1、2021届巴蜀中学新高考英语美国文化外刊05（含翻译与重点词汇短语注解）What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?Answer:The Bill of Rights我们称前十条宪法修正案为？答案：“权利法案”。Explanation:While the Constitution was being written, many peopleargued thatit did not actually protect the rights (orfreedoms) of citizens or protect citiz
2、ens from having the government take away their rights.在撰写宪法期间，很多人争辩说宪法实际上没有保护公民的权利或保护公民的权利不被政府剥夺。Because of this, immediately after the Constitution wasratified(or approved) in 1789, the First Congressproposed12 amendments to the Constitution that would protectcivil rights(or the rights that citizen
3、s have to social and political freedom and equality, and having the same opportunities as all other citizens).正因如此，1789年宪法通过后没多久，首届国会就提出了12项保护公民权利的宪法修正案（或者说保护公民的社会和政治自由和平等的权利，人人享有同等机会的权利）。ratify/rtfa/ verb(-ies, -ied) with obj. sign or give formal consent to (a treaty, contract, or agreement), makin
4、g it officially valid签署, 正式批准, 认可（条约, 合同, 协定Ten of these Amendments were approved, and they became known asthe Bill of Rights.其中十项修正案获得通过，它们就是现在我们所熟知的“权利法案”。Bill is an old word meaning a list, sothe Bill of Rightsis a list of a citizens basic rights.“Bill”是古语“清单”的意思，因此“权利法案”就是一份公民的基本权利清单。The Bill of
5、 Rightsincludes a lot of rights andfreedomsthat are part of what it means to be an American.“权利法案”包括很多作为美国公民享有的权利和自由。For example, it protects ourfreedom of speech-the right of people to say what they want.例如，宪法保护我们的言论自由人民有权自由发表言论。It alsoguarantees(or gives people the right to)freedom of religion, me
6、aning that people can decide which religion they want to follow, or if they want to follow any at all.它还确保宗教自由，即人民可以自由选择他们想信仰的宗教，也可以选择不信仰任何宗教。The Bill of Rightssays that Americans have a right totrialby jury, meaning that when they go to court, a small group of citizens decides whether a person has
7、done somethingagainst the law, instead of having just one person, the judge (or the head of the court), decide.“权利法案”规定美国人拥有由陪审团审判的权利，他们提起诉讼的时候，是由一小群公民，而不是仅由法官一人决定某人是否违法。trial/tral/ nouna formal examination of evidence by a judge, typically before a jury, in order to decide guilt in a case of crimin
8、al or civil proceedings讯问, 审讯, 审理：the newspaper accounts of the trial报纸对审判的报导mass noun the editor was summoned to stand trial for libel该编辑因诽谤而被传讯The Bill of Rights also says that the police cannot go into an Americans home to look for something without asearch warrant, which isspecific permissionfor
9、 the police to search for something in a specific place, such as your home.“权利法案”还规定，没有搜查令，警察不得擅自闯入美国人家中搜查，搜查令就是警察去你家等特殊地方搜查的专门许可。The Bill of Rights also protects people from cruel and unusual punishment.“权利法案”也保护人民免受酷刑和罕见的惩罚。Something that is cruel is painful or unfair.酷刑是指痛苦或不公平。Unusual means not
10、common or not normal.“Unusual”是不常见或不正常的意思。So the meaning here is that the punishment for a crime should not be too painful or strange, and that it should be a normal punishment for that kind of crime.因此它在这里的意思是对某罪行的处罚不能过于痛苦或离奇，这种罪行应该受到正常的处罚。The Second Amendmentiscontroversialand isargued aboutbecaus
11、e people in the U.S. have manystrong opinionsabout it.It protects peoples right to keep andbear arms(or carry weapons, such as guns), so that they can protect themselves.第二修正案存在着争议，那是因为很多美国人对它有着很多强烈的看法。它保护人们持有和携带武器（如枪支等武器）的权利，这样的话人们可以自卫。Recently in the U.S., having a gun without getting permission f
12、irst has increased a lot.美国最近出现很多未经许可而持有枪支的现象。Many people haveargued forstronger gun control laws so that it would be more difficult for people to own guns.很多人呼吁出台更强大的控枪法律，这样人们就更难拥有枪支。But other people say that gun control lawsviolate(or do something that is not allowed by) the Second Amendment.但其他人说控枪法律违反了宪法第二修正案。violate/valet/ verbwith obj.break or fail to comply with (a rule or formal agreement)违反, 违背（规定, 正式协议）：they violated the terms of a ceasefire他们违反了停火的条款
