VOA标准英语2008年-Texas Court Orders All Children From Polygamous

By Greg Flakus
Kerrville, Texas
02 June 2008

A judge in San Angelo, Texas has ordered state authorities to return more than 440 children to their parents, who belong to a polygamous sect¹ based at a west Texas ranch². Authorities raided the compound of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, or FLDS, in April, after what they said was a tip about potential child abuse. VOA's Greg Flakus has more from Kerrville, Texas.
　

Members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints leaving the San Angelo, Texas courthouse, 22 May 2008

Judge Barbara Walther has told Texas Child Protection Services to return the children to the custody³ of their parents. The order follows a ruling by the Texas Supreme⁴ Court that said the state overstepped its authority in seizing the children. Implementation⁵ of the court's decision was delayed over the weekend as state authorities sought access to the children in order to ensure their safety and to continue their investigation⁶ of alleged⁷ sexual abuse of minors⁸ at the ranch where the FLDS members live a communal⁹ lifestyle isolated¹⁰ from neighbors.

Monday's court order does allow state officials access to the ranch to visit the children and requires parents from the group to take parenting classes, but the judge made no distinction between children who may have been victims of abuse and those who were not, according to Texas Child Protection Services Spokesperson Marleigh Meisner.

"The court order reads that every single child will be returned to their parents' care," said said Meisner. "I do not know if there will be specific situations for those children or for any of the children. It is pretty broad court order, but we certainly will be looking at each case individually."

Meisner told reporters her agency will continue its investigation and will work within the limits set by the court order to monitor the situation at the FLDS Yearning¹¹ for Zion Ranch.

Meisner: "The court order explicitly¹² implies that we will be allowed access to whatever home or dwelling¹³ these children are in and so we certainly anticipate that they will be cooperative with our department."

Reporter: "What if they are not?"

Meisner: "If they are not then we will have to obtain a court order from the judge regarding that."

Texas authorities raided the FLDS ranch on April third following what they initially¹⁴ described as a telephone call from a 16-year-old girl inside the compound who claimed she had been sexually abused by older men. Witnesses from FLDS communities in other states have said such abuse of underage girls by church elders is common and Texas officials say they took the extraordinary step of removing all the children in order to prevent any abuse.

But attorneys representing FLDS members say the real purpose may have been to disrupt a religion that is far from the mainstream¹⁵. They point out that state officials never were able to produce the girl who allegedly made the call and state officials admit that the call may have been a hoax¹⁶. A state appeals court ruled on May 22 that the state overstepped its authority in removing all the children and the state Supreme Court last week upheld that ruling.

1 sect   

n.派别，宗教，学派，派系

参考例句：

• When he was sixteen he joined a religious sect.他16岁的时候加入了一个宗教教派。
• Each religious sect in the town had its own church.该城每一个宗教教派都有自己的教堂。

2 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

3 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

4 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。

5 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

6 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。

7 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

8 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

10 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

11 yearning   

a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的

参考例句：

• a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往
• He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。

12 explicitly   

ad.明确地，显然地

参考例句：

• The plan does not explicitly endorse the private ownership of land. 该计划没有明确地支持土地私有制。
• SARA amended section 113 to provide explicitly for a right to contribution. 《最高基金修正与再授权法案》修正了第123条，清楚地规定了分配权。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

13 dwelling   

n.住宅，住所，寓所

参考例句：

• Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
• He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

14 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。

15 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

16 hoax   

v.欺骗，哄骗，愚弄；n.愚弄人，恶作剧

参考例句：

• They were the victims of a cruel hoax.他们是一个残忍恶作剧的受害者。
• They hoax him out of his money.他们骗去他的钱。