硫酸浴英國連環殺手——約翰·喬治·海格：英語精讀講義

Just about all serial killers seem to have experienced some amount of trauma in childhood. 文法

幾乎所有的連環殺手似乎都在童年時期經歷過某種程度的創傷。

But one thing that splits them apart is their intellect. 文法

但將他們區分開來的一點，是他們的智商。

Some of these killers seem like wild savages,

有些殺手看起來像野蠻人，

barely self-aware.

幾乎沒有自我意識。

Others are extremely gifted,

而另一些人則天賦異稟，

yet often display signs of psychopathy.

卻常常表現出精神病態的跡象。

Some are eloquent, attractive, and extremely cultured,

有些人口才好、魅力四射且極具教養，

such as the backpacker killer and lifelong scammer turned celebrity George Sobhraj, 文法

比如背包客殺手、後來成為名人的終身騙子 George Sobhraj，

who read Nietzsche and Jung,

他讀過尼采和榮格，

classics in law, probably to be a better conniver.

以及法律經典，或許是為了成為一個更好的陰謀家。

Then you've got the incredibly talented Ted Kaczynski,

然後還有才華橫溢的 Ted Kaczynski，

aka the Unabomber,

也就是「大學航空炸彈客」，

who is said to have an IQ of 167. 文法

據說他的智商高達167。

That's slightly higher than violin prodigy Charlene Gallego,

這比小提琴神童 Charlene Gallego 還要高一點，

who with her husband brutally raped and killed mostly young girls in the late '70s.

她在70年代末和丈夫一起殘忍強姦並殺害了許多女孩（大多數都很年輕）。

Today we'll look at another talented killer

今天我們要看的是另一位天賦異稟的殺手

in this episode of The Infographics Show,

在這集《資訊圖解秀》中，

John George Haigh, Acid Bath Murderer.

我們要講的是 John George Haigh，酸浴殺手。

Just looking at pictures on the web,

光看網路上的照片，

Haigh wouldn't look out of place in a Hollywood movie of days gone by. 慣用語

Haigh 如果出現在過去的好萊塢電影中，也絕不會顯得格格不入。

It's said he was incredibly charming,

據說他非常有魅力，

as well as suave,

而且溫文爾雅，

and not too distressing to the female eye.

在女性眼中也十分賞心悅目。

But, like many killers that come across this way, 片語動詞

但是，就像許多給人留下這種印象的殺手一樣，

he suffered from narcissistic personality disorder.

他患有自戀型人格障礙。

In short, 表達脈絡

簡而言之，

that means someone who has feelings of grandiosity,

這意味著他有著強烈的自大狂心理，

is always seeking admiration,

總是在尋求讚賞，

yet seems to have no empathy whatsoever. 文法

卻似乎毫無同理心。

Do you know anyone who fits that description? 片語搭配

你認識符合這種描述的人嗎？

If so,

如果認識，

they can tick a box for possible future serial killer. 慣用語

他們很可能具備了成為未來連環殺手的潛質。

So,

那麼，

our charmer Mr. Haigh was born July 24th, 1909.

我們充滿魅力的 Haigh 先生出生於1909年7月24日。

He grew up near a place called Wakefield,

他在一個叫 Wakefield 的地方附近長大，

which is located in West Yorkshire, Northern England.

該地位於英格蘭北部的西約克郡。

They say it's grim up north in that part of the UK. 文化背景

人們說在英國的那個北部地區很陰冷。

Back in Haigh's day, 片語搭配

在 Haigh 那個年代，

it really was a grim place,

那裡確實是個陰冷的地方，

being the backbone of industrial England. 慣用語

作為英格蘭工業的骨幹地帶。

But it seems John wasn't sent to work down the coal mine or in one of the textile mills.

但似乎 John 並沒有被派去煤礦或者紡織廠工作。

No,

不，

this lucky lad had it easier than some.

這個幸運的小夥子過得比一些人要輕鬆。

But he had some setbacks.

但他確實也經歷了一些挫折。

Haigh is yet another serial killer that came from a very religious family.

Haigh 也是一位來自非常虔誠的宗教家庭的連環殺手。

We sure are seeing a pattern in this series.

我們在這個系列中確實看到了一個普遍規律。

In fact,

事實上，

Haigh's dad,

據說，

it's said,

Haigh 的父親，

had a mark on his head that he told his son had been put there by God

頭上有一個印記，他告訴兒子那是上帝留下的，

as a brand to show that he had sinned in the past.

作為他過去犯過罪的烙印。

The dad apparently told young John that if he sinned,

這位父親顯然告訴小 John，如果他犯罪，

he'd get a mark too.

他也會得到一個印記。

But the mother could not fall victim to God's branding iron, 片語搭配

但他的母親不會成為上帝烙鐵的受害者，

as she was an angel.

因為她是個天使。

Not surprisingly,

毫不意外地，

with this being told to John,

從小被灌輸這些觀念的 John，

he had a fuzzy sense of reality. 慣用語

對現實有著模糊的認知。

He even committed a few sins as a child,

他小時候甚至犯下過一些小罪，

and as he wasn't marked,

既然他沒有被烙上印記，

it's said he sinned some more.

據說他後來就變本加厲了。

He thought he'd escaped the wrath of God. 用詞

他以為自己逃過了上帝的憤怒。

Meanwhile,

與此同時，

it's said he went through his childhood suffering from terrible religious themed nightmares.

據說他在童年時期飽受以宗教為主題的可怕噩夢的折磨。

He didn't even get to talk to other kids,

他甚至不能和其他孩子說話，

as his dad built a huge fence around the house

因為他父親在房子周圍建了一道巨大的柵欄

to keep other not so pious people out.

為了把其他不太虔誠的人擋在外面。

But young John had some skills.

但小 John 掌握了一些技能。

He was brilliant at playing piano

他非常擅長彈鋼琴

and from a young age showed an interest in classical music. 片語搭配

從小就對古典音樂表現出濃厚興趣。

He won scholarships to good schools

他贏得了好幾所優秀學校的獎學金

and later a scholarship to Wakefield Cathedral.

後來又獲得了韋克菲爾德大教堂的獎學金。

There he became a choir boy,

在那裡他成為了唱詩班男孩，

which is perhaps a vocation you don't expect of a future serial killer.

這也許是你對未來的連環殺手所意想不到的職業。

After that,

那之後，

he worked in a garage as he was very fond of automobiles,

因為他非常喜歡汽車，他在一家修車廠工作，

but he had to leave because he couldn't stand the dirt. 片語搭配

但他不得不離開，因為他受不了那裡的髒污。

It's even said he would only work on cars wearing rubber gloves and a mask.

甚至有人說他只有戴著橡膠手套和口罩才會修理汽車。

Haigh found a job to his liking, 片語搭配

Haigh 找到了一份他喜歡的工作，

one that could be said to be in line with acts of cunning. 片語搭配

一份可以說與狡猾行為相一致的工作。

That was working in advertising.

那就是從事廣告業。

But this is where his life of criminality started.

但這就是他犯罪生涯的起點。

He was fired for stealing.

他因偷竊被解雇了。

That didn't stop him from getting a wife, though, 文法

不過這並沒有阻止他娶妻，

and he was married in 1934 to a woman he hardly knew.

他在1934年和一個幾乎不認識的女人結了婚。

She filed for divorce within a few months after our man was charged with fraud. 片語搭配

在我們的主人公被控詐騙幾個月後，她就申請了離婚。

The child inside her would later be adopted.

她肚子裡的孩子後來被收養了。

So now we have a single man serving some time in jail.

現在我們這裡有一個正在監獄服刑的單身漢。

He gets out and becomes a recidivist, 用詞

他出獄後成了一名慣犯，

meaning he didn't stop committing fraud.

意味著他沒有停止詐騙。

In fact,

事實上，

he was jailed many more times for doing things such as forging signatures on checks when buying cars

他又多次入獄，原因包括在買車時偽造支票簽名

or selling fraudulent stock shares that were too good to be true. 慣用語

或者出售好得令人難以置信的欺詐性股票。

He was good at his job as he was articulate,

他非常擅長幹這行，因為他口齒伶俐、

smart,

聰明，

and handsome,

而且英俊，

which goes a long way if you want to become a good fraudster. 慣用語

如果你想成為一個優秀的騙子，這些特質會大有幫助。

The problem was he kept getting caught.

問題是他總是被抓。

And so,

於是，

while sitting in his jail cell,

在監獄的牢房裡坐著時，

he came up with a cunning plan. 片語動詞

他想出了一個狡猾的計畫。

If it's the victims that keep getting me in trouble by blowing the whistle, 慣用語

如果是因為受害者告發才讓我不斷惹上麻煩，

just make sure there are no victims,

那只要確保沒有受害者就可以了，

meaning nothing left of them at all.

意思是一點痕跡都不留。

Banish them.

讓他們徹底消失。

His inspiration for this was a French serial killer named George Alexandre Sarret,

他對此的靈感來源於一位名叫 George Alexandre Sarret 的法國連環殺手，

who had dissolved his victims in acid.

他用酸把受害者溶解了。

Perhaps John should have read further in that his inspiration ended up losing his head to the guillotine. 慣用語

也許 John 應該往下讀讀，因為他的靈感來源最終在斷頭台上失去了腦袋。

Out of prison,

出獄後，

Haigh got his hands on some sulfuric acid 慣用語

Haigh 弄到了一些硫酸

and dropped some mice in pots of it.

並把幾隻老鼠扔進了裝有硫酸的罐子裡。

Yep,

沒錯，

they dissolved.

牠們溶解了。

Now,

現在，

does that work on humans?

這招對人類管用嗎？

Yes is the answer,

答案是肯定的，

and it's very effective.

而且非常有效。

According to one story about certain ways of dissolving bodies,

根據一篇關於溶屍特定方法的文章，

acid is a great way,

強酸是個好辦法，

although the fumes are terrible

儘管氣味非常難聞，

and it is dangerous as it can burn you.

而且很危險，因為它會灼傷你。

According to that same article,

根據同一篇文章，

Haigh did this.

Haigh 就是這麼做的。

He processed the bodies in a 45-gallon oil drum

他在一個45加侖的油桶裡處理屍體

and reported that the victims dissolved completely in about 2 days.

並報告說受害者在大約2天內就完全溶解了。

It's said he did this to six people,

據說他對六個人這樣做了，

but there could have been three more. 文法

但可能還有另外三個。

Who were they

他們是誰

and how did he kill them?

他又是如何殺死他們的？

More importantly,

更重要的是，

why the hell did he kill them? 用詞

他到底為什麼要殺他們？

Maybe this quote from him can partly answer that.

也許他自己的這句話可以部分回答這個問題。

When I first discovered there were easier ways to make a living than to work long hours in an office, 片語搭配

「當我第一次發現有比在辦公室長時間工作更容易謀生的方法時，

I did not ask myself whether I was doing right or wrong. 文法

我並沒有問自己我做的是對還是錯。

That seemed to me to be irrelevant.

那對我來說似乎無關緊要。

I merely said,

我只是說，

"This is what I wish to do."

『這就是我想做的事。』」

He added,

他補充道，

"Go after women, 片語動詞

「去追逐女人，

rich, old women

富有、年長的女人

who like a bit of flattery.

那些喜歡被奉承的人。

That's your market if you are after big money." 用詞

如果你為了賺大錢，那就是你的市場。」

But he didn't just kill older women.

但他不僅殺害年長女性。

His first victim was a friend and former employer named William McSwan.

他的第一個受害者是一位朋友兼前雇主，名叫 William McSwan。

He hit him over the head

他猛擊他的頭部

and threw his body in acid.

把他的屍體扔進了酸液裡。

A few days later,

幾天後，

and McSwan was nothing but sludge. 片語搭配

McSwan 就只剩下一灘淤泥了。

Haigh told McSwan's parents that their son had run away to avoid being called up for war. 文化背景

Haigh 告訴 McSwan 的父母，他們的兒子為了逃避徵兵逃跑了。

At the same time,

同時，

Haigh was collecting his pension checks,

Haigh 在領他的養老金支票，

living in and later selling his properties.

住在他的房產裡，並隨後將其變賣。

He was flush with money at this point, 慣用語

這時候他非常闊綽，

but often gambled large amounts away. 片語動詞

但經常在賭博中揮霍大量錢財。

The parents became very suspicious,

這對父母變得非常懷疑，

so Haigh invited them to his house

所以 Haigh 邀請他們來他家

after telling them their son was back and was dying to see them. 慣用語

告訴他們他們的兒子回來了，非常想見他們。

Only they died after being hit over the head. 表達脈絡

結果他們在被猛擊頭部後死亡。

Then they took a bath John had prepared for them. 慣用語

然後他們泡了 John 為他們準備的「浴」。

This conniver would be invited to the houses of the wealthy to play piano,

這個陰謀家會被邀請到富人家裡彈鋼琴，

only while hitting every note, 慣用語

但在彈奏每一個音符的同時，

he was noting what he could steal.

他都在留意有什麼可以偷的。

He shot a wealthy couple he had played for

他槍殺了一對他曾為之演奏的富有夫婦

and then stole all their belongings

然後偷走了他們所有的財物

as well as forging their signature to buy more things.

還偽造他們的簽名買了更多的東西。

They took a bath

他們也洗了個「浴」

and John emptied out the sludge later.

隨後 John 清空了淤泥。

His final victim was a wealthy old woman,

他的最後一位受害者是一位富有的老婦人，

one whose husband had passed already.

她的丈夫已經過世了。

She met Haigh,

她遇到了 Haigh，

who said he was an engineer.

他自稱是一名工程師。

She then told him she had this great idea to make artificial fingernails.

她當時告訴他，她有一個製造假指甲的好主意。

Haigh said,

Haigh 說，

"Wonderful,

「太棒了，

come to my place

來我家，

and we'll get to work." 片語搭配

我們開工吧。」

Only he shot her

結果他卻開槍打死了她

and she became another person to take his special bath.

她也成了另一個洗他「特製浴」的人。

He took her valuables,

他拿走了她的貴重物品，

but it seems that was all.

但這似乎就是全部了。

The cops had a lead 片語搭配

警察找到了線索，

as someone had seen Haigh with the missing rich woman.

因為有人看到 Haigh 和失蹤的富婦在一起。

They visited his workshop,

他們搜查了他的作坊，

whereupon they found evidence that linked Haigh to all of the murders above. 用詞

結果發現了把 Haigh 和上述所有謀殺案聯繫起來的證據。

He was arrested,

他被逮捕了，

but he actually thought he would get away with it. 片語動詞

但他竟然以為自己能逃脫懲罰。

You see,

你看，

Haigh thought that if there were no bodies, 文法

Haigh 認為，如果沒有屍體，

then you couldn't be convicted.

那就不能被定罪。

He studied law

他研究過法律

and the term corpus delicti, 文化背景

以及「corpus delicti」這個術語，

which basically means there must be evidence before you can be convicted.

這基本上意味著在你被定罪之前必須有證據。

Corpus meaning body

Corpus 意思是身體，

and delicti meaning crime,

delicti 意思是犯罪，

so body of the crime.

所以合起來就是犯罪的證據（屍體）。

But the cops had evidence.

但警察找到了證據。

They even found parts of bodies where Haigh had dumped the sludge,

他們甚至在 Haigh 傾倒淤泥的地方找到了部分屍體殘骸，

including bits of dentures,

包括假牙碎片、

gallstones,

膽結石、

a bit of a foot,

一小部分腳

and some human fat.

和一些人類脂肪。

Even though this sounds repulsive to us, 文法

儘管這對我們來說聽起來很噁心，

some reports tell us that Haigh was also repulsed

一些報告告訴我們 Haigh 也感到噁心

and found the whole matter of killing and dissolving rather unpleasant.

並覺得殺人和溶解的整個過程相當令人不快。

For him,

對他來說，

it was just the best way to steal

這只是偷竊的最好方法

and get away with it.

而且能逍遙法外。

Haigh tried to plead insane, 片語搭配

Haigh 試圖以精神錯亂為由進行辯護，

given the gravity of his crimes 文法

考慮到他罪行的嚴重性

and the fact he was versed in law, 片語搭配

以及他精通法律的事實，

but the judge didn't believe him.

但法官不相信他。

He talked of nightmares he had from being a young child,

他談到自己小時候做的噩夢，

trying to sound crazy,

試圖讓自己聽起來像個瘋子，

but it didn't work.

但沒有奏效。

He was hanged

他被絞死了

at the hands of prolific hangman 片語搭配

死在行刑無數的劊子手手中

Albert Pierrepoint on August 10th, 1949.

他叫 Albert Pierrepoint，時間是1949年8月10日。

As the story goes, 表達脈絡

傳說，

just before he was hanged,

就在他被絞死前，

he was asked by one of the guards if he wanted a drink,

一名警衛問他是否想喝一杯，

perhaps a brandy.

也許來點白蘭地。

Haigh replied,

Haigh 回答道，

"Make it a large one,

「來杯大的，

old boy." 用詞

老兄。」

So,

那麼，

do scammers ever get away with it?

騙子真的能逍遙法外嗎？

Does crime pay? 慣用語

犯罪真的能得逞嗎？

It seems not. 文法

似乎不行。

But why not tell us in the comments what you think about this

但為什麼不在評論區告訴我們你的想法呢

and the man we talked about today.

關於這件事以及我們今天談論的這個男人。

Also,

此外，

be sure to check out our other video

請一定要看看我們的另一段影片

called Leonarda Cianciulli,

叫 Leonarda Cianciulli，

aka the Human Flesh Soap Maker.

也就是「人肉肥皂製造者」。

Thanks for watching,

感謝收看，

and as always,

一如既往，

don't forget to like,

別忘了點讚、

share,

分享，

and subscribe.

和訂閱。

See you next time.

下次見。