高级英语The Trial that Rocked the World

LessonTenTheTrialThatRockedtheWorldI.AdditionalBackgroundInformation1.TheauthorJohnScopes,ahighschoolscienceteacherinDayton,Tennesseewho,byteachingevolution,wasaccusedofbreakingthelaw.Hewasthedefendantinthecase.Asthelastsurvivingprincipalinthistrial,hedecidedtowriteastorydescribingthehighlightsofthetrial.ThenameofJohnScopesbecamesynonymouswiththistrial,whichispopularlyknownasthe“monkeytrial”.Afilm,called“InherittheWind”,wasmadeofthetrial,withmuchofthedialoguecomingdirectlyfromthetranscriptsofthecourtproceedings.Thisstoryalsodrawsontheactualtranscripts.JohnScopesdiedin1979.://://(1880–1956)H.L.MenckenwasanAmericanjournalist,editor,critic,andphilologist.Inthe20’s,Mencken,withacaustic(bitter,unpleasant,nasty)pen,derided(madefunofasofnovalue)thesmugnessofAmericanmiddle-classbusinessman,thenarrownessofAmericanculturallife,andtheharshnessofAmericanPuritanism.…Hisoutstandingpieceofjournalism,widelysyndicated,concernedtheScopestrialof1925Tennessee,inwhichahighschoolscienceinstructorwasprosecutedforteachingevolution,contrarytoastatelaw.3.WilliamJenningsBryan(1860–1925)W.J.BryanwasborninSalem,Illinois.Inhismiddle-classfamily,greatemphasiswasplacedonreligionandmorality,notonlyinone’spersonallife,butinpublicsandintheconductofnationalaffairs.AftergraduatingfromIllinoisCollegeofLawinChicago,heopenedalawofficeinJacksonville.In1887,BryanmovedtoLincoln,Nebraska,practicinglawandsimultaneouslyturningtowardpolitics.HewonaseatinCongressin1890andwasreelectedin1892.HewastheDemocraticParty’spresidentialnomineethreetimes(1896,1900,1908).In1912hehelpedtosecurethenominationofWoodrowWilsonforthepresidency,andWilsonnamedhimsecretaryofstatein1913.InWorldWarIheadvocatedapolicyofneutrality,hopingthattheU.S.mightplaytheroleofarbitratorbetweentheopposingsides.Wilson,however,didnotfollowhisadviceandheresignedinJune1915.Duringhistimeheadvancedprogressivecausessuchaswomen’ssuffrageandspokeonbehalfofthecommonpeople,particularlythefarmers,introducingmeasureswhichwouldgivethemmoreofavoiceingovernment.Butallthatheadvocatedhadafundamentalistbasis,i.e.,hewasmotivatedbyastrongreligiousbeliefanddidthingsinthenameofreligion.Hisold-fashionedfundamentalismmadehimpopularamongsomeofthecommonpeople.Duringthelasttenyearsofhislife,hebecamemoreandmorefanatical.HerefusedtocondemntheKuKluxKlanbecausetheyconductedtheiraffairsinthenameofChristianity.In1925heappearedfortheprosecutionintheScopestrialinTennesseeopposingtheteachingoftheoriesofevolutioninpublicschools.The“naivete”andnarrownessofhisthinkingemergedclearlyinthistrial,whichwasBryan’slastappearanceinpublicbeforehisdeathin1925.4.ClarenceSewardDarrow(1857–1938)C.S.DarrowwasborninFarmdale,Ohio.In1894,Darrowbeganwhatwouldbehisprimarycareerforthenext20years----laborlaw.Duringtheseyears,hehaddefendedEugeneV.Debs,“BigBill”Haywoodandotherlaborleaders.Butin1911disasterstruckasDarrow,defendingtheMcnamarabrothersagainstachargeofblowinguptheLosAngelesTimesBuilding,wassuddenlyfacedwithhisclients’reversingtheirpreviouspleaofinnocencetooneofguilt.Inturn,Darrowwasindictedformisconductbutwasnotconvicted.Withthishiscareerasalaborlawyercametoanend.Thenheembarkedonanewmajorcareerasacriminallawyer.Heviewedcriminalsaspeopleledbycircumstanceintocommittingantisocialactsratherthanasfree-willingmonsters.Forthisreasonhewasabitteropponentofcapitalpunishment,viewingitasabarbaricpractice.Darrow’smostfamouscriminaltrialwasthe1924Leopold-Leobcase,inwhichtwoChicagoboyshadwantonlymurderedayoungster.FortheonlytimeinhiscareerDarrowinsistedthathisclientsclaimguilty,thenturnedhisattentiontosavingthemfromthedeathpenalty.Hewassuccessfulinthis,partlybecausehewasabletointroduceagreatdealofpsychiatrictestimonysupportinghistheoriesoftheinfluencesuponindividualacts.IntheScopestrial,Darrow’sdefense,andparticularlyhiscross-examinationofWilliamJ.Bryan,whospokeforthebiblical,antiscientific,fundamentalistside,servedtodiscreditreligiousfundamentalismandwonnationalattention.5.UnitedStatesLawThelegalsystemintheU.S.originatedfromtheEnglishsystemofcommonlaw,unwrittenlawinwhichprecedentplaysanimportantrole.However,astheU.S.developed,itsownsystemofwrittenstatutesandcodesevolved.Americanlawisnowbasedonablendofwrittenlegaldecisionsandoflegislation.TherearetwotypesofAmericanlaw:civillawandcriminallaw.a.Civil/civiclaw(民法)coverssuitsbetweenindividuals(companiesaswellaspeopleare“individuals”).Insuranceclaims,divorces,andbusinessmalpracticesareexamplesofmattershandledundercivillaw.b.Criminallaw(刑法)coverscasesbroughtbythestateagainstindividuals;criminaloffensesrangefromtrafficticketstomajorcrimeslikehijackingandmurder.6.AmericanCourts:StateCourtsvsFederalcourtsa.Statecourts(州法院)：localtrialcourts(ormagistratescourts)(minorcases);generaltrialcourts;statesupremecourtb.Federalcourts(联邦法院):ThejurisdictionofthefederalcourtsisbasicallylimitedbytheConstitutiontocasesbasedonfederallawandtocontroversiesbetweencitiz