被关押在阿尔卡特拉斯岛监狱是什么体验？：英语精读讲义

A secure lump of steel and concrete sat on an island surrounded by unforgiving currents,

一块坚固的钢筋混凝土矗立在被无情水流环绕的岛屿上，

home to as many as 300 convicted felons. 講解

关押着多达300名被定罪的重刑犯。

Alcatraz was coined the highest security prison in America.

恶魔岛（Alcatraz）被称为美国安全级别最高的监狱。

Day-to-day, Alcatraz was also the most expensive prison,

在日常运作中，恶魔岛也是最昂贵的监狱，

state or federal,

无论是州立还是联邦，

to operate in the nation.

在全国范围内都是如此。

The dark, hostile image of Alcatraz grew

恶魔岛黑暗、充满敌意的形象不断加深，

as Hollywood dramatized the brutal conditions

因为好莱坞将其残酷的条件戏剧化，

and glamorized the inmates who withstood them.

并美化了那些经受住这些考验的囚犯。

Were the conditions at Alcatraz really any tougher 語法

恶魔岛的条件真的比

than any of the other state prisons of the era?

那个时代的其他州立监狱更艰苦吗？

And did those inmates who attempted to escape

那些试图越狱的囚犯，

the Rock succeed? 文化背景

最终成功离开这块“磐石”了吗？

And is it possible to swim

从恶魔岛

from the island of Alcatraz

游到

to the San Francisco Bay?

旧金山湾可能吗？

Today, we'll go inside

今天，我们将深入探索

one of the world's most infamous correctional facilities.

世界上最臭名昭著的惩教设施之一。

In this episode of The Infographics Show,

在本期《信息图解秀》中，

what was it like to be jailed at Alcatraz? 語法

被关在恶魔岛是什么感觉？

The first Alcatraz warden, James Johnston,

恶魔岛的第一任典狱长詹姆斯·约翰斯顿（James Johnston）

had a tough reputation

以作风强硬著称，

and ran the prison with an iron fist. 習語

并以铁腕手段管理监狱。

Prisoners weren't allowed to speak to one another at all, 語法

囚犯之间根本不被允许交谈，

except for the brief exchanges at break times.

除了在休息时的短暂交流。

Speaking aloud generally resulted 短語搭配

大声说话通常会导致

in a trip to the dungeon or an isolation cell.

被关进地牢或隔离室。

Eventually, the inmates realized, however,

然而，囚犯们最终意识到，

that there were not enough isolation cells

隔离室的数量根本不够

to hold them all simultaneously,

同时关押他们所有人，

so they began to relax and speak en masse. 用詞

所以他们开始放松并集体交谈。

This eventually resulted in a relaxation of the talking ban.

这最终导致了禁言令的放宽。

Magazines and newspapers were banned

杂志和报纸被禁止，

as the inmates weren't allowed to read about sex or crime.

因为囚犯不被允许阅读有关性或犯罪的内容。

Contrary to popular belief, 表達脈絡

与普遍的看法相反，

the inmates weren't all hardened criminals. 用詞

囚犯并非都是惯犯。

Anyone who had committed a federal offense 文化背景

任何犯有联邦罪行的人

might have been sent to Alcatraz.

都有可能被送到恶魔岛。

Prisoners included shoplifters

囚犯中包括一些扒手，

who had stolen from a store

他们曾在一个

with a post office branch inside

设有邮局分支机构的商店里偷窃，

and folks who had carried alcohol across state lines. 文化背景

还有些人只是跨州携带了酒类。

A total of 336 cells were in B and C block

B区和C区共有336个牢房，

and a further 36 segregation cells

D区还有36个隔离牢房

and six solitary in D block.

以及6个单独禁闭室。

A block was used mostly for storage.

A区主要用于储物。

The cells in B and C block

B区和C区的牢房

were 5 ft deep by 9 ft wide 語法

深5英尺，宽9英尺，

with a small cold water sink.

配有一个小冷水槽。

You could extend your arms

你可以伸展开双臂，

and touch both sides of the cell,

同时触碰到牢房的两侧，

which is something you might get around to trying 短語動詞

如果你被关押一年以上，

if you were imprisoned in one for a year or more.

你可能会经常这么试一试。

Having your own cell

拥有自己的牢房

means that there is less chance of being sexually assaulted 語法

意味着与其他监狱相比，

compared with other prisons,

遭到性侵的可能性较小，

and many prisoners found the privacy beneficial.

许多囚犯认为这种隐私是有益的。

You would be allowed an approved visit

在恶魔岛，你每月可以获得

once a month at Alcatraz,

一次经过批准的探视，

but you wouldn't be allowed to touch that visitor

但你不能触碰探视者，

nor discuss any current events.

也不能讨论任何时事。

Conversations were via intercom and usually monitored.

对话通过对讲机进行，且通常会被监听。

Inmate Willie Radkay,

囚犯威利·拉德凯（Willie Radkay），

who shared a cell next to Machine Gun Kelly,

他与“机关枪凯利”共用相邻的牢房，

is on record saying that the food at Alcatraz 短語搭配

有记录显示他曾说恶魔岛的食物

was better than any other prison he'd been at.

比他呆过的任何其他监狱都要好。

Alcatraz may not have been the brutal hell hole 語法

恶魔岛可能不是许多好莱坞电影中

illustrated by many a Hollywood movie, 語法

所描绘的那个残酷的地狱，

but it was no picnic either. 習語

但这里也绝不是什么安逸的地方。

Inmates were marched from place to place,

囚犯们被排队带到各个地方，

worked under tough conditions,

在艰苦的条件下工作，

and had a strict daily routine.

并有着严格的日常作息。

Each morning at 6:20 a.m.,

每天早上6:20，

a whistle blew,

哨声吹响，

prisoners rose,

囚犯起床，

made their beds,

整理床铺，

and generally tidied up their cells,

对牢房进行一般性的打扫，

washed, and dressed.

洗漱并穿戴整齐。

At a quarter to 7:00,

差一刻到7点，

inmates moved to the mess hall,

囚犯们前往食堂，

where guards supervised seating and serving,

警卫在那里监督就座和打饭，

giving the signal to start and stop eating.

并发出开始和停止进食的信号。

Work detail was split into laundry, tailoring, cobbling, 用詞

工作任务被分为洗衣、裁缝、修鞋、

modeling, gardening, and other labor details.

制模、园艺和其他劳动任务。

At 9:30, there was a rest period

9:30有一个休息时间，

in which inmates were allowed to smoke in permitted areas,

囚犯被允许在指定区域抽烟，

but not allowed to crowd together.

但不允许聚集在一起。

At 9:40, it was back to work until 11:30,

9:40，继续回到工作岗位直到11:30，

when a count was taken,

那时会进行一次点名，

and it was back to the mess hall for food

然后回到食堂吃午饭，

and then back to the cells.

接着返回牢房。

12:30 back to work until 4:15 p.m.,

12:30继续工作，直到下午4:15，

final eating,

吃最后一顿饭，

and 4:50 p.m.,

到了下午4:50，

final lockup and a head count.

最后一次关锁和点名。

At 9:30 p.m., the lights were put out. 短語動詞

晚上9:30，熄灯。

There were three more counts at midnight,

在午夜、凌晨3点

3:00 a.m., and 5:00 a.m.

和5点还有三次点名。

The prisoners nicknamed the central walkway Broadway, 文化背景

囚犯们将中央走廊戏称为“百老汇”，

and other walkways were named Park Avenue and Michigan Avenue.

其他走廊则被命名为“公园大道”和“密歇根大道”。

The area between cell blocks and the mess hall

牢房区和食堂之间的区域

was named Times Square.

被命名为“时代广场”。

At either end was the gun gallery walkway

走廊两端是带栏杆的

enclosed by bars,

枪械长廊，

patrolled by armed guards,

由武装警卫巡逻，

who from that vantage point 用詞

他们从那个有利位置

had a clear shot at the cell blocks. 短語搭配

可以清楚地瞄准牢房区。

A prisoner named Bernard Coy decided to break that routine

一个名叫伯纳德·科伊的囚犯决定打破这种惯例，

and attempted one of the most brutal attempts to escape the prison

并策划了该监狱最暴力的越狱事件之一，

when he hatched up a plan

他酝酿了一个计划，

that ended in the Battle of Alcatraz in May 1946. 文化背景

最终演变成1946年5月的“恶魔岛之战”。

Two guards and three inmates were killed

在这次越狱企图中，两名警卫和三名囚犯被杀，

and several were injured in the attempted outbreak.

还有数人受伤。

Kentuckian bank robber Coy,

来自肯塔基州的银行抢劫犯科伊

along with five other inmates,

与其他五名囚犯一起，

dreamed up the escape plan. 短語動詞

构想了这个越狱计划。

Coy smeared himself in axle grease

科伊在自己身上涂满了车轴润滑脂，

and climbed the west end gun gallery.

并爬上了西端的枪械长廊。

He used some tools crudely fashioned in the prison workshop

他利用在监狱车间粗制滥造的工具

to manipulate the bars open to a width of 10 in,

将栏杆撑开了10英寸的宽度，

which due to Coy's partial starvation of himself,

由于科伊故意让自己挨饿减重，

was wide enough to squeeze through.

这个宽度足以让他挤过去。

Coy then took on the first guard 短語動詞

然后科伊对付了第一个警卫，

and with brute strength knocked him to the ground 短語搭配

用蛮力将他打倒在地，

before strangling him unconscious with his necktie. 語法

然后用领带将他勒晕。

He then lowered firearms and riot clubs

接着他将枪支和防暴棍降下，

to his accomplices below,

交给了下面的同伙，

who swiftly took nine unarmed guards hostage. 短語搭配

他们迅速将九名手无寸铁的警卫劫为人质。

However, they were unable to locate the key

然而，他们没能找到

to the recreational yard

通往活动场的钥匙，

as one of the guards had concealed it

因为其中一名警卫把它藏在了

in the toilet of the cell

他被扣为人质的牢房的

he was being held hostage in.

马桶里。

Three other inmates were released from their cells,

另外三名囚犯从牢房中被放出，

but by this time the breakout was discovered

但此时越狱行为已被发现，

and the distress sirens wailed.

警报声响起。

San Francisco Coast Guard and Marines were alerted,

旧金山海岸警卫队和海军陆战队接到警报，

and together they blocked all of the industry working inmates

他们联手封锁了所有在工坊工作的囚犯，

while inside the prison

与此同时，监狱内部

a battle was going on.

正爆发一场战斗。

Two inmates were shot dead in the battle

在警卫重新夺回监狱控制权之前，

before the guards took back control of the prison. 短語搭配

有两名囚犯在战斗中被击毙。

Other escapes were attempted.

监狱还发生过其他越狱企图。

Joseph Bowers was shot and killed climbing a fence in 1936.

1936年，约瑟夫·鲍尔斯在攀爬围栏时被开枪击毙。

Two prisoners escaped the prison in 1937,

1937年有两名囚犯越狱，

but it is generally understood that they died crossing the water, 表達脈絡

但人们普遍认为他们死在了穿越水域的过程中，

although their bodies were never discovered.

尽管从未发现过他们的尸体。

In 1962, brothers Clarence and John Anglin

1962年，克拉伦斯·安格林和约翰·安格林兄弟

and Frank Morris, probably the most famous escapees,

以及可能最有名的越狱者弗兰克·莫里斯，

chipped away with spoons at the concrete 短語動詞

用勺子凿开了他们牢房里

around ventilation grates in their cells.

通风口周围的混凝土。

They moved through a maintenance area

他们穿过维修区，

and made a raft with life jackets and raincoats.

用救生衣和雨衣做了一个木筏。

They avoided being detected in the nightly head count 語法

为了在夜间点名时避开检查，

by leaving papier-mâché heads in their bunks.

他们在床上放置了纸浆做的假人头。

They hopped a fence to the bay.

他们翻过围栏来到了海湾。

Again, the trio was considered drowned,

同样，这三人被认为已经溺水身亡，

yet made famous in the Hollywood film Escape from Alcatraz 文化背景

但这一事件因克林特·伊斯特伍德主演的

starring Clint Eastwood.

好莱坞电影《逃离恶魔岛》而广为人知。

Television show MythBusters tested a raft across the same stretch of water

电视节目《流言终结者》在这段水域上测试了一个木筏，

and found that the escape was technically possible. 用詞

并发现越狱在技术上是可行的。

And for those who think swimming the distance to the mainland undoable, 表達脈絡

对于那些认为游到大陆的距离是不可能完成的人来说，

there's an annual Alcatraz swimming trip

每年都会举行一次恶魔岛游泳活动，

open to all open water swimmers 短語搭配

面向所有愿意挑战

willing to tackle the 3.6 mi around the island 用詞

环岛3.6英里水域的公开水域游泳者，

or the easier 1.25 mi from the island to the mainland.

或者可以选择从岛上游到大陆的较轻松的1.25英里路线。

So, what do you think?

那么，你觉得呢？

Would you be able to handle conditions in a state prison?

你能忍受州立监狱的条件吗？

Or would you make a break for it and 習語

还是你会放手一搏，

swim from the island to the mainland?

从岛上游到大陆？

Perhaps you've been to the island before.

也许你以前去过这个岛。

Please enter your comments in the comments section below

请在下方的评论区留下你的评论，

and join in the discussion.

并加入讨论。

Also, be sure to watch our other video called

同时，请务必观看我们的另一个名为

How Rich was Cleopatra and the other pharaohs.

《克娄巴特拉和其他法老有多富有》的视频。

Thanks for watching,

感谢观看，

and as always,

一如既往，

don't forget to like, share, and subscribe.

别忘了点赞、分享和订阅。

See you next time.

下次见。