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第1篇： TROUSER SUIT The European Court sides with Levi Strauss in its battle with Tesco IT WAS a ruling that had consumers seething with anger and many a free trader crying foul. On November 20th the European Court of Justice decided that Tesco, a British supermarket chain, should not be allowed to import jeans made by Americas Levi Strauss from outside the European Union and sell them at cut-rate prices without getting permission first from the jeans maker. Ironically, the ruling is based on an EU trademark directive that was designed to protect local, not American, manufacturers from price dumping. The idea is that any brand-owning firm should be allowed to position its goods and segment its markets as it sees fit: Levis jeans, just like Gucci handbags, must be allowed to be expensive. Levi Strauss persuaded the court that, by selling its jeans cheaply alongside soap powder and bananas, Tesco was destroying the image and so the value of its brands--which could only lead to less innovation and, in the long run, would reduce consumer choice. Consumer groups and Tesco say that Levis case is specious. The supermarket argues that it was just arbitraging the price differential between Levis jeans sold in America and Europe--a service performed a million times a day in financial markets, and one that has led to real benefits for consumers. Tesco has been selling some 15,000 pairs of Levis jeans a week, for about half the price they command in specialist stores approved by Levi Strauss. Christine Cross, Tescos head of global non-food sourcing, says the ruling risks "creating a Fortress Europe with a vengeance". The debate will rage on, and has implications well beyond casual clothes Levi Strauss was joined in its lawsuit by Zino Davidoff, a perfume maker . The question at its heart is not whether brands need to control how they are sold to protect their image, but whether it is the job of the courts to help them do this. Gucci, an Italian clothes label whose image was being destroyed by loose licensing and over-exposure in discount stores, saved itself not by resorting to the courts but by ending contracts with third-party suppliers, controlling its distribution better and opening its own stores. It is now hard to find cut-price Gucci anywhere. Brand experts argue that Levi Strauss, which has been losing market share to hipper rivals such as Diesel, is no longer strong enough to command premium prices. Left to market forces, so-so brands such as Levis might well fade away and be replaced by fresher labels. With the courts protecting its prices, Levi Strauss may hang on for longer. But no court can help to make it a great brand again. ? 注（1）：本文選自Economist; 11/24/2001, Vol. 361 Issue 8249, p58, 1/2p 注（2）：本文習(xí)題命題模仿對象2001年真題text 5（其中因2001年真題text 5只有4個題目，所以本文第5題模仿參照對象為1999年 Text 1的第4題。） 1.?Which of the following is not true according to Paragraph 1? [A]Consumers and free traders were very angry. [B]Only the Levi’s maker can decide the prices of the jeans. [C] The ruling has protected Levi’s from price dumping. [D] Levi’s jeans should be sold at a high price . 2.?Gucci’s success shows that _______. [A]Gucci has successfully saved its own image. [B] It has changed its fate with its own effort. [C]Opening its own stores is the key to success. [D] It should be the court’s duty to save its image. 3.?The word “specious” line 12, paragraph 2 in the context probably means _______. [A]responsible for oneself [B] having too many doubts [C] not as it seems to be [D]raising misunderstanding 4.?According to the passage, the doomed fate of Levi’s is caused by such factors except that ________. [A]the rivals are competitive [B]it fails to command premium prices [C]market forces have their own rules [D]the court fails to give some help 5.?The author’s attitude towards Levi’s prospect seems to be _______. [A] biased [B] indifferent [C] puzzling [D] objective 答案：B B C D D 篇章剖析 本文的結(jié)構(gòu)形式為提出問題----分析問題。在第一段首先提出問題,指出歐洲法庭對特易購超市做出的裁決。第二段指出當(dāng)事方對同一事件的不同看法和解釋。第三段指出爭論的核心問題在于是否應(yīng)該借助法庭達(dá)到一些商業(yè)目的，并以古奇（Gucci）為例說明答案為否定。第四段對利維（Levi’s）的前景做出了評價和分析。 詞匯注釋 adj.沸騰的, 火熱的 seething foul adj.下流的，粗俗的： segment v.分割 innovation ?n.改革, 創(chuàng)新 specious adj. 似是而非的; 似乎正確的，但實際卻是謬誤的 arbitrage v. 套匯, 套利交易 with a vengeance 猛烈地;極度地 licensing ?n.注冊登記 discount n.折扣 resort ?vi.求助, 訴諸 premium n.額外費用, 獎金, 獎賞, 保險費, 貨幣兌現(xiàn)的 貼水 難句突破 1.Levi Strauss persuaded the court that, by selling its jeans cheaply alongside soap powder and bananas, Tesco was destroying the image and so the value of its brands--which could only lead to less innovation and, in the long run, would reduce consumer choice. 主體句式：Levi Strauss persuaded that … 結(jié)構(gòu)分析：that之后是一個賓語從句；by之后的句子做伴隨狀語來修飾賓語從句；賓語從句中which又引導(dǎo)了一個非限制性定語從句。 句子譯文：利維?斯特勞斯公司使法庭相信特易購把利維牛仔服與皂粉，香蕉等放在一起廉價銷售這一做法使其形象受損，品牌價位也因此受到了影響，這勢必會使產(chǎn)品缺乏新意，最終減少消費者的選擇。 題目分析 1．答案為B，屬事實細(xì)節(jié)題。原文對應(yīng)信息是“…should not be allowed … to sell them at cut-rate prices without getting permission first from the jeans maker.”意思是“只有事先經(jīng)過牛仔褲生產(chǎn)商的同意才能打折銷售?！笔欠裰挥猩a(chǎn)商才能決定價格，我們不得而知。 2．答案為B，屬推理判斷題。文中提到問題的實質(zhì)是“whether it is the job of the courts to help them do this.”后又以古奇 Gucci “saved itself not by resorting to the courts but by ending contracts with third-party suppliers, controlling its distribution better and opening its own stores. It is now hard to find cut-price Gucci anywhere.”為例，說明它的成功并不是訴諸法庭，而是通過自身的努力和嘗試。 3．答案為C ，屬猜詞題。第二段開頭提出了利維公司（Levi’s）對特易購（Tesco）的指責(zé)，后又提出了特易購的反駁意見，前后兩者之間的觀點應(yīng)該是相反的。從而可猜出該詞的含義。 4．答案為D，屬推理判斷題。原文對應(yīng)信息是最后一段。 5．答案為D，屬情感態(tài)度題。作者沒有任何偏頗的闡述整個事件。 參考譯文 法庭的裁決使消費者感到義憤填膺，很多自由貿(mào)易者也感到憤憤不平。11月20日，歐洲法庭對特易購 Tesco 這家英國連鎖超市做出了判決，特易購不能通過歐盟之外的渠道進(jìn)口利維?斯特勞斯公司生產(chǎn)的牛仔褲，并且沒有事先經(jīng)過牛仔制造商的同意，不能打折銷售。具有諷刺意味的是，這項判決是根據(jù)歐盟商標(biāo)法做出的，目的在于保護本地而非美國制造商免受價格傾銷的紛擾。其觀點是應(yīng)該允許任何一家擁有自己品牌的公司給自己的產(chǎn)品定位，分屬適合的市場，比如利維牛仔褲，它就應(yīng)該象古奇 Gucci 牌手提包一樣售價昂貴。 利維?斯特勞斯公司使法庭相信特易購把利維牛仔褲與皂粉，香蕉等放在一起廉價銷售這一做法使其形象受損，品牌價位也因此受到了影響，這勢必會使產(chǎn)品缺乏新意，最終減少消費者的選擇。消費者和特易購卻認(rèn)為利維公司貌似有理實則不然。特易購認(rèn)為它只是從美國和歐洲銷售利維牛仔褲存在的價格差價中套利。這是一種在金融市場上天天都會進(jìn)行上百萬次，并使消費者真正受益的商業(yè)行為。特易購一周之內(nèi)以低于利維?斯特勞斯公司授權(quán)專賣店一半的價格銷售15，000條牛仔褲。負(fù)責(zé)特易購全球非食品類主管克里斯廷?克羅斯認(rèn)為這一裁決會加大產(chǎn)生“歐洲堡壘”的風(fēng)險。 這場爭論還將繼續(xù)下去，并且不單只局限于休閑服裝（季諾?大衛(wèi)多夫香水制造商也和利維?斯特勞斯聯(lián)手訴訟）。這一問題實際上不在于品牌商品是否應(yīng)該控制銷售方式來維護其形象，而在于是否應(yīng)該借助法庭來幫助它們達(dá)到這一目的。許可經(jīng)營管理松散并且在折扣店里頻頻出現(xiàn)毀壞了古奇這一意大利品牌服飾的形象，但它并沒有訴諸法庭，而是通過中止與第三方供應(yīng)商的合同，更好的控制商品銷售，以及開專賣店等方式挽救了自己的命運。現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)很難找到打折銷售古奇產(chǎn)品的地方了。 品牌專家認(rèn)為利維?斯特勞斯公司正在逐步喪失市場占有率，而讓步給Diesel這樣的競爭對手,它的實力已不足以使它對溢價具有掌控能力。在市場機制的作用下，象利維這樣的一般品牌很有可能會逐漸消失，被新的品牌所代替。由于法庭對其價格有保護作用，利維?斯特勞斯公司可能會多維持一段時間，但是法庭卻無法幫它再成為知名品牌了。 （編輯：趙露） 第2篇： LOCK EM UP Minority youths are more likely to face trial as adults A WHITE KID SELLS A BAG OF COCAINE at his suburban high school. A Latino kid does the same in his inner-city neighborhood. Both get caught. Both are first-time offenders. The white kid walks into juvenile court with his parents, his priest, a good lawyer-and medical coverage. The Latino kid walks into court with his mom, no legal resources and no insurance. The judge lets the white kid go with his family; hes placed in a private treatment program. The minority kid has no such option. Hes detained. There, in a nutshell, is what happens more and more often in the juvenile-court system. Minority youths arrested on violent felony charges in California are more than twice as likely as their white counterparts to be transferred out of the juvenile-justice system and tried as adults, according to a study released last week by the Justice Policy Institute, a research center in San Francisco. Once they are in adult courts, young black offenders are 18 times more likely to be jailed-and Hispanics seven times more likely-than are young white offenders. "Discrimination against kids of color accumulates at every stage of the justice system and skyrockets when juveniles are, tried as adults," says Dan Macallair, a co-author of the new study. "California has a double standard: throw kids of color behind bars, but .rehabilitate white kids who commit comparable crimes." Even as juvenile crime has declined from its peak in the early 1990s, headline grabbing violence by minors has intensified a get-tough attitude. Over the past six years, 43 states have passed laws that make it easier to try juveniles as adults. In Texas and Connecticut in 1996, the latest year for which figures are available, all the juveniles in jails were minorities. Vincent Schiraldi, the Justice Policy Institutes director, concedes that "some kids need to be tried as adults. But most can be rehabilitated." Instead, adult prisons tend to brutalize juveniles. They are eight times more likely to commit suicide and five times more likely to be sexually abused than offenders held in juvenile detention. "Once they get out, they tend to commit more crimes and more violent crimes," says Jenni Gainsborough, a spokeswoman for the Sentencing Project, a reform group in Washington. The system, in essence, is training career criminals. And its doing its worst work among minorities. 注（1）本文選自By Anamaria Wilson? Time; 02/14/2000, Vol. 155 Issue 6, p68, 1/3p 注（2）本文習(xí)題命題模仿對象1997年真題text 5（其中因1997年真題text 5只有4個題目，所以本文第4題模仿參照對象為1999年 Text 4的第4題。） 1.?From the first paragraph we learn that _________. [A]the white kid is more lucky than the minority kid [B]the white kid has got a lot of help than the minority kid [C]the white kid and minority kid has been treated differently [D]the minority kid should be set free at once. 2.?According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? [A]Kids shouldn’t be tried as adults. [B] Discrimination exists in the justice system. [C]Minority kids are likely to commit crimes. [D] States shouldn’t pass the laws. 3.?The word “skyrocket” Line 13, Paragraph 2 means ________. [A]rising sharply [B]widening suddenly [C]spreading widely [D]expanding quickly 4.?It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ________. [A] something seems to be wrong with the justice system [B]adult prisons have bad influence on the juveniles [C] juveniles in adult prison are ill-treated [D]the career criminals are trained by the system 5.?The passage shows that the author is _________ the present situation. [A] amazed at [B]puzzled by [C]disappointed at [D] critical of 答案：CBAAD 篇章剖析 本文的結(jié)構(gòu)形式為提出問題----分析問題。在第一段首先提出問題,以一個案例為切入點，對比白人少年與有色人種少年受到的不同待遇。第二段和第三段用事實進(jìn)一步說明司法機關(guān)對有色人種的青少年的歧視以及他們受到的不公正待遇。第四段闡述了司法機關(guān)的這一做法造成的不良影響。 詞匯注釋 offender n.罪犯, 冒犯者 coverage n.保險項目；保險范圍 option n.選擇;供選擇的事物 detain v.拘留, in a nutshell 簡括地,簡言之；簡要地說 felony n.[律]重罪 rehabilitate v. 使 身體 康復(fù), 使復(fù)職, 使恢復(fù)名譽, 使復(fù)原 get-tough adj.強硬的 concede? v.勉強, 承認(rèn) brutalize v.殘酷地對待 detention? n.拘留, 禁閉 難句突破 1．Minority youths arrested on violent felony charges in California are more than twice as likely as their white counterparts to be transferred out of the juvenile-justice system and tried as adults, according to a study released last week by the Justice Policy Institute, a research center in San Francisco. 主體句式：Minority youths are more than … 結(jié)構(gòu)分析：這是一個比較長的簡單句?！癿ore than twice as likely as their white counterparts”是一種表示倍數(shù)的表達(dá)方式；“to be transferred out of the juvenile-justice system and tried as adults”不定式短語來修飾white counterparts; “according to a study released last week by the Justice Policy Institute”是現(xiàn)在分詞做伴隨狀語；“a research center in San Francisco”是“the Justice Policy Institute”的同位語。 句子譯文：刑法政策研究所是舊金山的一個研究中心。據(jù)其上周發(fā)表的研究結(jié)果，在加利福尼亞，因為犯重罪被少年法庭轉(zhuǎn)出而以成人的身份被審判逮捕的非白人少年比白人少年多出兩倍還要多。 題目分析 1．?答案為C，屬推理判斷題。作者在第一段中進(jìn)行對比，目的在于引出同一性質(zhì)案例因為對象不同，從而處理結(jié)果也不同這一論點。 2．?答案為B，屬事實細(xì)節(jié)題。原文對應(yīng)信息是：“Discrimination against kids of color accumulates at every stage of the justice system and skyrockets when juveniles are, tried as adults”。其它選項意思與原文不符。 3．?答案為A ，屬猜詞題。從單詞所在的句子語境中，我們可以判斷skyrocket與accumulate的意思相近，并且程度更強。了解到這一點就不難作出選擇。 4．答案為A，屬推理判斷題。原文相關(guān)信息是“The system, in essence, is training career criminals. And its doing its worst work among minorities”。 5．答案為D，屬情感態(tài)度題。作者通篇都在闡述司法機關(guān)對有色人種青少年的不公正待遇。 參考譯文 把他們關(guān)起來！ 有色人種青少年更可能以成人的身份受審 一白人少年在他就讀的郊區(qū)中學(xué)販賣了一袋可卡因。一拉丁美洲少年在其居住的內(nèi)城區(qū)附近也做了同樣的事情。兩個人都被抓住了。兩個人都是初犯。白人少年是由其父母，牧師，知名律師陪伴，并帶著醫(yī)療保險接受少年法庭的審理；而拉丁美洲少年卻只有母親陪伴，沒有任何法律援助，也沒有保險。法官判白人少年與其父母安然離開法庭，私下進(jìn)行審理。而這位有色人種少年除了被拘留別無選擇。 簡而言之，這樣的事情在少年法庭上越來越常見。刑法政策研究所是舊金山的一個研究中心。根據(jù)上周發(fā)表的研究結(jié)果，在加利福尼亞，因為犯重罪被少年法庭轉(zhuǎn)出而以成人的身份被審判逮捕的非白人少年比白人少年多出兩倍還要多。一旦被移交成人法庭，那些年輕的黑人犯法者被送進(jìn)監(jiān)獄的可能性是白人的十八倍，美籍西班牙人是白人的八倍。這項研究的合作者Dan Macallair說：“司法系統(tǒng)的每一個層面對有色人種中青少年的歧視越來越強，而這些年輕人一旦以成人的身份被審判的話，這種歧視表現(xiàn)得更為淋漓盡致。”加利福尼亞有一個雙重標(biāo)準(zhǔn)：把犯罪的有色人種少年扔進(jìn)監(jiān)獄，對犯有同等罪行的白人少年卻實行教育感化。 雖然青少年犯罪率在二十世紀(jì)九十年代初期達(dá)到高峰以來已經(jīng)有所下降，但是未成年人觸目驚心的暴力行為強化了公眾對其強硬的態(tài)度。在過去六年中，有四十三個州通過的法律更容易使青少年以成人的身份受審。一九九六年美國德克薩斯州和康涅狄格州的記錄是能收集到的最近的數(shù)字資料，資料表明在監(jiān)獄服刑的所有青少年都是有色人種。作為司法政策研究所的所長，Vincent Schiraldi承認(rèn)“有些青少年確實應(yīng)該作為成人進(jìn)行審判，但是他們中大多數(shù)人是可以教育感化的?！? 成人監(jiān)獄對待這些青少年卻是非常殘酷的。這些人自殺的可能性是少管所的罪犯的八倍，遭到性虐待的可能性是他們的五倍?！傲啃逃媱潯笔侨A盛頓的一個改革團體，作為它的女發(fā)言人，Jenni Gainsborough認(rèn)為“這些人一旦被釋放，他們的犯罪率會更高，罪行會更惡劣。”這種體系實際上是在訓(xùn)練職業(yè)罪犯，對于有色人種而言情況更為糟糕。 （編輯：趙露） 第3篇： A BURNING IN ALABAMA The savage murder of a gay man stuns a state where hate-crime laws do not protect homosexuals ?“This is not the type of place where this happens," city council president George Carlton told a reporter, after the horror became public in his hometown, Sylacauga, Ala. He echoed what was said in Jasper, Texas, a year ago. Few people then had ever heard of Jasper. A week ago, even fewer could have pointed out Sylacauga on a map. A tiny city of 13,000, halfway between Birmingham and Montgomery, Sylacauga was known for its white marble quarries, textile mills and ice-cream factory. But last week Sylacauga, like Jasper, became a chapter in the recent history of hatred. According to police, Steven Eric Mullins, 25, and Charles Monroe Butler Jr., 21, plotted for two weeks to murder Billy Jack Gaither, 39. On Feb. 19, they arranged to meet him at a Sylacauga bar and lured him to a secluded area. There they beat him and dumped him into the trunk of his car. They then drove about 15 miles to Peckerwood Creek in Coosa County. There, says Coosa County Sheriffs Deputy Al Bradley, "they took him out of the trunk, took an ax handle and beat him to death." They set two old tires aflame, says Bradley, "then they put the body on the fire." They did it all, the deputy says, because Gaither was gay. Gaithers death has become a rallying point for gay-rights organizations and state legislators pushing a bill that would extend Alabamas three-year-old hate-crimes law beyond race, color, religion and national origin to cover crimes related to sexual orientation as well. "Its unfortunate that somebody had to lose his life in order for this legislation to pick up momentum here in the state of Alabama," says state Representative Alvin Holmes, who failed to get the original law amended when it was passed in 1996. Holmes filed for extending the law after Matthew Shepard, a gay student, was beaten and left to die on a fence in Wyoming last October, an incident that sparked national outrage. Even Wyoming failed to pass hate-crime legislation in the wake of the Shepard lynching. Like Shepard, Gaither did not hesitate to admit being gay, though he adhered quietly to Sylacaugas Southern dispositions. And friends dispute Mullins and Butlers allegations that a sexual proposition incited the murder. Gaithers brother Randy told CNN: "Regardless of his personal life or anything, he doesnt deserve to be killed for this." "The message people are getting is that gay people are second-class citizens," says Tracey Conaty, spokesperson for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Before Gaithers murder, activists were planning a major national pro-gay offensive. From March 21 to March 27, the task force will launch its "Equality Begins at Home" campaign, with 250 grass-roots events in all 50 states aimed at passing anti-gay-bashing legislation. Says Conaty: "These laws reflect the conscience of a community and send an important message." The March events, says Urvashi Vaid, director of the task forces policy institute, will involve straight people concerned about neighbors denied basic human rights. Adds Vaid: "Its more than just a gay thing." 注（1）：本文選自By Sylvester Monroe? Time; 03/15/99, Vol. 153 Issue 10, p47, 2/3p, 3c, 1bw 注（2）：本文習(xí)題命題模仿對象2003年真題 Text 4 1.?What is implied in the first two paragraphs? [A] there are many murders in the recent history of hatred [B]the murder also happened in Jasper one year ago [C] it is another case of the gay being tortured to death [D]the city council president comes from Sylacauga 2.?The author uses the example of Matthew Shepard to show that ________. [A] it is difficult to extend the hate-crime legislation [B]people want to extend the hate-crime law [C]the gays are really in a terrible fix [D] people are indifferent to the gay student 3.?Alvin Holmes’ attitude toward the gay victims is _________. [A]indifferent [B]sympathetic [C]outrageous [D]considerate 4.?Similar to Matthew Shepard, Gaither’s death ________. [A]aroused people’s sympathy for the gay [B] sharpened people’s awareness [C]gave legislation some momentum [D]failed to have any change in the legislation 5.?The text intends to express the idea that __________. [A] people should be concerned about their gay neighbors [B]the gay people shouldn’t be regarded as second-class citizens [C] the legislation for the gay still has a long way to go [D]more pro-gay campaigns should be launched 答案：C A B D C 篇章剖析 本文采用提出問題-----分析問題的模式。第一段和第二段提出問題，詳細(xì)闡述一起同性戀謀殺案的發(fā)生經(jīng)過。第三段和第四段指出被害人的死造成的影響和反應(yīng)。第五段指出激進(jìn)分子的做法及其影響。 詞匯注釋 homosexual? ?n.同性戀 echo vt.摹仿, 重復(fù) rallying? point n.聚集點,號召力 legislator n.立法者 momentum n.動力, 要素 in the wake of? adv.尾隨, 緊跟, 仿效 lynching n.處私刑 allegation n.主張，斷言, 辯解 offensive n.進(jìn)攻, 攻勢 grass-roots adj.一般民眾的, 由鄉(xiāng)間民間來進(jìn)行的 難句突破 1．Gaithers death has become a rallying point for gay-rights organizations and state legislators pushing a bill that would extend Alabamas three-year-old hate-crimes law beyond race, color, religion and national origin to cover crimes related to sexual orientation as well. 主體句式：Gaither’s death has become a rallying point … 結(jié)構(gòu)分析：在for引導(dǎo)的介詞短語中，that引導(dǎo)定語從句來修飾bill; related to sexual orientation as well來修飾crimes. 句子譯文：Gaither的死成為了一種推動力，促使那些維護同性戀權(quán)利的組織以及州立法委員去推行一項議案，使阿拉巴馬已通過三年的仇視罪條文除了涉及有關(guān)種族、膚色、宗教信仰、出身之外，也應(yīng)該包括有關(guān)性傾向方面的罪行。 題目分析 1．答案為C，屬推理判斷題。選項A，B，D都屬于細(xì)節(jié)問題，在文中都可找到對應(yīng)的信息。選項C歸納了前兩段的內(nèi)容。 2．?案為A，屬推理判斷題。文中對應(yīng)信息是“Even Wyoming failed to pass hate-crime legislation in the wake of the Shepard lynching”。 3．?案為B ，屬情感態(tài)度題。文中對應(yīng)信息是“"Its unfortunate that somebody had to lose his life in order for this legislation to pick up momentum here in the state of Alabama”。 4．?答案為D，屬推理判斷題。原文對應(yīng)信息“Gaithers death has become a rallying point for gay-rights organizations and state legislators pushing a bill that would extend Alabamas three-year-old hate-crimes law beyond race, color, religion and national origin to cover crimes related to sexual orientation as well.”Gaither的被害雖然對立法有一定的影響，卻還沒有一定的改觀。 5．答案為C，屬主旨大意題。要綜觀全文，不要受到一些細(xì)節(jié)方面的干擾。 參考譯文 阿拉巴馬焚尸案 一名同性戀的殘忍被害使法律條文里仇視罪不保護同性戀的州政府為之震驚 這件慘案在市議長喬治?卡爾頓的家鄉(xiāng)阿拉巴馬州Sylacauga被公開以后，他是這樣告訴記者的：“這種事情不應(yīng)該發(fā)生在這里”。他是在重復(fù)一年前在德克薩斯州的Jasper說過的話。幾乎沒有人聽說過Jasper這個地方。一周以前，甚至沒有人能在地圖上指出Sylacauga的位置。Sylacauga是一座擁有13，000人口的小城，位于伯明翰和蒙哥馬利之間，以大理石采石場、紡織廠和冰淇淋廠而知名。同Jasper一樣，上周Sylacauga也被列入了近期所發(fā)生的仇恨事件。 據(jù)警察說，25歲的Steven Eric Mullins和21歲的Charles Monroe Butler Jr.預(yù)謀了兩周來謀殺39歲的Billy Jack Gaither。2月19日那天，他們先安排與他在Sylacauga的一個酒吧見面，再把他引到預(yù)定地點。在那他們先是打他，隨后把他扔進(jìn)汽車后備箱，然后開車15英里來到Coosa縣的Peckerwood Creek。Coosa縣治安官代理Al Bradley說：“他們把他從后備箱里拖出來，拿出斧柄把他擊打致死”。隨后他們點燃了兩個舊輪胎。Bradley說：“然后他們把尸體放到了火堆上”。代理說這兩個人之所以這么做的原因就是因為Gaither是同性戀。 Gaither的死成為了一種推動力，促使那些維護同性戀權(quán)利的組織以及州立法委員去推行一項議案，使阿拉巴馬已通過三年的仇視罪條文除了涉及有關(guān)種族、膚色、宗教信仰、出身之外，也應(yīng)該包括有關(guān)性傾向方面的罪行。州代表Alvin Holmes沒能在1996年通過原法律條文時使之得以修正，他是這樣說的：“非得用某人的死來使這項法律在阿拉巴馬積聚變更的力量真是太可悲了”。去年十月在懷俄明州發(fā)生了一件令國人感到憤怒的事情。一名同性戀學(xué)生Matthew Shepard遭人擊打，死于圍墻上。Holmes在這件事件之后曾提議擴展這一法律條文。在Shepard被人私刑處死事件之后，懷俄明州也沒能通過仇視罪法律。雖然Gaither默默地保持著Sylacauga南方人的性情，但是他同Shepard一樣，毫不隱瞞自己是同性戀這一事實。Mullins和Butler辯解說是性問題引發(fā)了這起謀殺，Gaither的朋友們對此提出質(zhì)疑。Gaither的兄弟告訴CNN記者：“不管他的個人生活或其它方面怎么樣，他不應(yīng)該就這樣被處死?！? “美國國家男女同志特遣隊”這一組織的發(fā)言人Tracey Conaty說：“人們獲得的啟示是同性戀是二等公民?！? 在Gaithe