VOA标准英语2010年-Website of the Week — Innocence Proj

"The website has become a resource for lawyers around the world to dig into forensic¹ issues ... trying to overturn wrongful convictions." Matt Kelley

Time again for our Website of the Week, when we showcase interesting and innovative² online destinations.

More than 7 million people are locked up in U.S. prisons or otherwise under the supervision³ of the criminal justice system. Despite the right to a lawyer and other protections, some of those men and women are serving time for crimes they didn't commit. At our Website of the Week, you can learn about a group that's using science in the cause of justice.

 "InnocenceProject.org is the website of the Innocence⁴ Project, which is a non-profit organization. We work to overturn wrongful convictions through DNA⁵ testing and also to reform the criminal justice system based on the lessons we learn from those exonerations," says Matt Kelley.

He is is Online Communications Manager for the Innocence Project, where science and law join in an effort to overturn the convictions of people wrongfully found guilty and sentenced to prison.

Michael Blair served 13 years on a Texas murder charge based in part on a supposed similarity in hair samples.

Raymond Santana of New York served five years on a rape⁶ charge based in part on a bogus confession⁷.

An Arizona court convicted Larry Youngblood in a sexual assault on a child, and he served nine years based on the boy's mistaken testimony⁸.

In those and other cases, DNA evidence proved the innocence of the person convicted, and in many cases pointed⁹ to the actual perpetrator.

"While most of our cases are people who've been in prison for many years and were convicted before the era of DNA, there are still people being convicted in cases where DNA testing should be available and isn't conducted."

The Innocence Project is based in New York and focuses on wrongful convictions throughout the United States, but Matt Kelley says visitors from some 75 countries came to its website last year, and so the group's reach is global.

"The website has become a resource for lawyers around the world to dig into forensic issues, DNA reforms, and criminal appellate representation based on trying to overturn wrongful convictions," said Kelley

You can learn about the 249 people wrongfully convicted and then exonerated¹⁰ through DNA evidence at InnocenceProject.org, or visit our site, VOAnews.com, for the link to this and hundreds of other Websites of the Week.

1 forensic   

adj.法庭的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence.该报告包括他对法庭证据的诠释。
• The judge concluded the proceeding on 10:30 Am after one hour of forensic debate.经过近一个小时的法庭辩论后，法官于10时30分宣布休庭。

2 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

3 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

4 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

5 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

6 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

7 confession   

n.自白，供认，承认

参考例句：

• Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
• The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

8 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

9 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

10 exonerated   

v.使免罪，免除( exonerate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The police report exonerated Lewis from all charges of corruption. 警方的报告免除了对刘易斯贪污的所有指控。
• An investigation exonerated the school from any blame. 一项调查证明该学校没有任何过失。 来自辞典例句