一步一个脚印

Briefing

You have been called in at the last minute to interpret for your colleague who has been called away on a family emergency. Your interpreting assignment is at a local police station, where you will be interpreting for Mrs Zeng, a Mandarin-speaking woman, and an English-speaking constable. Zeng’s teenage son has been arrested and charged with a number of offences, and they are now conducting a police interview.

Listen to Dialogue

Mandarin-English Dialogue #17 – Delinquent Juvenile

Transcript

Constable: OK, now that you’ve had your rights explained to you and we’ve got another interpreter sorted, we can continue with this interview. First, Mrs Zeng, do you fully understand the severity of the offences with which your son Wayne has been charged? (我们已经向你解释过你所拥有的权利，我们也找到了另一个口译员。现在我们可以继续了。首先，郑女士，您明确知道您儿子韦恩的违法行为的严重性吗？他就是因此而被起诉的。)

Zeng: 是的，警官，我明白他犯的事很严重。之前的口译员已经把你给我的信息翻译过了。说Wayne被起诉毁坏公物和拒捕，是么？[Yes, constable. I understand what he did is very serious. The previous interpreter translated the information you gave me. It said that Wayne has been charged with damaging public property and resisting arrest. Is that right?]

Constable: That’s right. But don’t forget there’s a third charge as well. At the time of the arrest, when my colleague, Constable Fawkner, attempted to put hand cuffs on him, Wayne yelled out, “Fucking pigs.” He then continued swearing at us as we put him into the police car. So we have charged him with offensive language. (是的，但是别忘了还有第三项起诉罪名。在逮捕他的时候，我的同事，Fawkner警官在给他铐手铐时，他大骂了一声“妈的一群蠢猪”。然后在我们押他上警车时，他还不断咒骂我们。因此，我们还起诉他使用了不恰当的语言。)

Zeng: 哎，我明白，警官。我觉得把孩子养成这样太丢人了。最近他的行为越来越失控了。[I know, constable. I feel so ashamed to have brought up a child like this. Lately his behaviour has been spiralling out of control.]

Constable: When we got back to the police station we ran a check, and it seems your son has priors. He was arrested for shoplifting in January 2010 up in Gympie. Luckily, he got off with a caution that time though. (我们回到警局后，我们调查了一下，您的儿子还有前科。2010年1月，在金皮，您儿子因为在商店偷东西而被逮捕。他很幸运，没有受到处罚，只是给了一个警告而已。)

Zeng: 我们家那个时候一团乱。当时我在和他父亲办离婚。嗯，他不是个好父亲。他对我Wayne都有施暴。我今年年初和他分居，带Wayne来墨尔本。之后我们都没有回过昆士兰。[Our family was a mess at that time. I was going through a divorce with his father and… well, he was not a great husband. He was violent towards me, and to Wayne as well. I seperated with him at the beginning of this year, and took Wayne to Melbourne. We haven’t been back to Queensland since.]

Constable: Yes, I read the statement you gave the police. I’m sorry to hear that whole situation. Ah, how is everything at home right now? (我读了您给警方的证词。我很同情您的经历。现在家里还好吗？)

Zeng: 今年已经比去年好多了。他父亲不在，我们可以重新过上正常生活。但是过去几周Wayne在学校的问题越来越严重。学校告诉我他有翘课，还说他在欺负他班里的一个学生。[This year has been much better than last. Since his father is no longer around we can lead a normal life again. But Wayne’s problems at school have gotten worse over the past couple of weeks. The school told me he’s skipping classes, and that he’s been bullying one of the students in his class.]

Constable: As you know, when we caught Wayne spraying graffiti this afternoon he was not by himself. We arrested three of his mates. They are all in the same school and year level. Ah, do you think Wayne has maybe fallen in with the wrong crowd? (你知道，今天下午，当我们抓到他在乱涂乱画的时候，他不是一个人。我们逮捕了他的三个同伴。他们都来自于同一个学校的同一年级。您觉得韦恩是不是跟一群狐朋狗友混在一起？)

Zeng: 哦，我觉得也是。但是我不知道该拿他怎么办啊。警官，你能不能告诉我现在我儿子会怎么样啊？这三项控告他的罪名，他会受到什么样的惩罚呢？ [Oh, I’m certain of it. But I have no idea how to deal with him anymore. Constable, could you tell me what will happen to my son now? What punishment will he get for the three offences he has been charged with?]

Constable: All the offences with which he has been charged can attract fines or imprisonment. However the judge may also give him the option of serving part of his sentence doing community service. (他被起诉的所有罪名都有可能使他被罚款或者入狱。但是法官可能会允许他通过做社区服务而抵消部分惩罚。)

Zeng: 啊？你的意思是说我的儿子可能会坐牢吗？ [What? Are you saying there is a possibility my son could go to prison?]

Constable: Actually your son is only 16 and, as such, will be tried as a minor. Therefore, if he is convicted, and the judge decides time behind bars is necessary, he will be sent to a juvenile detention centre, not a prison. (事实上，您儿子只有16岁，他会作为未成年人而受审。因此，如果他被判有罪，法官也认为把他关起来是有必要的话，他会被送到少年管教所，而不是监狱。)

Zeng: 警官，我求求你了，别把他关起来，我会受不了的。肯定可以有别的方法来惩罚他的。[Please, I beg you, Constable, don’t lock him up. I couldn’t bear it. There must be another way to punish him.]

Constable: Considering he already has a criminal record, it seems more than likely, but the court may also consider issuing him a good behaviour bond. All of this is much later down the track though. Right now we are still gathering evidence. (考虑到他有犯罪记录，他是很有可能被关起来的。但是法官也有可能考虑给他发一份守行保释令。这些都是以后的事了。现在我们还在收集证据。)

Zeng: 那么这期间会怎么样呢？ [What will happen in the meantime then?]

Constable: In the next few days you will be notified when the summary hearing is. Until then, your son will remain in custody here at the police station. (在未来的几天，会有人通知您简易程序听审何时开始。在那之前，您儿子会一直被拘留在本警局。)

Zeng: 你刚才说的那个词是什么？  [What was that word you just said?]

Constable: Oh, a summary hearing – that’s when the offender’s charges are read out. The accused can then choose to plead guilty or not guilty. Bail may also be set. (简易程序听审，指的是嫌犯的案子被当庭宣读。被告可以选择认罪或不认罪。同时还会决定能否保释。)

(…)

Now, usually this happens at a magistrate court, but since Wayne is under 18, his hearing will be held at the Children’s Court of Victoria at 477 Little Lonsdale Street. (一般而言，听审在地方法院举行。但是韦恩还不到18岁，因此他的听审会在小朗士杜街477号的维多利亚儿童法庭举行。)

Zeng: 好的，那我明白了。 我希望法官能够仁慈一点。[OK. I understand. I hope the judge shows some leniency.]