George Floyd death: What US police officers think of protests??

By Boer Deng?

BBC News, Washington??

26 June 2020

Cops Need a New Code

Jeremiah Johnson serves as a police?sergeant?in Connecticut and holds an appointment as a Practitioner in Residence at the University of New Haven

sergeant/?sɑ?d??nt/ 陸軍或空軍的軍士；英國(guó)巡佐；美國(guó)警佐

Connecticut/k?'netik?t/ 美國(guó)康涅狄格州

Practitioner /pr?k?t???n?(r)/ 1.a person who works in a profession, especially medicine or law （尤指醫(yī)學(xué)或法律界的）從業(yè)人員?dental practitioners 牙醫(yī)2.a person who regularly does a particular activity, especially one that requires skill 習(xí)藝者；專門人才

It took several days before I could bring myself to watch George Floyd's life agonizingly?extinguished?beneath the unyielding knee of a Minneapolis Police Officer. As a sworn police officer, I believe it is my duty to watch and not look away; George Floyd's humanity demands it.

agonizingly adv. /??ɡ?na?z??li/ ?used meaning ‘extremely’ to emphasize sth negative （強(qiáng)調(diào)反面事物）極其?? an agonizingly slow process 極其緩慢的過程

extinguish /?k?st??ɡw??/1.to make a fire stop burning or a light stop shining 熄滅；撲滅·Firefighters tried to extinguish the flames. 消防隊(duì)員奮力救火。2.to destroy sth 毀滅；消滅；使破滅

unyielding?adj.?/?n?ji?ld??/??

1.if a person is?unyielding?, they are not easily influenced and they are unlikely to change their mind?堅(jiān)定的；頑強(qiáng)不屈的；固執(zhí)的

2.an?unyielding?substance or object does not bend or break when pressure is put on it?不彎曲的；堅(jiān)固的

His unconscionable death?laid bare the deficiencies of?American policing, a reality which?resonated?with cities and communities across the nation. Viral images and video clips documenting protests against racism and brutality have done little to disconfirm that the police are racist and brutal. Calls to re-imagine, defund, or even abolish the institution of policing are amplified?through these encounters.

Lay bare：揭露，揭發(fā)，公開

deficiency /d??f???ns?/1.Deficiency?in something, especially something that your body needs, is not having enough of it. 缺乏; 不足? ?They did blood tests on him for signs of vitamin deficiency. 他們給他做了血檢看是否有缺乏維生素的跡象。2.A deficiency that someone or something has is a weakness or imperfection in them. 缺點(diǎn); 缺陷

the deficiencies of American policing：美國(guó)警察系統(tǒng)的缺陷

resonate v. /?rez?ne?t/ ?1.( of a voice, an instrument, etc. 嗓音、樂器等 ) to make a deep, clear sound that continues for a long time 產(chǎn)生共鳴；發(fā)出回響；回蕩2.~ (with sth) ( of a place 地方 ) to be filled with sound; to make a sound continue longer （使）回響，起回聲

?a resonating chamber 產(chǎn)生回音的房間

3.~ (with sb/sth) to remind sb of sth; to be similar to what sb thinks or believes 使產(chǎn)生聯(lián)想；引起共鳴；和…的想法（或觀念）類似

?These issues resonated with the voters. 這些問題引起了投票者的共鳴。

amplify /??mpl??fa?/擴(kuò)大 (聲音)? ?This landscape seemed to trap and amplify sounds. 這種地形好像能聚攏和擴(kuò)大聲音。2.擴(kuò)音3.V-T To amplify something means to increase its strength or intensity. 增強(qiáng)

A friend from my undergraduate days recently?lamented?on Facebook that she did not know how to explain the police to her children. Rhetorical?or not, I inquired whether she meant "police as they are" or "police as they should be?"

lamented adj. /l??ment?d/ ?( of sb/sth that has died or disappeared 已死亡的人或已消失的事物 ) missed very much 令人悼念（或懷念）的；使人思念的

? her late lamented husband 她那令人懷念的已故的丈夫

rhetorical adj. /r??t?r?kl/ ?

1.( of a question 問題 ) asked only to make a statement or to produce an effect rather than to get an answer 反問的；反詰的

2.( formal often disapproving ) ( of a speech or piece of writing 言語或文章 ) intended to influence people, but not completely honest or sincere 辭藻華麗的；虛夸的；花言巧語的

3.( formal ) connected with the art of rhetoric 修辭的；修辭性的；帶有修辭色彩的

Policing is a social institution with an uncertain mandate and mismatched expectations?invariably?leads to conflict. Reductionist?phrases such as, "to serve and protect", are of little help as they are ambiguous?and easily co-opted.

invariably adv. /?n?ve?ri?bli/ always 始終如一地；一貫地

reductionist /r??d?k??n?st/ ADJ Reductionist describes a way of analysing problems and things by dividing them into simpler parts. (以分解法分析問題及事物的)還原論者

ambiguous adj. /?m?b?ɡju?s/ ?

1.that can be understood in more than one way; having different meanings 模棱兩可的；含混不清的??an ambiguous word/term/statement 模棱兩可的詞╱用語╱說法

2.not clearly stated or defined 不明確的??His role has always been ambiguous. 他的角色一直不明確

opt v. /?pt/ ?~ (for/against sth) to choose to take or not to take a particular course of action 選擇；挑選

co-opted-- co-opting--- co-opts

1.V-T If you co-opt someone, you persuade them to help or support you. 團(tuán)結(jié)

2.V-T If someone is co-opted into a group, they are asked by that group to become a member, rather than joining or being elected in the normal way. 指派

3.V-T If a group or political party co-opts a slogan or policy, they take it, often from another group or political party, and use it themselves. 借鑒

The field of policing desperately needs to do some soul-searching and reconsider what it stands for professionally. Rewriting its code of ethics is a good place to start.

The current Law Enforcement Code of Ethics?is a product of the mid-20th Century's professional era of policing. It was formally adopted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 1957.

Code of Ethics：道德規(guī)范

The document is more than symbolic; many police organizations (including the Minneapolis Police Department) have incorporated the Code of Ethics into their policy manuals?and oath of office?ceremonies. Police reform often takes place in a patchwork fashion.

Manual：形容詞是人工的，用手的；做名詞是說明書，操作指南

oath of office：就職宣誓

Changing the Code of Ethics would be unprecedented?and wide-reaching. To draft a new Code of Ethics worthy of a democratic society, policing should turn to Hippocrates.

unprecedented /?n?pres?dent?d/ that has never happened, been done or been known before 前所未有的；空前的；沒有先例的

Hippocrates/hi'p?kr?ti:z/希波克拉底（希臘的名醫(yī)，稱醫(yī)藥之父）

Medicine's Hippocratic Oath?is commonly summarised as "do no harm".

It is the physician's job to examine the patient, diagnose the medical condition underlying presenting symptoms, and?prescribe?an effective course of treatment. A doctor who only attends to visible symptoms, provides ineffective medicine, or treats in a manner that is ultimately harmful has failed the patient.

prescribe v. /pr??skra?b/ ?

~ (sb) sth (for sth) ( of a doctor 醫(yī)生 ) to tell sb to take a particular medicine or have a particular treatment; to write a prescription for a particular medicine, etc. 給…開（藥）；讓…采用（療法）；開（處方）

( used about a person or an organization with authority 當(dāng)局 ) to say what should be done or how sth should be done 規(guī)定；命令；指示

By these standards, American policing may be guilty of malpractice.

A police code of ethics designed around the Hippocratic Oath should incorporate four key themes that are noticeably?absent from the present document: evidence-based policing, crime prevention, professional identity, and the sanctity of life.

malpractice n. /?m?l?pr?kt?s/ ?( law 律 ) careless, wrong or illegal behaviour while in a professional job 瀆職；玩忽職守? medical malpractice 醫(yī)療失誤

Noticeably?adv. 顯著地，明顯地；引人注目地

sanctity n. /?s??kt?ti/ ?1.~ (of sth) the state of being very important and worth protecting 神圣不可侵犯2.the state of being holy 神圣性；圣潔性

In the decades following the code's inception, a vast body of scientific evidence has emerged regarding what works in policing and, perhaps more importantly, what does not.

?inception /?n?sep?n/. 起初；獲得學(xué)位；《盜夢(mèng)空間》（電影名）

This is not an abstract intellectual issue since police interventions directly impact the lives of community members. Ignoring the evidence base in favour of tradition or personal opinion is more than irresponsible; unscientific policing is unethical policing.

Second, the Code of Ethics is a product of the crime-control era and is singularly?focused on enforcement. The desire to apprehend?is dominant in American policing's DNA, yet this orientation must give way to crime prevention. It is the absence of crime and disorder that policing should seek to achieve.

singularly adv. /?s??ɡj?l?li/ ?very; in an unusual way 非常；特別；異常地

? singularly beautiful 特別漂亮

apprehend v. /??pr??hend/ 1.( of the police 警方 ) to catch sb and arrest them 逮捕；拘押2.( old-fashioned ) to understand or recognize sth 理解；認(rèn)識(shí)到；領(lǐng)會(huì)

Third, the Code of Ethics must repudiate?the ideology of the 'thin blue line'. It must clearly establish that police are first and?foremost?members of the community, not some separate caste standing in the gap between good and evil.

repudiate v. /r??pju?die?t/ ?1.to refuse to accept sth 拒絕；不接受；回絕

1.?to say officially and/or publicly that sth is not true （正式地）否認(rèn)，駁斥

·to repudiate a report 駁斥一份報(bào)告

2.?( old-fashioned ) to refuse to be connected with sb any longer 拒絕與…往來；斷絕同…的關(guān)系

The thin blue line：《細(xì)細(xì)的藍(lán)線》，美國(guó)電影　采用了事件重現(xiàn)的方法再現(xiàn)了1976年美國(guó)得克薩斯州達(dá)拉斯市一起槍殺警察案。導(dǎo)演埃羅爾?莫里斯（Errol Morris）11年后采訪了被判死刑、后轉(zhuǎn)終身監(jiān)禁的犯罪嫌疑人蘭道?亞當(dāng)姆斯（Randall Adams）、指證亞當(dāng)姆斯的慣犯大衛(wèi)?哈里斯（David Harris）、當(dāng)年案件審判的三位證人米勒夫婦和麥克?蘭道（Michael Randall），以及參與此案?jìng)善婆c審判的警察、法官與律師們。通過不同人物對(duì)案件發(fā)生情形不同角度的描述，莫里斯成功證實(shí)了亞當(dāng)姆斯的冤屈，并借片中一位公訴員之口點(diǎn)名警察是區(qū)分一個(gè)民主社會(huì)與極權(quán)的“細(xì)藍(lán)線”。

Foremost?adj. 最重要的；最先的adv. 首先；居于首位地

caste n. /kɑ?st/ ?1.[ C ] any of the four main divisions of Hindu society, originally those made according to functions in society （印度教的四大）種姓???the caste system 種姓制度

2.[ C ] a social class, especially one whose members do not allow others to join it （尤指禁止其他等級(jí)成員進(jìn)入的）社會(huì)階層，社會(huì)等級(jí)??the ruling caste 統(tǒng)治階層

3.[ U ] the system of dividing society into classes based on differences in family origin, rank or wealth 社會(huì)等級(jí)制度

Finally, the Code of Ethics rightly speaks to protecting the weak and innocent while opposing unnecessary force and violence. This does not go far enough.

Policing must fundamentally acknowledge the sanctity of life and a duty to protect every person, even individuals who have placed themselves or others in?jeopardy. If police must use force, they have an ethical duty to transition and render aid to prevent the loss of life.

jeopardy n. /?d?ep?di/ ?1. IN ?JEOPARDY

in a dangerous position or situation and likely to be lost or harmed 處于危險(xiǎn)境地；受到威脅

Render 有很多詞義，在此文章是提供幫助的意思 ~ sth (to sb/sth)~ (sb) sth ( formal ) to give sb sth, especially in return for sth or because it is expected 給予；提供；回報(bào)? ??Render aid 提供援助

As George Floyd lay dying, one of the bystanders?in the crowd tried to reason with the officers declaring, "Bro, he's human." The appeal?fell on deaf ears.

bystander n. by--stander /?ba?st?nd?(r)/ 旁觀，看熱鬧的人

Appeal /??pi?l/ 詞義非常多，在這段話中是懇求呼吁的意思；它還有上訴的意思to file an appeal 提出上訴；感染力、吸引力的意思mass/wide/popular appeal 對(duì)大眾的╱廣泛的╱普遍的吸引力

fell on deaf ears?不受重視；聽而不聞

Hippocrates viewed the art of medicine as something fundamentally connected with the love of humanity. The very fabric of American policing must change before the same can be said about law enforcement. It's time for a new code.