美國的法律與秩序

Law and Order

美國的法律與秩序

What does it mean to obey the law? That depends on where you are. Different cultures have very different views of obeying the law. In some cultures, law-abiding citizens try to keep the letter of the law. That is, whatever the law says, they do. In other cultures, good citizens live by the spirit of the law. They see the law only as a general guideline. Often they obey the law only when someone official is looking. The situation in America fits into the first category. That doesn't mean all Americans keep the law. But American culture teaches people to respect the law--even to the smallest detail.

守法的定義是什麼? 那要視你身處何地而定, 不同的文化對守法有不同的看法. 在一些文化中, 守法的公民會試着完全遵守法律的字面規定, 也就是說, 不管法律怎麼規定, 他們都會照着去做. 而在其它文化中, 好公民則按着法律的精神來做, 他們視法律爲一般的準則, 通常只有在執法人員會看到的情況下才守法. 美國的情況是屬於第一種, 但這並不表示所有的美國人守法. 但是美國的文化教導人民要尊重法律--即使是在很小的細節上.

Driving habits illustrate American respect for the law. A driver will usually stop for a red light, even when there are no other cars around. People treat the lines marking streets and roads as definite boundaries, not just decora-tions. Vehicles yield to those with the right of way-particularly pedestrians. Actually, though, drivers don't always keep traffic rules. For example, many drivers ignore freeway speed limits. But Americans generally drive with careful attention to the rules.

美國人的開車習慣說明了他們對法律的尊重態度. 開車的人通常會在紅燈前停下來, 即使四周沒有其它的車也是如此. 人們視街道上的標線爲絕對的界線, 而不只是裝飾而已. 車輛會讓路給有權先行者 - 尤其是行人. 然而, 事實上, 開車的人並沒有遵守所有的交通規則, 舉例來說, 很多開車的人根本不理會高速公路上的速限. 但是美國人在開車時通常會小心地留意交通規則.

History gives several clues to explain American attitudes toward the law. The U.S. Constitution, the basis for all laws in America, reflects many historical influences. The Magna Carta, or "Great Charter," was one. King John of England was forced to sign this document in 1215. It placed the king under the authority of the law. No longer was the king law; rather, the law was king. America's Christian heritage has also shaped how people view the law. For one thing, the Bible reveals God's unchanging laws which people must obey. It also teaches people to respect human authority as established by God.

過去的歷史可以提供點線索來解釋今天美國人對法律的態度. 美國憲法是美國所有法律的基礎, 由它反映出很多歷史性的影響. "Magna Carta"或稱爲"英國大憲章"就是一例, 英王約翰在一二一五年被迫簽署這份文件, 它把國王置於法律的權威之下. 國王的命令不再成爲法律, 相反的, 法律纔是最高的權威. 美國的基督教傳統也影響了美國人對法律的看法. 首先, 聖經顯示了上帝不改變的律法, 這是人們必須遵守的, 它也教導人們尊重上帝所設立的執政掌權者.

Of course, not everyone in America abides by the law. Crime is a growing problem. For that reason, law enforce-ment officials will never be out of a job. Police officers have their hands full trying to arrest lawbreakers. Detective agencies spend countless hours trying to figure out unsolved crimes. Nevertheless, most Americans still like to believe that the "long arm of the law" will eventually nab the bad guys.

當然, 並非每個美國人都守法, 犯罪是一個日益嚴重的問題. 正因這個原因, 執法人員永遠都不會失業, 警察手上堆滿了逮捕罪犯的工作, 偵探社花上數不清的時間想辦法解決尚未偵破的案件. 儘管如此, 大部份美國人仍相信"法律的長胳臂"終究會逮到壞人的.

But even bad guys in America have the right to a fair trial. When a person is brought to an American court, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Many ancient Eastern systems, in contrast, viewed an accused person as guilty until proven innocent. They used torture and other extreme measures to find out the truth. The American system tries to protect the rights of the accused. Still, the system is far from perfect. Court cases involving celebrities like O.J. Simpson can become media circuses. Skilled lawyers sometimes use minor issues to get their clients set free. And prison inmates may live even better than many poor citizens.

可是, 即使是壞人, 在美國仍享有接受公平審判的權利. 當一個人被帶到美國的法庭時, 在證明有罪之前, 會先假設他是無罪的. 相反的, 在很多古老的東方體系中, 在證明被起訴者爲無辜之前,都視他爲有罪, 他們用嚴刑拷打其它嚴厲的方法來找出事實的真相.美國的司法系統試着要保護被起訴人的權利, 但是這個系統離完美尚有一截. 像辛普森這種知名人物的法庭案例, 反而成了媒體的馬戲; 有技巧的律師有時會用不重要的論點幫客戶脫罪; 而監獄裏囚犯的生活甚至可能比很多窮人還要好.

No one believes a perfect legal system is possible. Yet every society has laws. Whether people follow the letter of the law or just the spirit of the law, they recognize the need for laws to keep order in society. Without them, chaos would result. If every man were a law unto himself, no man would be free.

大家都認爲完美的法律系統是不可能的. 但是, 每個社會都訂有法律. 不管人們是完全守法還是隻遵守法律的精神, 他們認同以法律來維持社會秩序的需要. 沒有法律, 社會就會變得雜亂無章, 如果每個人都有自己的一套法律, 就沒有人能享有自由.