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1ARedLightforScofflaws给轻微违法行为亮红灯1takelibertieswith:misinterpret;treatsomethingfreely,withoutstrictobservanceofthefact(随意对待)behaveinaboldorimpolitewaytowards，2．Outlawlitter：unlawfulstewing(aplace)withrubbish3.illicitnoise：veryloudnoisewhichisnotpermitted4.motorizedanarchy：disorderorchaoscreatedbymotorists5.taketo:tobepleasedbyorattractedto;begintodosth.asaregularhabit6.dereliction：deliberateeglect；atendencytobenegligent;7.exemptfrom:notaffectedorboundby(=excused)8.flurry:porfusion.abundance;greatquantity9.ordinance:authoritativelaw，commandororder;aregulation10.potsmoker：Onewhosmokesmarijuana.大麻烟客11.duckoutof:avoiddoing,esp.bymakinganexcuse(=backout)12.farebeater：onewhoevadespayingthefareonapublicvehicle.“Beat”isU.S.slangmeaning“cheat”13.publicnuisance：sth.offensivetothecommunity,esp.inviolationofothers’legalrights14.toss-up：thetossing-upofacointodecidesomethingbyitsfall15.mortalperil：dangerthatcausesorisliabletocausedeath16.brazen:shameless.17.skirt：ignore;avoid;evade18.subvert:destroythepowerandinfluence19．nullify:makeineffective;invalidate2Law-and-orderisthelongest-runningandprobablythebest-lovedpoliticalissueinU.S.history.YetitispainfullyapparentthatmillionsofAmericanswhowouldneverthinkofthemselvesaslawbreakers,letalonecriminals,aretakingincreasinglibertieswiththelegalcodesthataredesignedtoprotectandnourishtheirsociety.法律和秩序，可以说是美国历史上历时最久、或许还是人们最爱谈论的政治问题。然而，说来痛心，显然有成百万从来没有想过自己会违法——更不用说犯罪——的美国人，对于遵守那些旨在保护和维持他们的社会的法律条文，却愈来愈表现得放肆起来。Indeed,therearemomentstoday—amidoutlawlitter,taxcheating,illicitnoiseandmotorizedanarchy—whenitseemsasthoughthescofflawrepresentsthewaveofthefuture.HarvardSociologistDavidRiesmansuspectsthatamajorityofAmericanshaveblithelytakentocommittingsupposedlyminorderelictionsasamatterofcourse.Already,Riesmansays,theethicofU.S.societyisindangerofbecomingthis:“You'reafoolifyouobeytherules.”今天，随处乱扔拉圾、逃税、违禁噪音，以及开汽车的无序状态，真是比比皆是；有时简直使人觉得，践踏法令者似乎代表了未来的潮流。哈佛大学的社会学者戴维•里斯曼认为，大多数美国人都不以为然、毫无顾忌地喜欢犯些所谓的小过失。里期曼说，今天美国社会的道德规范已差不多快变成“谁守法谁就是傻瓜”了。3NothingcouldbemoreobviousthantheevidencesupportingRiesman.Scofflawsaboundinamazingvariety.Thegraffiti-proneturnpublicsurfacesintovisualrubbish.Bicyclistsoftenrideasthoughtwo-wheeledvehiclesareexemptfromalltrafficlaws.Litterbugsconverttheircommunitiesintotrashdumps.里斯曼的论断，随处都可得到极为充分的证实。玩忽法令者形形色色，令人吃惊。喜欢在公共场所乱涂乱写的人，把这些地方弄得满目疮痍。骑自行车无拘无束，仿佛两轮车就可以不遵守交通规则似的。随处乱扔拉圾的人把他们的居住区变成了拉圾堆。Widespreadflurriesofordinanceshavefailedtoclearpublicplacesofhigh-decibelportableradios,justasearlierlawsfailedtowipeoutthebeer-soakedhooliganismthatplaguesmanyparks.TobaccoaddictsremainhopelesslyblindtosignsthatsayNOSMOKING.Respectablydressedpotsmokersnolongerbothertoduckoutofpublicsighttopassaroundajoint.Theflagrantuseofcocaineisafesteringscandalinmiddleandupper-classlife.Andthenthereare(hello,everybody!)thejaywalkers.到处张贴的禁令，也未能使公共场所免于手提收音机的高分贝噪音的污染，正如早先颁布禁令，禁止喝饱啤酒的流氓滋扰公园，竟毫无作用一样。烟草瘾君子对那些“禁止吸烟”的布告牌熟视无睹。衣冠楚楚的大麻烟客传递毒品也不再躲躲闪闪，避人耳目。可卡因毒品泛滥，成了中上层社会中愈来愈恼人的丑闻。当然，还有那些不遵守交通规则，乱穿马路的人4Thedangersofscofflawryvarywidely.Thepersonwhoillegallyspitsonthesidewalkremainsdisgusting,butclearlyposeslessrisktoothersthanthecompanythatillegallyburieshazardouschemicalwasteinanunauthorizedlocation.Thefarebeateronthesubwaypresentslessthreattolifethanthelandlordwhoignoresfiresafetystatutes.Themostimmediatelyandmeasurablydangerousscofflawry,however,alsohappenstobethemostvisible.践踏法令的危害有轻有重。在人行道上随地吐痰，当然是令人讨厌的；但与那些大工厂在非指定地点违法掩埋危险的化学废料的作法相比，其对公众的危害则要小多了。乘地铁不买票，当然不会像房东老板无视防火安全条文那样会危及人的生命安全。然而正是这些极常见的践踏法令行为的危害却最直接最明显。TheculpritistheAmericandriver,whoselawlessactivitiestodayadduptoacolossalpublicnuisance.Thehazardsrangefromroutinedoubleparkingthatjamscitystreetstothedrunkdrivingthatkillssome25,000peopleandinjuresatleast650,000othersyearly.Illegalspeedingonopenhighways?Newsurveysshowthatonsomeinterstatehighways83%ofalldriversarecurrentlyignoringthefederal55mphspeedlimit.罪魁祸首要算那些无法无天的美国司机，其所做所为积累成今天的巨大公害。这种危害包括致使交通阻塞的常见的路边双排停车和导致每年车祸死亡25,000人、受伤至少65万人的酒后开车。高速公路上超速行驶的情况又是怎样呢?据近期统计，某些州际高速公路上，有83%的司机们都常常无视联邦政府关于最高时速55英里的限速5Themostflagrantscofflawofthemallisthered-lightrunner.ThefloutingofstopsignalshasgotsobadinBostonthatresidentstellananecdoteaboutacabbywhoinsiststhatredlightsare“justfordecoration”.Thepowerofthestoplighttocontroltrafficseemstobewaningeverywhere.InLosAngeles,red-lightrunninghasbecomeperhapsthecity'smostcommontrafficviolation.最明目张胆的违法的行径要算闯红灯了。在波士顿，无视停车信号的状况已经严重到了如此程度，以至在当地居民中流传着这样一个趣闻：一位出租汽车司机竟然坚信：红灯只不过是“街头的装饰品而已”。红色停车指示灯控制交通的能力似乎处处都在减弱。在洛杉矶，闯红灯恐怕要算该市最常见的交通违章现象。6InNewYorkCity,goingthroughanintersectionislikeRussianroulette.AdmitsPoliceCommissionerRobertJ.McGuire:“Todayit'sa50-50toss-upastowhetherpeoplewillstopforaredlight.”Meanwhile,hisownpolicelargelyignorethelawbreaking.在纽约市，通过交叉路口就象玩俄国手枪轮盘赌。警察局长罗伯特•麦克盖尔承认：“如今红灯亮了是否停车，就像玩掷币游戏，机会各一半。”而他麾下的警察，对这种违章行为大都视而不见。5Red-lightrunninghasalwaysbeenrankedasaminorwrong,andsoitmaybeinindividualinstances.Whentheviolationbecomeshabitual,widespreadandincessant,however,agreatdealmorethanatrafficmanagementproblemisinvolved.Thefloutingofbasicrulesoftheroadleavesdeepdentsinthesocialmood.Inn