2017年考研英语一阅读 Text 4 原文翻译及答案解析

In a rare unammous ruling, the US Supreme Court has overturned the corruption conviction of a former Virginia governor, Robert McDonnell. But it did so while holding its nose at the ethics of his conduct, which included accepting gifts such as a Rolex watch and a Ferrari automobile from a company seeking access to government.

在美国最高法院罕见地一致裁定中，推翻了前弗吉尼亚州州长罗伯特·麦克唐纳的腐败定罪。但这样做时，法院对其行为道德表示不满，这些行为包括从一家寻求政府关系的公司接受礼物，如劳力士手表和法拉利汽车。

The high court's decision said the judge in Mr. McDonnell's trial failed to tell a jury that it must look only at his "official acts," or the former governor's decisions on "specific" and "unsettled" issues related to his duties.

高等法院的决定称，麦克唐纳案中的法官未能告知陪审团，只能考虑他的“官方行为”，或前州长对其职责相关“具体”和“未决”问题的决策。

Merely helping a gift-giver gain access to other officials, unless done with clear intent to pressure those officials, is not corruption, the justices found.

法官们发现，仅仅帮助送礼者获得与其他官员的接触，除非有明确意图施压这些官员，否则不属于腐败。

The court did suggest that accepting favors in return for opening doors is "distasteful" and "nasty." But under anti-bribery laws, proof must be made of concrete benefits, such as approval of a contract or regulation. Simply arranging a meeting, making a phone call, or hosting an event is not an "official act".

法院确实暗示，接受好处以换取开门路是“令人厌恶”和“肮脏的”。但根据反贿赂法，必须有具体利益的证明，如合同或法规的批准。仅仅安排会议、打电话或举办活动不属于“官方行为”。

The court's ruling is legally sound in defining a kind of favoritism that is not criminal. Elected leaders must be allowed to help supporters deal with bureaucratic problems without fear of prosecution for bribery. "The basic compact underlying representative government," wrote Chief Justice John Roberts for the court, "assumes that public officials will hear from their constituents and act on their concerns."

法院的裁决在法律上是合理的，定义了一种不属于犯罪的偏袒行为。必须允许民选领导人帮助支持者处理官僚问题，而不必担心被起诉受贿。“代议制政府的基本契约，”首席大法官约翰·罗伯茨为法院写道，“假设公职人员会听取选民的意见并处理他们的关切。”

But the ruling reinforces the need for citizens and their elected representatives, not the courts, to ensure equality of access to government. Officials must not be allowed to play favorites in providing information or in arranging meetings simply because an individual or group provides a campaign donation or a personal gift. This type of integrity requires well-enforced laws in government transparency, such as records of official meetings, rules on lobbying, and information about each elected leader's source of wealth.

但该裁决强调，需要公民及其民选代表而非法院来确保政府接触的平等。不能仅仅因为个人或团体提供竞选捐款或个人礼物，就允许官员在提供信息或安排会议时偏袒。这种诚信需要政府透明度方面严格执行的法律，如官方会议记录、游说规则以及每位民选领导人财富来源的信息。

Favoritism in official access can fan public perceptions of corruption. But it is not always corruption. Rather officials must avoid double standards, or different types of access for average people and the wealthy. If connections can be bought, a basic premise of democratic society - that all are equal in treatment by government - is undermined. Good governance rests on an understanding of the inherent worth of each individual.

官方接触中的偏袒可能煽动公众对腐败的看法。但这并不总是腐败。相反，官员必须避免双重标准，或对普通人和富人提供不同类型的接触。如果关系可以购买，民主社会的一个基本前提——政府对所有人平等对待——就会被破坏。良好治理基于对每个个体内在价值的理解。

The court's ruling is a step forward in the struggle against both corruption and official favoritism.

法院的裁决是在打击腐败和官方偏袒的斗争中迈出的一步。

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