2007年VOA标准英语-US Supreme Court to Consider Constitutionality

By Jim Malone
Washington
25 September 2007

The U.S. Supreme¹ Court has decided² to take a case that will determine whether the use of lethal³ injections to execute criminals violates a constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington.

The Supreme Court term begins next week, and one of the cases the high court has agreed to hear involves appeals from two death row inmates⁴ in the state of Kentucky.

The two prisoners sued Kentucky two years ago, claiming the use of lethal injections to administer the death penalty violates constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment.

Whichever way the Supreme Court rules could have a far-reaching impact on the use of lethal injection to carry out capital punishment sentences in the United States.

Richard Dieter is executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, which opposes capital punishment.

"There is going to be a need to hold up executions until there is further clarity," he said. "You would have to err⁵ on the side of caution if you are about to execute somebody with lethal injection. This might be a very broad ruling."

Thirty seven of the 50 U.S. states have used the lethal injection method. But at least 11 states have suspended the procedure after critics charged it is ineffective and cruel.

Opponents argue that the three-drug cocktail⁶ given to death row inmates at the time of execution can be faulty. They say some prisoners have not been given enough anesthetic⁷ during executions, causing them to be in excruciating pain, but restricting their ability to cry out for help.

States began using lethal injection for executions in 1978 as an alternative to more traditional death penalty methods that included electrocution, hanging, shooting, and the gas chamber⁸. Supporters have long argued that lethal injection is more humane⁹.

Since the resumption of the death penalty in 1977, 790 of the 958 executions in the United States have been carried out by lethal injection.

A Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of lethal injection is expected sometime before the court's new term ends in June.

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

4 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 err   

vi.犯错误，出差错

参考例句：

• He did not err by a hair's breadth in his calculation.他的计算结果一丝不差。
• The arrows err not from their aim.箭无虚发。

6 cocktail   

n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物

参考例句：

• We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
• At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。

7 anesthetic   

n.麻醉剂，麻药；adj.麻醉的，失去知觉的

参考例句：

• He was given a general anesthetic.他被全身麻醉。
• He was still under the influence of the anesthetic.他仍处在麻醉状态。

8 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

9 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。