美国实施戒严到底会是什么样？：英语精读讲义

It's finally happened.

终于还是发生了。

A less than ethical bio research company 用詞

一家不怎么讲道德的生物研究公司

accidentally released the T-virus.

意外泄露了T病毒。

It all started with a cough,

一切都从咳嗽开始，

some difficulty breathing

接着是呼吸困难，

and pretty soon tyrants, zombie dogs

没过多久，暴君、丧尸犬

and those gross guys with the long tongues

还有那些伸着长舌头的恶心家伙

started running rampant. 習語

就开始四处横行。

Now there's only one way

现在只有一个办法

to enforce the quarantine that will save America.

来执行那项能拯救美国的隔离措施。

Forget social distancing, 表達脈絡

别再管什么保持社交距离了，

it's time for martial law.

该实行戒严了。

Martial law has been declared numerous times

戒严令曾多次颁布，

throughout US history,

这样的情况贯穿美国历史，

from the Revolutionary War

从独立战争时期

to the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.

到20世纪60年代的民权运动时期。

But what is martial law exactly? 表達脈絡

但戒严究竟是什么？

And what would it look like in modern life?

放到现代生活中，又会是什么样子？

Martial law is typically declared

戒严通常会在

in times of national emergency,

国家进入紧急状态时宣布，

though what exactly constitutes an emergency 用詞

不过究竟什么情况才算紧急状态，

varies from nation to nation. 短語搭配

各国的标准并不相同。

Once martial law is declared,

一旦宣布戒严，

most civil rights are temporarily suspended

大多数公民权利都会暂时中止，

and the US military assumes control 短語搭配

美国军方将接管

of all law enforcement duties,

所有执法职责，

although existing law enforcement is still active

不过现有执法机构仍会继续运作，

and aids in establishing martial law.

并协助实施戒严。

Because martial law pretty much suspends democracy 用詞

因为戒严基本上会中止民主制度，

as we know it in the United States, 短語搭配

也就是我们所熟悉的美国民主制度，

it has been sparingly used 用詞

所以美国很少使用戒严，

and even when it has,

即使真的实施，

it's been a very limited scope.

范围也一直非常有限。

If there's one thing country music has taught us, 語法

如果说乡村音乐教会了我们一件事，

it's that Americans love their freedom

那就是美国人热爱自由，

and they don't take kindly 短語搭配

而且他们绝不会容忍

to the government infringing on it. 短語搭配

政府侵犯自己的自由。

Thus martial law is only declared in the US

因此，在美国，戒严只会在

for the most extreme circumstances,

最极端的情况下宣布，

for times when the military is needed

也就是需要军方介入

to help maintain law and order. 短語搭配

协助维持法律与秩序的时候。

Recent incidents of martial law include its enactment

较近的戒严案例包括

after the attack on Pearl Harbor, 文化背景

珍珠港遇袭后的那一次，

but even then it was only declared in Hawaii

但即便当时，也只在夏威夷宣布了戒严，

and only because an imminent invasion was feared.

而且只是因为担心入侵迫在眉睫。

In the US,

在美国，

only the president has the power

只有总统有权

to enact martial law nationally.

在全国范围内实施戒严。

Each state governor has the right

每位州长都有权

to enact martial law in their own state individually

单独在本州实施戒严，

and enforce it with the aid of federal troops 短語搭配

并借助联邦军队

as well as the National Guard.

以及国民警卫队来执行。

Controversially though,

不过颇具争议的是，

in 2007,

2007年，

President George W. Bush's administration

乔治·W·布什总统的政府

added a provision into a military funding bill

在一项军费法案中加入条款，

that allowed the president to take command 短語搭配

允许总统接管

of the National Guard units of each state

各州的国民警卫队，

without the governor's consent. 用詞

无须州长同意。

Let's say your city ends up on the T-virus menu. 習語

假设你的城市上了T病毒的菜单。

One day you're working your four full-time jobs

某天，你一边打着四份全职工，

while also attending college and still not making rent 用詞

一边上大学，却还是付不起房租，

and suddenly people start turning into zombies

突然，人们开始变成丧尸，

and the lickers all around you.

四周还到处都是舔食者。

The state governor gets on TV

州长上了电视，

and announces he's enacting martial law

宣布实施戒严，

to enforce a mandatory quarantine.

以强制执行隔离令。

The first thing you'll notice about your new life 語法

进入新生活后，你最先注意到的

is that you've got a curfew again,

就是你又得遵守宵禁了，

only this one is much more restrictive

只不过这次限制严格得多，

and better enforced than the one

执行起来也比

your parents set up while you were in high school. 短語動詞

你高中时父母定的门禁严得多。

You're not allowed to be out of your house

你不得离开家门，

from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. every single day.

每天晚上8点到次日上午9点都是如此。

The curfew is meant to control the flow of people 語法

宵禁是为了控制人员流动，

and it makes it easier for law enforcement 語法

也让执法人员更容易

to spot bad actors. 用詞

发现图谋不轨的人。

During wartime,

在战争期间，

if you were violating curfew at 2:00 in the morning, 短語搭配

如果你凌晨2点还违反宵禁外出，

there's a good chance you were an enemy saboteur. 短語搭配

那你很可能就是敌方的破坏分子。

Curfews during a viral pandemic though

不过在病毒大流行期间实施宵禁，

can also help limit the spread of the disease

也有助于限制疾病传播，

and if the outbreak is severe enough, 語法

如果疫情严重到一定程度，

you might not be allowed out of your home at all

你甚至可能完全不能离开家门，

except on specific days for specific times.

只能在特定日期的特定时段外出。

A highly restricted curfew could,

限制极严的宵禁可能会规定，

for instance,

比如说，

only allow you to leave your home

只允许你离开家门，

for three hours every third day. 用詞

而且每三天一次，每次三小时。

Each part of a city could have a different curfew

城市的每个区域都可能有不同的宵禁时段，

and thus the spread of the virus

这样一来，病毒的传播

would be highly limited

就会受到极大限制，

as only one part of the city

因为任何时候都只有一个城区的居民

would be away from home at any given time. 短語搭配

会离开家门。

In most nations,

在大多数国家，

martial law automatically suspends all of your civil rights

戒严会自动中止你的所有公民权利，

and gives the military complete police and judicial power.

并赋予军方全部警察权和司法权。

In the United States though,

不过在美国，

Supreme Court decisions have worked to limit 短語搭配

最高法院的判决一直在限制

the scope of martial law

戒严的适用范围，

and even if martial law is declared,

即使已经宣布戒严，

citizens still have a right to a civil trial. 短語搭配

公民仍有权接受普通法庭审判。

The arresting authority of military or law enforcement

军方或执法机构的逮捕权

during martial law,

在戒严期间

however,

却

is not restricted,

不受限制，

meaning that you could be arrested 用詞

这意味着你可能会被捕，

and not immediately charged.

却不会马上受到指控。

That certainly throws the door open 習語

这无疑会为

to some very scary scenarios

一些非常可怕的情形敞开大门：

with police and military arresting individuals

警察和军方可以

as they see fit 短語搭配

随意逮捕个人，

and is one of the big reasons

而这也是

why martial law is so rarely declared.

戒严极少被宣布的一大原因。

If a catastrophe is serious enough 語法

如果灾难足够严重，

or lasts long enough

或者持续得足够久，

and martial law is necessary

以至于有必要

for an extended amount of time

长期实施戒严，

along with the curfew,

同时还有宵禁，

you may need to carry

你可能就需要随身携带

specially assigned movement and travel documents.

特别签发的通行和旅行证件。

These will be given to you by the authorities

这些证件会由当局发给你，

after carefully interrogating your personal life

但他们会先仔细盘问你的个人情况

and your needs,

和实际需求，

as in what you do for a living 短語搭配

比如你靠什么谋生，

and what type of non-home medical

以及你需要哪一类院外医疗

or specialized care you need.

或专业护理。

Then the authorities would hand you your documents

之后，当局会把证件交给你，

which authorize you to either be in violation of curfew 短語搭配

授权你在宵禁时段外出，

or travel outside of established control zones

或前往既定管制区之外，

so that you can do things like go to work

这样你就可以去上班，

or get a physical therapist appointment.

或按预约接受物理治疗。

These documents will typically be very specific

这类证件通常会非常具体地注明

about where you're allowed to go and when,

你获准在何时前往何地，

helping the authorities to determine

以便当局判断

if you're in violation of curfew

你是否违反了宵禁

or travel restrictions.

或旅行限制。

During World War II,

第二次世界大战期间，

many Nazi-occupied countries found themselves 講解

许多被纳粹占领的国家

dealing with German-backed curfews

都面临德国强制推行的宵禁

and travel restrictions,

和旅行限制，

necessitating special transit or travel documents. 表達脈絡

因而必须使用特殊的通行证或旅行证件。

If martial law is declared nationally,

如果全国宣布戒严，

you'll need those documents to leave your home city

你需要凭这些证件离开所在城市，

and travel anywhere else

前往其他任何地方，

and any foreign travel will have to be approved in advance. 短語搭配

任何出国行程也必须事先获批。

To enforce travel and movement restrictions,

为了执行旅行和人员流动限制，

security checkpoints will be placed throughout your city

你所在城市的各处将设置安全检查站，

in strategic areas.

位置都在战略要地。

If the emergency is bad enough

如果紧急情况严重到

that segregation of the population

必须将人群分隔开来，

and tight movement control is necessary,

并严格控制人员流动，

you could even see entire streets closed off 短語動詞

你甚至可能看到整条街道被封闭，

and neighborhoods get barricaded. 語法

各个社区也被路障封锁。

This will be done in order to ensure 語法

这样做是为了确保

that there are only a select amount

城市中只有少数几条

of avenues of travel through a city,

可供通行的路线，

which can be all overwatched

而所有路线都能受到

by a series of security checkpoints.

一系列安全检查站的监控。

In the United States,

在美国，

elections are protected by the Constitution

选举受《宪法》保护，

and thus martial law cannot stop

因此，戒严不能阻止

or impede an election from happening.

或妨碍选举举行。

During the Civil War,

南北战争期间，

despite martial law having been established, 語法

尽管当时已经实施戒严，

there were still two major elections.

仍然举行了两次重要选举。

Having strict travel restrictions though,

不过，严格的旅行限制

could certainly impede the democratic process. 短語搭配

确实可能妨碍民主进程。

Want to learn about some of the craziest laws

想了解一些最离谱的法律吗——

you might break during martial law?

那些你在戒严期间可能触犯的法律？

Check out our video Crazy Laws

快看看我们的视频《疯狂法律》，

that still exist around the world.

这些法律至今仍存在于世界各地。

Or perhaps you'd prefer this other video instead.

或者，你也许更想看旁边这部视频。

Either way,

不管选哪个，

click one now.

现在就点一个吧。

At least you can still watch 語氣意圖

至少在戒严期间，你还能观看

your favorite YouTube channel during martial law.

自己最喜欢的YouTube频道。