为什么囚犯以前真的要穿条纹服？：英语精读讲义

So you and your crack team of convicts have come up with the most brilliant escape plan ever. 講解

所以，你和你那支精锐的囚犯小队想出了史上最绝妙的越狱计划。

You've spent weeks making a tunnel with nothing but spoons 語法

你们花了好几个星期，只用勺子挖出一条地道，

you've had smuggled into the prison

这些勺子是你们偷偷带进监狱的，

and you've got dummies that look just like you,

你们还准备了和自己一模一样的假人，

which you'll put in your bed

打算把它们放在床上，

while you're busy crawling through your escape tunnel.

而你们则忙着爬过逃生地道。

Yep,

没错，

you've heard that story before

这个故事你以前听过，

because it's actually been done.

因为它确实发生过。

The problem with escaping from prison is getting out is just the 表達脈絡

越狱的问题在于，逃出监狱仅仅是个

beginning.

开始。

Staying out is actually the hard part.

真正困难的是一直不被抓回去。

It's not exactly easy to leave a prison and then just mingle with the local population 短語搭配

离开监狱后再若无其事地混入当地人群，可没那么容易，

and the reason for that is, of course,

原因当然是，

you might not have any civilian clothes.

你可能根本没有便服。

We're going to focus on the USA today

今天我们将重点谈谈美国，

because that's where the black and white stripes were first worn.

因为黑白条纹囚服最早就是在那里出现的。

In fact,

事实上，

if you look at many prisons around the world today,

如果你看看如今世界各地的许多监狱，

inmates can wear what you might call normal clothing, 語氣意圖

囚犯可以穿你眼中的普通衣服，

often a T-shirt and jogging pants or something similar.

通常是T恤和运动裤之类的服装。

The rigid rules about what men have to wear in American prisons

美国监狱对于男性必须穿什么有着严格规定，

is actually quite unique.

这其实相当独特。

You might wonder why the USA is special in this regard

你可能会好奇，美国为什么在这方面如此特殊，

and the topic is actually quite controversial.

而这个话题其实颇具争议。

We'll get to that controversy later

稍后我们会谈到这场争议，

and first give you a short history lesson.

但先给大家上一堂简短的历史课。

So the black and white stripes came into being 短語搭配

黑白条纹囚服的出现，

during something called the Auburn system. 文化背景

源于所谓的奥本制。

The system was developed in the 1820s in New York State

这套制度于19世纪20年代在纽约州发展起来，

and it was supposed to be an improvement on other prison systems.

原本是为了改进其他监狱制度。

What it basically meant was that prisoners were no longer confined to their cells all the time

它基本上意味着囚犯不再一直被关在牢房里，

and they were told they had to work throughout the day.

而是被要求整天劳动。

During the night,

到了夜里，

they had to stay in their cells

他们必须待在牢房中，

but the catch was they had to remain silent. 表達脈絡

但条件是必须保持安静。

The guards were very strict about this

狱警对此极为严格，

and it drove some of the prisoners half crazy. 短語搭配

逼得一些囚犯几乎发疯。

This system was supposed to rehabilitate people rather than just let them rot. 習語

这套制度号称要改造犯人，而不是任由他们烂在狱中。

The rules were incredibly strict

规定严苛得惊人，

and that was supposed to make the men more disciplined,

据说这样能让这些人更加守纪律，

something that might change their unruly behavior.

从而改变他们桀骜不驯的行为。

Not only did they have to remain silent at night, 語法

他们不仅夜里必须保持安静，

but when they walked in the day,

白天走路时，

they marched in single file, 短語搭配

还得排成一路纵队行进，

locked to the prisoner in front of them.

并与前面的囚犯锁在一起。

When they marched in the daytime,

他们白天列队行进时，

they were neither allowed to look at the guards or even at other prisoners. 語法

既不许看狱警，甚至也不许看其他囚犯。

If that sounds dehumanizing, 表達脈絡

如果这听起来毫无人性，

that's exactly what it was supposed to be.

那正是这套制度想要达到的效果。

The system was all about making the men conform to rules 短語搭配

这套制度的核心就是迫使他们服从规则，

and so another thing they had to conform to was wearing the correct uniform.

所以，他们还必须遵守另一项规定：穿对制服。

That uniform was the famous black and white stripes.

那套制服就是著名的黑白条纹囚服。

The governor of Auburn prison at the time

当时奥本监狱的监狱长

said he wanted to take away the men's sense of self. 用詞

说，他想剥夺这些人的自我意识。

He wanted them to become more like robots,

他希望他们变得更像机器人，

men who did exactly what they were told.

成为对命令言听计从的人。

He wanted to take their identity away from them and re-educate them.

他想夺走他们的身份，再重新教育他们。

This was why they all had to look the same.

这就是所有人都必须穿得一样的原因。

So while the uniform was supposed to make the men stand out if they should escape, 短語動詞

所以，这套制服固然是为了让他们越狱后格外显眼，

it was also about trying to rid them of their character, 短語搭配

但也是为了设法抹去他们的个性，

a character that was seen as criminal.

因为这种个性被视为犯罪人格。

We should also point out that this was around the time

还要指出的是，当时正值

that whipping or flogging a prisoner was seen as inhumane.

鞭打囚犯开始被视为不人道行为的时期。

So the system wanted to beat the men psychologically. 習語

因此，这套制度转而从心理上击垮他们。

In the 20th century,

到了20世纪，

attitudes started to change and the dehumanization of prisoners was viewed by some more progressive people

观念开始改变，一些较为进步的人认为，剥夺囚犯的人性

as not the best way to treat a prisoner.

并不是对待囚犯的最佳方式。

They saw those stripes as humiliating,

在他们看来，那些条纹是一种羞辱，

something you might call a badge of shame. 習語

就像所谓的耻辱标记。

Those progressives said the uniforms only served to make the men feel like convicts

这些进步人士说，制服只会让这些人时刻觉得自己是罪犯，

and that was hardly in line with rehabilitation. 短語搭配

这显然与改造的目标背道而驰。

That's why a lot of prisons then changed and had prisoners wear things such as blue jeans and a white T-shirt

因此，许多监狱后来改变了做法，让囚犯穿蓝色牛仔裤配白T恤，

or maybe khaki pants and a denim work shirt.

或者卡其裤配牛仔布工作衬衫。

It all depended on where a person was imprisoned.

具体穿什么，全看一个人被关在哪里。

Okay,

好吧，

so why did the orange jumpsuit take over many US prisons? 短語動詞

那么，橙色连体囚服为什么会席卷美国许多监狱呢？

And that's a good question.

这是个好问题。

Thanks for asking.

谢谢你提问。

It's a complicated answer because some prisons don't make men wear orange and others do.

答案很复杂，因为有些监狱不要求犯人穿橙色，另一些则要求。

In some facilities,

在某些设施中，

the prisoners were only doled out those orange suits when they're out in public 短語動詞

只有囚犯公开露面

or being moved around.

或被押送转移时，才会发给他们这种橙色囚服。

The reason, of course,

原因当然

is so they stand out.

是为了让他们格外显眼。

Some prisons might make men and women wear pink shirts and yellow and white striped pants

有些监狱可能让男女囚犯穿粉色上衣和黄白条纹裤，

and again the reason is so they stand out.

原因同样是为了让他们显眼。

Sheriff Joseph Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona,

亚利桑那州马里科帕县的警长Joseph Arpaio，

who's detested by some progressives and loved by hardliners, 用詞

一些进步人士对他恨之入骨，强硬派却对他推崇有加，

has made men wear pink underwear to humiliate them

曾强迫男性囚犯穿粉色内裤来羞辱他们，

and he's also had men wear black and white stripes.

还让他们穿黑白条纹囚服。

That sheriff adheres to the old concept that men should be dehumanized.

这位警长信奉那种应该剥夺犯人人性的老观念。

He also went a step further, 短語搭配

他甚至更进一步，

as he usually does, 語氣意圖

一如既往，

and got inmates to write ESCAPEE on the inside of their black and white striped uniforms

让囚犯在黑白条纹囚服的内侧写上“ESCAPEE”，

so if they escaped,

这样一旦他们逃跑，

they couldn't turn the uniform inside out.

就无法把囚服翻过来穿了。

In the American system,

在美国的监狱制度中，

you've also got color codes which designate what kind of prisoner is locked up.

还有颜色编码，用来标明被关押的囚犯属于哪一类。

In some prisons,

在一些监狱里，

if a person wears a dark red,

如果一个人穿深红色囚服，

he's designated as the worst of the worst, 習語

就表示他是最危险的重犯，

a violent individual who should be feared.

是个令人畏惧的暴力分子。

You might have red as a designation of just high risk

红色可能代表高风险，

and you might have yellow as a designation of low risk.

黄色则可能代表低风险。

So the black and white stripes went out and the orange came in along with all kinds of other colors, 表達脈絡

于是，黑白条纹退出舞台，橙色和其他各种颜色纷纷登场，

but then something strange happened in the early 2000s

但在21世纪初，发生了一件怪事，

and that was prisons all over the US started bringing back the black and white stripes.

美国各地的监狱开始重新采用黑白条纹囚服。

So what was the reason for that?

这是为什么呢？

The problem, according to some authorities,

一些当局表示，问题在于，

was that if prisoners in jumpsuits escaped,

如果穿连体服的囚犯越狱，

they might blend in on the outside 短語動詞

他们在外面很可能混入人群，

with workmen or highway workers or any other law-abiding citizen that just wears a jumpsuit to work. 短語搭配

看起来就像工人、公路施工人员，或任何穿连体工作服上班的守法公民。

The zebra look made a comeback even though many years earlier 講解

斑马造型卷土重来，尽管早在多年前，

that look was said to be too dehumanizing.

这种装束就曾因太不人道而遭到批评。

Does this mean the system is in a state of regression

这是否意味着监狱制度正在倒退，

and actually becoming more inhumane?

而且实际上变得更加不人道？

Well, that's an ongoing argument.

这个争论至今仍在继续。

One sheriff interviewed by the New York Times said it was not about humiliating prisoners 語法

一位接受《纽约时报》采访的警长说，这并不是要用

with a badge of shame,

耻辱标记来羞辱囚犯，

but just about preventing them from successfully escaping.

而只是为了防止他们成功逃脱。

He said this:

他是这样说的：

"The likelihood of recovering someone in stripes is 100% better than if they're not.

“找回身穿条纹囚服者的概率，比没穿条纹囚服时高出100%。

It turns the public into one heck of an eye for us." 習語

这等于让公众成了我们极其厉害的眼线。”

Actually, prison escapes in the US are very rare.

事实上，美国很少发生越狱。

If you look at the statistics, 表達脈絡

如果你查看统计数据，

they're a bit misleading because they include prisoners who are allowed outside during the day

会发现它们有些误导，因为其中还包括白天获准外出

and then have to check back in at night.

晚上必须返回报到的囚犯。

Some of those guys just fail to check back in. 短語動詞

其中有些人只是不回来报到。

This is more like going AWOL. 文化背景

这更像是擅离职守。

Maximum security breakouts are so rare these days that one researcher said it was hard to research them. 語法

如今，从最高戒备监狱越狱的事件少之又少，以至于一名研究人员说这类事件很难研究。

Out of the 2.3 million or so incarcerated people in the USA,

美国约有230万名在押人员，

very few of them escape

其中逃脱者寥寥无几，

and we mean hardly any at all. 語法

我们是说，真的几乎一个都没有。

Even if men do escape,

即使有人成功逃脱，

they usually have some help on the outside

通常也有外界接应，

and can quickly take off that uniform and change into civilian clothes.

可以迅速脱下囚服，换上便装。

So with that in mind, 表達脈絡

考虑到这一点，

you could say the uniform is related to that badge of shame as well as being an escape deterrent.

可以说，囚服既是那种耻辱标记，也是一种防越狱手段。

And some people might say the uniformity of prison dress makes the prisoner more manageable

有些人可能会说，统一囚服能让囚犯更容易管理，

and he should be stripped of his dignity. 習語

而且就该剥夺他的尊严。

Others would counter saying the badge of disgrace is not effective in terms of rehabilitating someone.

另一些人则会反驳说，耻辱标记对改造一个人并无效果。

Soldiers or some school kids might wear a uniform,

士兵或一些学生也许会穿制服，

but this is supposed to bring people together.

但这种制服是为了让人们团结起来。

It's for the purpose of a common cause

它服务于共同的目标，

and to foster cohesion, 短語搭配

并用来增强凝聚力，

working for the same team.

让大家为同一支团队效力。

But the question is,

但问题是，

does prison uniform create kind of criminal cohesion?

囚服会不会形成某种罪犯之间的凝聚力？

Is that really necessary or even negative?

这真的有必要吗？甚至会不会产生负面影响？

In 1955,

1955年，

the United Nations came out with the standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners. 短語動詞

联合国公布了《囚犯待遇最低限度标准规则》。

That was later revised as the Mandela Rules in 2015. 文化背景

这套规则后来在2015年修订为《曼德拉规则》。

This is one part of those rules:

以下是其中一部分：

"Every prisoner who is not allowed to wear his or her own clothing

“凡不准穿自己衣服的囚犯，

shall be provided with an outfit of clothing suitable for the climate 語法

均应获发一套适合当地气候

and adequate to keep him or her in good health.

且足以维持其良好健康状况的衣服。

Such clothing shall in no manner be degrading or humiliating." 用詞

这种衣服绝不得有侮辱性或羞辱性。”

And this is another part:

以下是另一部分：

"In exceptional circumstances, 短語搭配

“在特殊情况下，

whenever a prisoner is removed outside the prison for an authorized purpose,

凡经批准将囚犯带离监狱时，

he or she shall be allowed to wear his or her own clothing

应准许其穿自己的衣服

or other inconspicuous clothing."

或其他不显眼的衣服。”

It seems in the US some states are more concerned with following these rules than others

在美国，有些州似乎比其他州更重视遵守这些规则，

and maybe it's a matter of opinion if pink underwear or black and white stripes are degrading or humiliating.

至于粉色内裤或黑白条纹算不算贬损或羞辱，也许见仁见智。

Maybe you believe an orange jumpsuit doesn't have to be worn when a prisoner is being transported 語法

你或许认为，押送囚犯时不一定非得让他穿橙色连体囚服，

or maybe you think it's necessary.

也可能认为这很有必要。

In some countries,

在一些国家，

prisoners are still shackled when they have a court date or are moved. 文化背景

囚犯出庭或被转移时依然要戴上镣铐。

So don't think every nation follows these Mandela Rules. 語氣意圖

所以别以为每个国家都遵守这些《曼德拉规则》。

Like we said at the start, 表達脈絡

正如我们开头所说，

it's a controversial hot potato of a topic 習語

这是一个极具争议的烫手话题，

and it's not easy to come to a conclusion as to what is right and what's wrong. 短語搭配

很难断定究竟孰是孰非。

That's why we'd love to know what you think about prison uniforms.

因此，我们很想知道你对囚服有什么看法。

Should prisoners be able to wear casual dress like in most countries

囚犯是否应该像大多数国家那样可以穿便服，

or should they wear stripes or with the orange jumpsuits?

还是应该穿条纹囚服或橙色连体囚服？

And since we've talked today about culture and how things are different in various countries,

今天我们谈到了文化，以及各国做法的差异，

we'll stay with the topic of culture and give you two fascinating videos to watch.

接下来就继续聊文化，并为你推荐两段精彩视频。

Have a look at one of these:

来看看其中一段：

Taboos Around the World

《世界各地的禁忌》

and Embarrassing Tourist Mistakes You Make in Different Countries.

和《你在不同国家犯下的尴尬游客错误》。