The study of law has been recognized for centuries as a basic intellectual discipline in European universities.

几个世纪以来，有关法律的研究一直被看成是欧洲各国大学的一门基本的知识学科。

However, only in recent years has it become a feature of undergraduate programs in Canadian universities.

不过，只是在最近几年有关法律的研究才成为加拿大大学教育的一门学科。

Traditionally, legal learning has been viewed in such institutions as the special preserve of lawyers, rather than a necessary part of the intellectual equipment of an educated person.

传统上在加拿大的高等学府里，学习法律一直被看作是律师的专门工作，而不是一个受过良好教育的人所必须具备的知识素养。

Happily, the older and more continental view of legal education is establishing itself in a number of Canadian universities and some have even begun to offer undergraduate degrees in law.

幸运的是，加拿大的许多大学正在树立法律教育更传统、更具有大陆特性的观念，有些甚至已经开始授予法律学士学位.

If the study of law is beginning to establish itself as part and parcel of a general education, its aims and methods should appeal directly to journalism educators.

如果有关法律的研究正在开始成为普通教育一个不可缺少的学科的话，那么它的目的和方法应该会即刻吸引新闻学教育家。

Law is a discipline which encourages responsible judgment.

法律是一门学科，这门学科鼓励进行有责任的判断。

On the one hand, it provides opportunities to analyze such ideas as justice, democracy and freedom.

一方面，它分析提供了分析如公正、民主以及自由概念的机会。

On the other, it links these concepts to everyday realities in a manner which is parallel to the links journalists forge on a daily basis as they cover and comment on the news.

另一方面，法律又将正义、民主和自由这些观念与日常生活中的实际联系在一起，其方式就如同新闻工作者在报道和评论新闻事件时，以日常生活为基础，使这些观念与实际情况相结合一样。

For example, notions of evidence and fact, of basic rights and public interest are at work in the process of journalistic judgment and production just as in courts of law.

比如，有关证据和事实、基本权利和公众利益这样的概念在新闻判断和新闻制作过程中起作用，就像在法庭上一样。

Sharpening judgment by absorbing and reflecting on law is a desirable component of a journalist's intellectual preparation for his or her career.

通过学习并且反省法律来强化判断是一名新闻记者为其事业进行知识准备时渴望实现的。

But the idea that the journalist must understand the law more profoundly than an ordinary citizen rests on an understanding of the established conventions and special responsibilities of the news media.

但是，新闻工作者对于法律的理解应该比普通公民更加深刻，这个观点是建立在对新闻媒体的既定规范和特殊的社会责任有深刻认识之上的。

Politics or, more broadly, the functioning of the state, is a major subject for journalists.

政治，或者更广泛一点，国家的职能，是新闻记者报道的一个主要方面。

The better informed they are about the way the state works, the better their reporting will be.

他们对国家运作的方式了解越多，他们的报道就越优秀。

In fact, it is difficult to see how journalists who do not have a clear grasp of the basic features of the Canadian Constitution can do a competent job on political stories.

实际上，很难想象那些对加拿大宪法的基本特点缺乏清晰了解的新闻工作者能够胜任政治新闻报道的工作。

Furthermore, the legal system and the events which occur within it are primary subjects for journalists.

此外，法律体系以及其中发生的事件是新闻记者报道的主题。

While the quality of legal journalism varies greatly, there is an undue reliance amongst many journalists on interpretations supplied to them by lawyers.

虽然与法律有关的新闻报道的性质差别很大，但是，许多新闻记者过分依赖律师提供给他们的诠释。

While comment and reaction from lawyers may enhance stories, it is preferable for journalists to rely on their own notions of significance and make their own judgments.

律师的评论和反应当然能够提升新闻报道的价值，但是记者们最好还是依靠自己对于事件重要性的认识来做出判断。

These can only come from a well-grounded understanding of the legal system.

只能通过对法律体系的深刻了解才能得出。