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Understanding Abu Ghraib

阿布格萊布監(jiān)獄始建于上個世紀70年代，在薩達姆時期是用來關押伊拉克平民的監(jiān)獄，薩達姆政府曾在此關押過因涉嫌與1982年杜賈爾村針對薩達姆的未遂暗殺案有關的平民，當年薩達姆政府在這所監(jiān)獄內(nèi)肆意折磨和殺害無辜平民，這里在薩達姆統(tǒng)治時期曾是“死亡與摧殘”的象征。美軍入侵和占領伊拉克后，在此大量關押、審訊和虐待囚犯，阿布格萊布監(jiān)獄在2006年7月份關閉，所有犯人都將轉(zhuǎn)移到巴格達機場內(nèi)的新監(jiān)獄里，為建設這所新監(jiān)獄美國政府共花費了5500萬美元，監(jiān)獄內(nèi)配備一切必要設備，關押條件符合國際標準，警衛(wèi)工作由美軍負責。2004年4月，美國CBS電視臺公布了美軍虐囚的首批照片后，爆發(fā)了舉世震驚的美軍虐囚丑聞，布什總統(tǒng)被迫為美國軍人的非法野蠻行為向伊拉克人民公開道歉。2004年5月開始審判第一名被控犯下虐囚罪行的美軍士兵?，F(xiàn)在，已有11名美軍官兵因虐囚案受到各種程度的處罰，最嚴厲的處罰是美軍士兵格拉納被判處10年監(jiān)禁。

Understanding Abu Ghraib" on this Moment of Science.

In May, 2004 the world was shocked by the abuse of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison(阿布格萊布監(jiān)獄), near Baghdad. Lurid photographs and reports caused us to wonder how otherwise (1)law-abiding, (2)well-trained soldiers could commit such abuses.

The question is not new. An experiment conducted by psychologist Phil Zimbardo at Stanford University in the early 1970s explored the behavior of psychologically healthy people in a simulated prison environment.

Volunteer participants were randomly divided into prisoners and guards. The prisoners were held in a makeshift prison and guards were told to maintain order as they (3)saw fit. It took only one day for the guards to begin abusing their authority. After a brief rebellion, the prisoners were punished by being forced to do (4)push ups and other physically demanding exercise. The guards also sprayed the prisoners with a fire extinguisher and threatened sexual abuse. The situation got so (5)out of hand that after only six days the two-week long experiment was aborted.

Based on the experiment and others like it, Zimbardo and other psychologists concluded that in the right context anyone can do things that they would otherwise consider barbaric. During the Holocaust, for example, Nazi doctors who were known to be good husbands and fathers thought nothing of torturing and killing concentration camp(集中營) prisoners. But as Zimbardo showed, the capacity for brutal behavior is not limited to Nazis or other criminals.

So while the incidents at Abu Ghraib are certainly disturbing, they are not unprecedented. If the Stanford experiment and others like it are any indication, what happened at Abu Ghraib was not abnormal. Unfortunately, it was an example of human nature at its very worst.

Notes:

(1)law-abiding ['l?:?,baidi?] adj.守法的

Most guns are owned by law-abiding citizens and are used carefully.

擁有槍支的人大多是守法公民，而且使用非常謹慎。

(2)well-trained ['wel'treind] adj.訓練有素的;良好訓練

The university boasts a team of well-trained teachers.

這所大學擁有一支訓練有素的教師隊伍。

(3)see fit 認為(做某事)是恰當?shù)?決定(做某事，尤指蠢事)

Use it as you see fit.

看著合適你就用吧。

(4)push ups n.俯臥撐(等于pushups)

Examples include squats, lunges, and push ups.