默想;深思;考慮
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cower ( v.) :shrink and tremble,as from someone's anger,threats,or blow(因別人發(fā)怒、威脅或打擊而)畏縮;發(fā)抖,哆嗦
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sulphurous ( adj.) :violently emotional;heated;fiery異常激動的;激烈的;暴怒的
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dispatch ( n.) :a news story sent to a newspaper,radio station,etc.,as by a special reporter or news agency(特派記者或新聞社發(fā)給報社、電臺的)(新聞)電訊,電文,通訊
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yokel ( n.) :[a contemptuous term]a person living in a rural area;rustic;country bumpkin[貶]鄉(xiāng)巴佬,土包子
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perch ( v.) :alight or rest on or as on a perch棲息;停歇;坐在高處
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gawk ( v.) :stare like a gawk,in a stupid way(像呆子般)呆呆地盯著,呆視
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wily ( adj.) :full of wiles;crafty;sly狡猾的;狡詐的;詭計多端的
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repel ( v.) :drive or force back;hold or ward off擊退;抵擋住
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fervent ( adj.) :having or showing great warmth of feeling;intensely devoted or earnest;ardent;passionate熱烈的,滿懷熱情的,熱心的,深表熱誠的;強烈的
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Genesis ( n.) :the first book of the Bible,giving an account of the creation of the universe《創(chuàng)世紀》(《圣經(jīng)·舊約》的首卷)
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snigger ( n.) :a sly,derisive,partly stifled laugh竊笑;暗笑
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twirl (v.) :rotate rapidly;spin(使)快速旋轉(zhuǎn),(使)迅速轉(zhuǎn)動
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serpent ( n.) :a snake,esp. a large or poisonous one蛇(尤指大蛇或毒蛇)
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livid ( adj.) :grayish-blue;pale;lead-colored青灰色的;鉛色的
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slur ( n.) :any remark or action that harms or is meant to harm someone's reputation;aspersion,reproach,stigma,etc.誹謗;污辱;詆毀,中傷,破壞……的名譽
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gavel ( n.) :a small mallet rapped on the table by a presiding officer in calling for attention or silence or by an auctioneer(會議主席、法官或拍賣商用以敲擊桌子的)小木槌,議事槌
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quell ( v. ) :crush;subdue;put an end to鎮(zhèn)壓;平息
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hubbub ( n.) :a confused sound of many voices;noise;uproar;tumult吵鬧聲,喧嘩,喧囂;鼎沸;騷動
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forlorn (adj.) :abandoned or deserted被拋棄的;被遺棄的;孤獨的,寂寞的/forlornly adv.
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verdict ( n.) :the formal and unanimous finding of a jury on the matter submitted to them in a trial裁定;判決
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conviction ( n.) :a convicting 0r being convicted證明有罪;(被)判罪;定罪
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短語 (Expressions)
adhere to : continue to obey or maintain(esp,a rule,standard or belief)堅持,忠于
例: She adheres to her principles throughout her teaching career. 她在整個教學生涯中始終堅持自己的原則。
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take on : begin to have呈現(xiàn)
例: Her voice took on a troubled tone.她的聲音里有些不安。
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under way: begin,start(開始)進行,在前進中。
例: We have several plans under way.我們已將幾項計劃付諸實施