经济学人400:伦敦巫术 激情犯罪

 　　Books and Arts;Book review;Black magic in London;

　　文艺；书评；伦敦巫术；

　　Crimes of passion;The Boy in the River. By Richard Hoskins.

　　激情犯罪；《河里的男孩》，理查德·霍斯金斯著。

　　In the late 1980s Richard Hoskins, young and newly married, spent six years as a missionary¹ in Bolobo, upriver from the Congolese capital, Kinshasa. Now back in Britain and something of an Africa specialist, he advises the authorities on tribal² and ritual crimes. In his new book, “The Boy in the River”, Mr Hoskins argues that these atrocities³ are a perversion⁴ of African belief systems and highly unusual.

　　在二十世纪八十年代早期，年轻且新婚不久的理查德·霍斯金斯，在博洛博（地名）做了六年的传教士，该地位于刚果首都，金沙萨市的上游。现今已返回英国，有几分非洲专家味道的他，在部落和宗教式犯罪问题上给当局提出相关建议。在他的新书《河里的男孩》中，霍斯金斯先生说这些暴行是对非洲信仰的一种曲解，是极不寻常的。

　　His first case, in 2002, involved the mutilated torso of a boy they named Adam, found in the River Thames. The police thought it was a muti killing⁵, a South African practice that involves removing organs for use in tribal medicines. Mr Hoskins recognised that Adam was in fact a human sacrifice (a term the police initially⁶ recoiled⁷ at) by a Nigerian tribe. His evidence was the precise slit⁸ in the victim’s neck and a body drained of blood—a divine tribute that is condemned⁹ as juju, or black magic, in West Africa. The boy’s killer¹⁰ has not yet been convicted, but the investigation¹¹ did uncover a trafficking ring that smuggled¹² African children to Britain for such ritualistic abuses.

　　在2002年，他的第一个案例：在泰晤士河中发现的一名为亚当(Adam)的男孩的残缺躯体。警方认为这是起巫术杀人案（见注释），这是一种南非部落习俗，取出人体器官以作药用。霍斯金斯先生辨认出亚当实际上是一个尼日利亚部族的活人祭品（一个警方最初所不愿提及的术语）。他给出的证据是受害人脖子上精确的切口和鲜血流尽的躯体—一种被谴责为juju(某些西非部族所用的物神)的“神圣”礼物，或者可称为西非的巫术。杀死男孩的凶手仍未被定罪，但通过此次调查，警方却发现了一个偷运非洲儿童，卖到英国作为仪式献祭的走私集团。

　　Mr Hoskins and his wife suffered their own tragedy in Congo; one of their twins was stillborn, the other died before she was two. He admits his work presents emotional challenges. But he is not overly sentimental¹³. He writes about criminology, how the police deal with the media and the perverted¹⁴ beliefs behind the crimes. Much of the book is about kindoki. Mr Hoskins understands this as a benign¹⁵ affliction treated with a potion of plant extracts from a nganga, a traditional healer. But there is a growing trend of pastors¹⁶ in new revivalist Christian¹⁷ churches, both in Africa and Britain, preaching a different, malevolent¹⁸ kind of kindoki. They convince parents that their children are possessed¹⁹ by demons²⁰ which must be exorcised through isolation²¹, fasting and beatings. Gullible²² and desperate believers, who consider their pastors to be “little Gods”, will pay good money for them to cure this malady²³.

　　在刚果，霍斯金斯夫妇自己也惨遭了不幸；双胞胎中的一个是死胎，而另一个在两岁前死亡。他承认在他的作品中带给了读者情感上的挑战。但他并没有过度感伤。他写到犯罪学，警察怎样与媒体周旋，怎样应对罪行背后扭曲的信仰。书的大部分是关于kindoki (非洲巫术手册)。霍斯金斯先生把这认为是一种较为仁慈的折磨，用从 nganga(刚果哺果苏木)中提取的植物药剂治疗，这是一种传统治疗物。但在非洲及英国，复兴基督教会的牧师有增加的趋势，布道一种不同的、恶毒的kindoki。他们使得父母们相信自己的孩子被魔鬼蛊惑，必须通过隔离、禁食和鞭打才能除怪。这些将他们的牧师当做“小神”的绝望而易受骗的信徒们，就会付出很多的钱给他们以治愈这种疾病。

　　The most harrowing case is that of Kristy Bamu. Attempting to exorcise the boy of kindoki, his sister and her boyfriend tortured him to death over five days in December 2010 using an array of weapons, including light bulbs, floor tiles, knives and pliers. Mr Hoskins testified in court that Africans do not practise exorcism like this.

　　最悲惨的事例是一个叫克里斯蒂 巴姆的男子。为了驱除kindoki 的鬼怪，在2010年十二月，他在被妹妹及妹妹的男朋友使用大量武器，包括电灯泡，地板瓷砖，刀子及拳脚相加折磨五天后死去。霍斯金斯先生在法庭上证明非洲人并不用这样的方式除怪。

　　It is heartening to read that the British authorities go to great lengths to solve these crimes, but infuriating to learn about the flaws in the system. An important witness to the Adam crime, for example, was deported²⁴ before she could be properly questioned. An eye-opening book that makes a strong case for cultural understanding.

　　所以当知道英国当局不遗余力要解决这些犯罪时，是很振奋人心的，但在知道系统中的不足时又难免让人感到愤怒。例如，亚当一案中的一个重要证人在被正当地审问钱就被驱逐出境。所以这是一本为文化理解提供了有力事实证据的书。

1 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。

2 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

3 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 perversion   

n.曲解；堕落；反常

参考例句：

• In its most general sense,corruption means the perversion or abandonment.就其最一般的意义上说，舞弊就是堕落，就是背离准则。
• Her account was a perversion of the truth.她所讲的歪曲了事实。

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

7 recoiled   

v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回

参考例句：

• She recoiled from his touch. 她躲开他的触摸。
• Howard recoiled a little at the sharpness in my voice. 听到我的尖声，霍华德往后缩了一下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 slit   

n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂

参考例句：

• The coat has been slit in two places.这件外衣有两处裂开了。
• He began to slit open each envelope.他开始裁开每个信封。

9 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

10 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

11 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

12 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

13 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

14 perverted   

adj.不正当的v.滥用( pervert的过去式和过去分词 )；腐蚀；败坏；使堕落

参考例句：

• Some scientific discoveries have been perverted to create weapons of destruction. 某些科学发明被滥用来生产毁灭性武器。
• sexual acts, normal and perverted 正常的和变态的性行为

15 benign   

adj.善良的，慈祥的；良性的，无危险的

参考例句：

• The benign weather brought North America a bumper crop.温和的气候给北美带来大丰收。
• Martha is a benign old lady.玛莎是个仁慈的老妇人。

16 pastors   

n.（基督教的）牧师( pastor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Do we show respect to our pastors, missionaries, Sunday school teachers? 我们有没有尊敬牧师、宣教士，以及主日学的老师？ 来自互联网
• Should pastors or elders be paid, or serve as a volunteer? 牧师或长老需要付给酬劳，还是志愿的事奉呢？ 来自互联网

17 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

18 malevolent   

adj.有恶意的，恶毒的

参考例句：

• Why are they so malevolent to me?他们为什么对我如此恶毒？
• We must thwart his malevolent schemes.我们决不能让他的恶毒阴谋得逞。

19 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

20 demons   

n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念

参考例句：

• demons torturing the sinners in Hell 地狱里折磨罪人的魔鬼
• He is plagued by demons which go back to his traumatic childhood. 他为心魔所困扰，那可追溯至他饱受创伤的童年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

22 gullible   

adj.易受骗的；轻信的

参考例句：

• The swindlers had roped into a number of gullible persons.骗子们已使一些轻信的人上了当。
• The advertisement is aimed at gullible young women worried about their weight.这则广告专门针对担心自己肥胖而易受骗的年轻女士。

23 malady   

n.病，疾病(通常做比喻)

参考例句：

• There is no specific remedy for the malady.没有医治这种病的特效药。
• They are managing to control the malady into a small range.他们设法将疾病控制在小范围之内。

24 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》