電椅是如何運作的？：英語精讀講義

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本影片由 Wix 贊助播出。

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立即嘗試他們的一款進階方案。

As you might have seen in our Worst Punishment Show,

正如你可能在我們的《最殘酷刑罰》節目中所看到的，

humanity has come up with some very gruesome forms of executing people throughout history. 片語動詞

縱觀歷史，人類想出了一些非常可怕的處決死囚的方式。

Ever hear the phrase thrown to the lions, 慣用語

聽過「餵獅子」這個詞嗎，

which the Romans called damnatio ad bestias?

羅馬人稱之為 damnatio ad bestias？

Well,

那麼，

not just lions,

不僅僅是獅子，

but all kinds of wild animals might have been called upon to execute people in the past, 文法

過去人們可能會召喚各種野生動物來處決死囚，

including being sat on by an elephant.

包括被大象活活坐死。

Or what about having your insides ripped out and your limbs torn off, 文法

或者把你的內臟挖出來，四肢扯斷，

being literally broken with clubs when tied to a wheel,

被綁在輪子上用棍棒活活打碎，

having insects eat your insides,

讓昆蟲啃食你的內臟，

or having your ribs pulled through your back into the shape of the wings of an eagle.

或是把肋骨從背部拉出，做成老鷹翅膀的形狀。

Yep,

是的，

humans have been brutal to one another throughout history.

縱觀歷史，人類對同類一直很殘忍。

Maybe hanging, lethal injection,

相比之下，絞刑、注射死刑、

beheading, or firing squad don't seem so bad by comparison. 片語搭配

斬首或行刑隊似乎也沒那麼糟糕了。

But today,

但今天，

we'll focus on one specific form of execution in this episode of the Infographics Show,

在這期《Infographics Show》中，我們將關注一種特定的處決方式，

how does the electric chair work?

電椅是如何運作的？

We'll start with a little bit of history before we get into the specifics of the apparatus. 表達脈絡

在深入了解這台設備的細節之前，我們先講講歷史。

As the story goes, 表達脈絡

傳說，

in the 1870s and 1880s,

在 19 世紀 70 年代和 80 年代，

many people in the United States were being electrocuted by high voltage street lighting.

美國的許多人因高壓街燈而觸電身亡。

This was a new phenomenon,

這是一個新現象，

and it got some people to thinking about execution. 文法

這讓一些人想到了用它來執行死刑。

You see, 表達脈絡

你看，

public executions at the time didn't always go well,

當時的公開處決並不總是順利，

and botched hangings often upset the more sensitive folks that came to watch the spectacle.

搞砸的絞刑經常讓前來觀看的人感到不適。

In fact,

事實上，

because of so many botched hangings,

由於發生了太多起搞砸的絞刑，

there was talk over the years about ending capital punishment altogether. 用詞

多年來一直有徹底廢除死刑的討論。

Then came along a New York dentist and engineer called Alfred P. Southwick, 文法

後來，紐約的一位牙醫兼工程師 Alfred P. Southwick 挺身而出，

who led the charge, 慣用語

他帶頭——

excuse the pun, 語氣意圖

原諒我的雙關語——

to create a more humane form of punishment in the electric chair.

創造了電椅這種更人道的懲罰方式。

He reached out to none other than Thomas Edison to fund his project. 片語搭配

他找到了湯瑪斯·愛迪生來資助他的計畫。

Apparently,

顯然，

Edison was against capital punishment and was,

愛迪生反對死刑，並且，

at the time,

當時，

involved in a commercial battle with engineer Nikola Tesla.

他正與工程師尼古拉·特斯拉進行商業競爭。

Edison was a proponent of DC or direct current, 用詞

愛迪生是直流電（DC）的支持者，

and Tesla of AC or alternating current.

而特斯拉是交流電（AC）的支持者。

Some say Edison gave the electric chair project to Tesla because he was against capital punishment,

有人說愛迪生把電椅計畫交給特斯拉是因為他反對死刑，

while others say he did that for selfish means because if AC was associated with the death chair, 片語搭配

也有人說他是出於私心，因為如果交流電與電椅聯繫在一起，

people wouldn't want that in their houses.

人們就不會想把它用在自己家裡。

According to ABC Science, 表達脈絡

據 ABC Science 報導，

Edison created an advertisement that read,

愛迪生製作了一則廣告，上面寫著：

"Do you want electrocutioner's current in your children's bedroom wall?"

「你想在你孩子臥室的牆壁裡使用處刑人的電流嗎？」

It said Tesla and his backer,

報導稱，特斯拉和他的支持者，

George Westinghouse,

喬治·威斯汀豪斯，

didn't want their generators to power the death chair,

不想讓他們的發電機為死刑椅供電，

but Edison secretly funded a project for the electric chair that would use alternating current.

但愛迪生秘密資助了一個使用交流電的電椅計畫。

The chair was built using AC and the first execution was of a William Kemmler,

這把椅子使用了交流電，第一個被處決的人是 William Kemmler，

who had been found guilty of killing his wife in a drunken rage with a hatchet. 用詞

他因酒後狂暴用斧頭殺害妻子而被判有罪。

He was executed on August 6th,

1890 年 8 月 6 日，

1890 in Auburn Prison, New York.

他在紐約州奧本監獄被處決。

The victim is said to have spent 17 seconds with a 1,000 volts passing through his body. 文法

據說死囚在 1000 伏特的電壓穿過身體時掙扎了 17 秒。

At that point,

就在那時，

as the story goes,

據傳說，

someone shouted,

有人大喊：

"Great God, he's alive!"

「天哪，他還活著！」

Still conscious,

在他還有意識的時候，

the guards turned up the electricity to 2,000 volts. 片語動詞

警衛把電壓調到了 2000 伏特。

According to History Today,

據 History Today 記載，

Kemmler's skin began bleeding,

Kemmler 的皮膚開始流血，

part of his body was seen to be singed,

可以看到他身體的一部分被燒焦了，

and a horrible smell spread through the death chamber.

死亡室內瀰漫著可怕的氣味。

At the time,

當時，

the New York Times wrote that the stench was unbearable.

《紐約時報》寫道，那種惡臭讓人難以忍受。

He died,

他死了，

and Edison carried on his campaign against AC after that. 片語動詞

在那之後愛迪生繼續他反對交流電的運動。

Southwick,

Southwick，

who is credited with the invention of the chair, 片語搭配

他被譽為電椅的發明者，

though there were really many more people involved,

儘管實際上還有很多人參與，

is rumored to have said,

傳聞他曾說：

"This is the culmination of 10 years work and study.

「這是 10 年工作和研究的頂峰。

We live in a higher civilization today."

我們今天生活在一個更高級的文明中。」

Hmm,

嗯，

if you look at botched executions throughout history,

如果你看看歷史上那些搞砸的處決，

the chair wasn't exactly botched-proof. 語氣意圖

電椅也不完全是萬無一失的。

The worst botched execution in what became known as Old Sparky was that of James W. on March 10th,

後來被稱為 Old Sparky 的電椅最嚴重的一次處決失誤，發生在 3 月 10 日對 James W. 的處決中，

1922 at Arkansas State Penitentiary in Little Rock.

1922 年在小石城的阿肯色州立監獄。

The poor black 18-year-old had been found guilty of killing a white person.

這名可憐的 18 歲黑人因殺害一名白人而被判有罪。

Apparently,

顯然，

he had to be jolted 12 times before he died.

他被電擊了 12 次才死去。

Then,

然後，

a year later,

一年後，

according to the book Gruesome Spectacles, Botched Executions, and America's Death Penalty,

根據《Gruesome Spectacles, Botched Executions, and America's Death Penalty》一書，

a man called F.G. Bullen was electrocuted,

一個名叫 F.G. Bullen 的男子被電擊，

pronounced dead, 片語搭配

宣布死亡，

and after being placed in a coffin,

然而在被放入棺材後，

was found to be breathing.

人們發現他還在呼吸。

He was subsequently returned to the chair and shocked another five times for good measure. 慣用語

隨後他被送回電椅，為了確保萬無一失，又電擊了五次。

And they said hanging was brutal. 語氣意圖

虧他們還說絞刑很殘忍。

The last use of Old Sparky in the USA was on January 16th,

在美國，最後一次使用 Old Sparky 是在 1 月 16 日，

2013,

2013年，

although according to CNN,

儘管據 CNN 報導，

the following states still use the method:

以下各州仍在使用這種方法：

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

阿拉巴馬州、阿肯色州、佛羅里達州、肯塔基州、奧克拉荷馬州、南卡羅來納州、田納西州和維吉尼亞州。

You can also still be gassed, shot, or hanged in some states,

在一些州，你仍然可能被毒氣、槍斃或絞死，

although lethal injection is now the execution of choice. 片語搭配

儘管現在注射死刑是首選的處決方式。

So,

那麼，

how does it work?

它是如何運作的？

Before the prisoner is sent to the chair,

在死囚被送上電椅之前，

he or she will have their head and calves shaved. 文法

他們的頭部和小腿會被剃光。

This is so the electrodes that are fastened to the leg and head have better contact with the body. 文法

這是為了讓綁在腿上和頭上的電極能更好地與身體接觸。

The prisoner is fastened into the chair by the wrists, waist, and ankles.

死囚的手腕、腰部和腳踝會被固定在椅子上。

They will usually be blindfolded and sometimes even be wearing a diaper.

他們通常會被蒙上雙眼，有時甚至會穿上尿布。

One of course loses control of bodily functions when one is being fried by electricity. 講解

因為當人被高壓電擊時，肯定會失去對身體排泄機能的控制。

One witness to the execution in 2007 of former Gulf War veteran and convicted child killer Darryl Holton explained that the prisoner was wearing a cotton prison uniform all white.

2007 年，前波斯灣戰爭老兵、殺童犯 Darryl Holton 被處決時的一名目擊者解釋說，死囚穿著一套全白的棉質囚服。

He wrote,

他寫道：

"The guards then performed the laborious process of placing the straps and belts about Darryl's body.

「然後，警衛們在 Darryl 身上費力地繫上帶子和皮帶。

This took,

這大概花了，

in my estimation, 片語搭配

依我估計，

perhaps as long as 10 minutes. 文法

可能長達 10 分鐘。

Wet sponges were then placed between the metal contacts and the prisoner's skin.

然後在金屬觸點和死囚皮膚之間放置濕海綿。

This is to better conduct the charge.

這是為了更好地傳導電荷。

The guards cleaned everything up,

警衛們清理好了一切，

and at about this time,

大約在這個時候，

Holton started to hyperventilate due to fear.

Holton 因為恐懼開始過度換氣。

A metal headpiece was then put on Holton's head,

然後在 Holton 頭上戴上一個金屬頭罩，

which also had a wet sponge underneath it.

頭罩下面也有一塊濕海綿。

Holton was asked if he wanted a blindfold,

有人問 Holton 是否想要蒙眼布，

but this turned out to be something large that more resembled a welder's mask. 片語動詞

但結果拿來的是一個大號的面罩，更像焊工面罩。

When everyone was out of the room,

當所有人都退出房間，

with witnesses watching, 文法

在目擊者的注視下，

a loud electrical whirring was heard.

聽到了一陣巨大的電流嗡嗡聲。

The current was applied for 15 seconds,

電流施加了 15 秒，

discharging up to 2,000 volts,

釋放出高達 2000 伏特的電壓，

which should stop the heart of the prisoner.

這足以讓死囚心臟停跳。

According to the writer,

據作者說，

Holton then slumped over, 片語動詞

Holton 然後癱倒了，

but he was hit again with a lesser voltage for a further 20 seconds to damage all the remaining organs that might be working. 用詞

但他又被較低電壓電擊了 20 秒，以破壞可能還在運作的所有剩餘器官。

At this point,

此時，

Holton's body convulsed.

Holton 的身體開始抽搐。

The writer concluded,

作者總結道：

"The state officials had acted with all the courtesy and care possible.

「州政府官員已經展現了最大的禮貌和謹慎。

I felt for those who had to participate in this electric ritual of death." 片語動詞

我對那些不得不參與這場死亡閃電儀式的人感到同情。」

He also said that lethal injection was still far more humane. 文法

他還說注射死刑仍然要人道得多。

So,

那麼，

does it hurt?

這痛嗎？

That's the million-dollar question. 慣用語

這是個至關重要的問題。

Most experts think,

大多數專家認為，

these days,

在如今，

it would not,

應該不痛，

but in the past,

但在過去，

when there was a malfunction,

當設備出現故障時，

it certainly could have hurt.

肯定會痛。

But anyway,

但無論如何，

who really knows except those who died, 表達脈絡

除了那些死去的人，誰能真正知道呢，

and they can't really tell their story.

而他們也無法講述自己的經歷了。

But what actually happens to the body when it's electrocuted like this?

但當身體被這樣電擊時，實際上會發生什麼？

Electrocution leads to paralysis of the brain's respiratory centers and stops the muscles pumping the heart.

觸電會導致大腦呼吸中樞癱瘓，並使肌肉停止泵血至心臟。

Sometimes the body will become very hot,

有時屍體會變得非常燙，

even burnt,

甚至被燒焦，

and the eyeballs can protrude.

眼球也會凸出。

The facial muscles will also contort,

臉部肌肉也會扭曲，

as you can well imagine. 語氣意圖

你完全可以想像得到。

When both shocks are finished,

兩次電擊結束後，

doctors examine the body,

醫生會檢查屍體，

while in the witness room the blinds are drawn. 片語搭配

同時證人室的百葉窗會被拉上。

Then you might hear an announcement such as this one in Tennessee:

然後你可能會聽到類似田納西州的這種宣布：

"Ladies and gentlemen,

「女士們，先生們，

this concludes the legal execution of Darryl Holton.

Darryl Holton 的合法死刑執行到此結束。

The time of death,

死亡時間，

1:25.

1點25分。

Please exit."

請離場。」

This is a pretty horrible way to end this video,

這是一種相當可怕的影片結尾方式，

so let's talk about something more fun for a second.

所以讓我們談點更有趣的事情吧。

Do you have an up-to-date website?

你有一個現代化的網站嗎？

If not,

如果沒有，

Wix is a super easy,

Wix 是一個超級簡單，

yet professional and robust platform for creating,

卻又專業且強大的平台，可以用於建立、

managing,

管理，

and hosting your website.

和代管你的網站。

You can use a custom domain for anything from a blog to a website for a restaurant.

你可以使用自訂網域，無論是做部落格還是餐廳網站都可以。

Wix does all the heavy lifting. 慣用語

Wix 會包攬所有繁重的工作。

You can finally create that amazing website that you've been too afraid of making because maybe you just didn't know how,

你終於可以建立一個你一直不敢去做的令人驚嘆的網站了，因為也許你只是不知道怎麼做，

by going to wix.com/go/infographics or by clicking the link in the description.

只需前往 wix.com/go/infographics 或點擊描述中的連結。

Don't wait until it's too late.

不要等到太晚。

Get a head start today with the amazing website you deserve.

今天就用你應得的驚人網站搶占先機吧。

So,

那麼，

what do you think about this form of execution?

你對這種處決方式有什麼看法？

Is it humane or not?

它人道還是不人道？

Do you believe we should have capital punishment altogether?

你認為我們到底該不該保留死刑？

How would you be executed if you could have the choice?

如果可以選，你會選擇如何被處決？

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

在留言區告訴我們你的想法吧。

Also,

此外，

be sure to check out our other video called How Does Lethal Injection Work?

務必看看我們另一期名為《注射死刑是如何運作的？》的影片。

Thanks for watching,

感謝觀看，

and as always,

像往常一樣，

don't forget to like,

別忘了按讚、

share,

分享，

and subscribe.

和訂閱。

See you next time.

我們下次見。