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Polygraphs

測(cè)謊儀

Lies, damn lies

謊話連篇

Scientifically dodgy lie-detector tests may provesurprisingly useful

科學(xué)的測(cè)謊儀可能驚人的有用

POLYGRAPHS, or “lie detectors”, make frequentappearances on “The Jeremy Kyle Show”, a television programme that resembles nothing somuch as bear-baiting, but with humans. Guests are fond of the tests as a means of provingtheir loved ones' philandering ways, or their own innocence. Now the government seems to begrowing similarly keen.

測(cè)謊儀，經(jīng)常出現(xiàn)在跟逗熊游戲差不多的“逗人節(jié)目”杰瑞米·凱爾脫口秀。嘉賓很喜歡用測(cè)試來檢測(cè)他們所愛慕的對(duì)象或者證明他們是否無辜。如今政府似乎也和這個(gè)節(jié)目一樣越發(fā)喜歡用測(cè)謊儀了。

In May a small number of probation officers began training as polygraph examiners. FromOctober around 1,000 sex offenders released from prison on licence in England and Wales butdeemed to be at high risk of reoffending will be required to undergo polygraph tests. Thechecks will help to determine whether offenders have breached the conditions of their licences,such as restrictions on visiting children's playgrounds. Failing a test will not result in a return toprison but could prompt closer supervision or surveillance.

在5月，一小部分緩刑監(jiān)督官開始訓(xùn)練使用測(cè)謊儀。自10月份約1000名性犯罪者從英格蘭和威爾士的監(jiān)獄假釋，但那些被視為高犯罪風(fēng)險(xiǎn)者且將會(huì)被要求接受測(cè)謊儀測(cè)試。檢測(cè)將有助于鑒別罪犯是否違反了假釋的條件，如限制訪問兒童游樂場(chǎng)。沒有通過測(cè)試并不意味著要回到監(jiān)獄，但意味著要受到更強(qiáng)監(jiān)督或監(jiān)視。

Polygraphs are used widely in America, including on sex offenders, but in Britain many remainsceptical. Polygraphs do not detect lies. They measure changes in physiology, such asbreathing rate, sweating and blood pressure. Telling lies is often stressful and can promptjumps in the readings. But other things–fear, embarrassment, worries about being wrongfullyaccused–can do the same. Enthusiasts say that polygraphs accurately detect lies 80-90% ofthe time. The British Psychological Society cites studies showing similar figures but cautions thatproblems in the research mean that the real rate is probably much lower. And “false positive”rates (dubbing a truthful person a liar) can be as high as 47%.

測(cè)謊儀在美國被廣泛使用，其中也會(huì)用在性犯罪者身上，但在英國很多人都對(duì)測(cè)謊儀持懷疑態(tài)度。測(cè)謊儀并不能檢測(cè)謊言。它們只是測(cè)量生理變化，例如呼吸頻率。但其它會(huì)引起恐懼的事物、尷尬、對(duì)誤判的焦慮也會(huì)在測(cè)謊儀上有相同的體現(xiàn)。熱心人稱測(cè)謊儀當(dāng)時(shí)準(zhǔn)確率可高達(dá)80%-90%。英國心理學(xué)會(huì)引用的研究得出了相似的數(shù)據(jù)，但同時(shí)也告誡我們實(shí)際成功率比這要低得多的問題。并且“假陽性”比率(誤指一個(gè)誠實(shí)的人撒謊)可以高達(dá)47%。

Boosters of the government's scheme say the point is that using polygraphs encourages sexoffenders to reveal more information, before, during and after the test. In a 2010-11 pilotstudy offenders who took polygraph tests made more than twice as many “clinically significantdisclosures”–information that could prompt changes in the way they are managed–as thosethat did not. Many said they would not have done so without undergoing the test. Jane Wood,a forensic psychologist at the University of Kent who co-authored the report on the pilot,says that some offenders found the tests helpful as way to convince their families they werebeing honest about their behaviour. Others said that the discussions prompted when they failedthe test helped them better to understand the conditions of their licence.

政府計(jì)劃的支持者稱使用測(cè)謊儀的核心目的是為了誘使性犯罪者在測(cè)試前后以及期間透露更多信息。在一個(gè)2010-11初步研究中，接受測(cè)謊儀測(cè)試的罪犯與沒有接受測(cè)試的罪犯相比，多做出了兩倍多的“臨床上的重要披露”，這些披露是促使他們改變的重要信息。很多罪犯稱若沒有接受測(cè)謊儀的測(cè)試，他們不會(huì)做出這么多的改變。肯特大學(xué)的法庭心理學(xué)家簡·伍德合著了一篇關(guān)于初步研究的報(bào)告，稱一些罪犯發(fā)現(xiàn)測(cè)試是說服他們家人自己言行可信的一個(gè)有效方式。其他人認(rèn)為當(dāng)罪犯沒有通過測(cè)試時(shí)，爭議就產(chǎn)生了，但這也幫助罪犯更好地了解他們假釋的條件。

Polygraph tests do not stand on their own, argues Don Grubin, a professor of forensicpsychiatry at Newcastle University who is leading the probation officers' training; they shouldbe one of a number of tools used to assess offenders. Nonetheless some remain uneasy.Those using the tests may become complacent, worries Anne-Marie McAlinden of Queen'sUniversity, Belfast, and give them undue weight. In the government's study, the more testsoffenders took, the fewer lies were flagged. That might indicate that they became moretruthful, or it might suggest that they were getting better at gaming the test.

測(cè)謊儀測(cè)試并不能獨(dú)立存在，紐卡斯?fàn)柎髮W(xué)的法醫(yī)精神病學(xué)教授，同時(shí)也帶頭進(jìn)行緩刑監(jiān)督官訓(xùn)練的唐·格魯賓爭論道;測(cè)謊儀應(yīng)該只是評(píng)估罪犯的眾多工具中的一個(gè)。盡管如此情況仍舊不易。貝爾法斯特皇后大學(xué)的安妮·瑪麗·麥卡林登擔(dān)心那些使用測(cè)試的人可能會(huì)變得自滿，然后因而過于依賴測(cè)謊儀。政府研究顯示，罪犯接受的測(cè)試越多，被標(biāo)記的謊言越少。這或許可以說明罪犯變得越來越誠實(shí)，不過這也可能說明這些罪犯越來越會(huì)在測(cè)視力耍花招了。

The polygraph's power may rely on offenders' inflated belief in the accuracy of its tests. Butgetting more information from sex offenders about their behaviour–even on this basis–is still agood thing, suggests Professor Grubin. Instead of Mr Kyle, the government might look to “TheWire”, an American TV drama about murderous gangs, where detectives hooked suspects up tophotocopiers, claiming they were polygraphs.

測(cè)謊儀的能力依賴于罪犯過于相信測(cè)試的準(zhǔn)確性。但是即使是以此為基礎(chǔ)從性犯罪者那里得到更多關(guān)于他們行為舉止的信息仍是一件好事。格魯賓教授如是說。與凱爾的脫口秀不同，政府似乎更傾向于美劇《火線》，這部美劇是關(guān)于警探們將兇殘的幫派嫌疑人連接上了類似影印機(jī)的工具，并宣稱這些是測(cè)謊儀。

【重點(diǎn)講解】

1.fond of 喜歡;愛好

例句:He seemed fond of her in a strictlyprofessional way.

他似乎只是出于職業(yè)緣故而喜歡她。

2.seem to 似乎

例句:I seem to fritter my time away at coffeemornings.

我似乎把時(shí)間全都浪費(fèi)在咖啡早茶會(huì)上了。

3.require to 需要

例句:Drain piping may require to be protected against freezing.

泄水管要求有防凍保護(hù)措施。

4.return to 回到;返回

例句:Ford never desisted from trying to persuade him to return to America.

福特從未停止過勸說他返回美國。