原味人文风情

What If the Death Penalty Disappeared in the U.S.?
看美国，思索死刑废存议题

What would happen if the death penalty just disappeared in the U.S.? The government could continue executions of the roughly 3,000 inmates currently sentenced to death, or retroactively sentence them to life without parole instead. From a financial standpoint, this would make a lot of sense. Death row inmates require stricter security that costs more money. And since prisoners can remain on death row for decades, that adds up. States would also save money on prosecutions. Death penalty cases can cost up to 10 times more than others. So, it's cheaper.
如果死刑就这样从美国消失会怎样？政府可以继续执行目前约三千名死刑犯的处决，或溯及既往改判他们无期徒刑且不得假释。就财政立场来看，这会实际许多。死囚需要更严密的看守，那花费更多钱。而因为囚犯可能在死牢待上好几十年，那费用就增加了。各州也会省下诉讼费。死刑案可能比其他案件花上多达十倍的费用。所以，无期徒刑比较便宜。

But shouldn't serious criminals pay the ultimate price? Perhaps. But since 1973, more than 150 people on death row were eventually found innocent. Prisoners wait years, even decades, for execution, not knowing when or if it will come. And recently, changes in drugs used for lethal injection have resulted in gruesomely botched executions. Some prisoners have chosen not to appeal their cases to shorten the time they have to spend on death row.
不过难道重刑犯不该付出最终代价吗？或许吧。但自1973年来，超过一百五十名被判死刑的人最终被证实是清白的。囚犯等待处决好几年，甚至好几十载，不知道那天何时到来，或那天是否会到。近来，注射死刑用药的改变导致极拙劣的死刑执行案件。有些犯人选择不上诉自己的案子以缩短他们等待处决的时间。

But doesn't the death penalty deter crime? Actually, murder rates in states without the death penalty have remained lower than states which have it. The death penalty is also disproportionately applied to minority offenders. So, no death penalty might mean a little more equality in the justice system, a lot of money saved, and more time for prosecutors to try other cases.
但死刑不是会吓阻犯罪吗？事实上，没有死刑各州内的谋杀率比有死刑的州来得低。死刑也特别会被判在少数族裔犯罪者身上。因此，废除死刑可能代表司法系统能有多一点平等、省下更多金钱，而检察官能有更多时间审理其他案件。

重点内容讲解

1.make sense 合理、可行
例句：From a financial standpoint, this would make a lot of sense.
就财政立场来看，这会实际许多。

2.result in 导致

例句：And recently, changes in drugs used for lethal injection have resulted in gruesomely botched executions.
近来，注射死刑用药的改变导致极拙劣的死刑执行案件。

3.death penalty 死刑
例句：And the question is how does poverty fit into that question of life issues, with the prolife, with the death penalty.
问题是，贫困问题,是怎样和反堕胎，死刑等问题一同，被纳入生命这个话题中来的。

4.add up 把(数目)加起来(求出总和)，加算，合计
例句：Add up these figures, please.
请把这些数字加起来。