【读新闻学英语】残暴的澳洲父亲放火烧女儿 还借口自己“神志不清”
2017年3月22日 15:00Perth dad on trial for setting young daughter on fire because 'she was too beautiful' 因为“女儿太漂亮” 珀斯一位爸爸放火烧女儿 现面临庭审
Edward John Herbert声称自己当时神志不清。图片来源：Facebook, Pexels
新西兰先驱报中文网 Lesley 编译 俗话说，“虎毒不食子”，可是就有这么一位澳洲父亲，他竟然放火烧自己的亲生女儿，而这背后的原因，简直令人无法想象。
An Australian police officer fought back tears in court as she described the moment she saw a three-year-old girl in her cot with "her whole head on fire".
在法庭上，一名澳洲警官强忍着眼泪，描述着她看到一名三岁小女孩呆在自己的小床上，“整个头上全是火”的情景。
Fight back tears：强忍着泪水
Court：法庭，法院
The girl's father, Edward John Herbert, allegedly told his neighbour he burnt his daughter at their Perth home because she was "too beautiful".
据说，女孩的爸爸Edward John Herbert告诉他的邻居说，他在自己位于珀斯的家中拿火烧女儿，只因为“她长得太漂亮了”。
Allegedly：据称，据说
The man is on trial in the Western Australian Supreme Court accused of setting alight his daughter and dousing her autistic seven-year-old sister with petrol at Doubleview, in Perth's north, in August 2015.
目前，这名男子正在西澳大利亚州最高法院受审，他被指控在2015年8月，于Doubleview的家中点火烧自己的小女儿，并往她患有自闭症的7岁姐姐身上浇汽油。
Be on trial：正在受审，处于审查中
Western Australian Supreme Court：西澳大利亚州最高法院
Set alight：点燃
Douse：往…上泼水
Autistic：患孤独症的
Herbert admits his intention to kill, but has pleaded not guilty to five charges on account of being unsound of mind.
Herbert承认了他的杀人意图，但是因为自己当时神志不清，他对自己的五项指控都表示不服罪。
Intention：意图，目的
Pleaded not guilty to the charges：对控诉辩称无罪
On account of：以为，由于
Be unsound of mind：神志不清，精神失常
Constable Stephanie Bochorsky was off-duty at the time and watching television at her neighbouring home when she heard an altercation between Herbert and his partner.
Stephanie Bochorsky巡警当时已经下班了，当她听到Herbert和他的伴侣在争执的时候， 她正在自己邻居家看电视。
Constable：巡警
Off-duty：下班，不工作
Altercation：争吵，争执
The constable told the court on Monday that when she asked the woman if she was OK, she replied: "No, he's setting the kids on fire!"
周一，巡警Bochorsky在法庭上说，当她询问这位女子（Herbert的伴侣）是否还好的时候，女子回答说：“不好，他正在点火烧孩子们！”
Set something on fire：放火、纵火
Const Bochorsky ran into the house and smelt petrol before spotting the toddler.
Bochorsky跑进（女子的）房子里，在看到孩子前就闻到了汽油的味道。
Toddler：幼儿，通常指12至36个月的儿童
"Her whole head was on fire," she said, as she took a moment to compose herself.
“她的整个头上都着了火，”她努力使自己平静下来说到。
Compose oneself：镇静，使自己镇定下来
The officer explained how she covered the girl in a blanket to put out the flames, then witnessed Herbert pouring petrol over the older child in her bed.
Bochorsky说明了她用毯子包住小女孩扑灭火焰，并且亲眼见到Herbert在小孩姐姐的床上往姐姐身上浇汽油的整个过程。
Put out：扑灭，熄灭
Pour over：往……倒
Const Bochorsky told Herbert to get away from the children, but he did not respond and remained standing there.
Bochorsky巡警告诉Herbert远离孩子们，但是他并没有反应，还是站在原地。
Get away from：远离
Respond：反应；回答
The policewoman dragged the older girl out of the bed and bolted out of the house.
于是Bochorsky马上将大女儿从床上拉出来，冲出了房子。
Bolted out of：冲出
Prosecutor Amanda Forrester said in her opening address of the judge-alone trial that the three-year-old was permanently scarred from the life-threatening injuries she suffered to 13 per cent of her body.
在仅有法官在场的庭审中，检察官Amanda Forrester在她的开庭陈词中表示，这个3岁的女孩全身13%都被烧伤，伤势危及生命，也会留下永久疤痕。
Prosecutor：检察官
Opening address：开庭陈词
Ms Forrester said Herbert was a cannabis user and drinker who was behaving strangely in the lead up to the incident, with his mood swinging from happiness to rage.
Forrester表示，Herbert既是“瘾君子”又是“烟鬼”，在此事之前他的行为一直很奇怪，情绪也是喜怒无常。
In the lead up to：直到
Rage：愤怒
His partner said in her court statement that before the attack he seemed to be talking to himself and she was scared.
Herbert的伴侣在法庭陈述中表示，在这次袭击事件之前，Herbert好像一直在自言自语，她感到很害怕。
Court statement：法庭陈述
"I was trying to keep him calm as I was in fear for my life," she said.
她说，“我一直试着让她冷静下来，我怕他要我的命。”
In fear：害怕
She said at one point that night he told her: "The werewolf is coming at 12 o'clock."
她说，在当天晚上的某个时刻，Herbert突然告诉她：“狼人在12点就会来。”
At one point：在某一时刻
Werewolf：狼人
Later, he said: "That's it bitch, I'm going to kill you."
之后，他又说：“就这样，贱人，我要杀了你。”
That’s it：就这样
He then told her he would burn the children instead.
然后，Herbert告诉她说，她会把孩子们给烧了。
The woman said when she saw her burnt daughter she could "smell burning flesh" and the girl appeared to be in shock, screaming and crying.
该女子说，当她看到自己被烧着的女儿的时候，她还能“闻到身体燃烧的气味”，女子看起来吓坏了，一直在尖叫哭泣。
In shock：处于极度震惊的状态
A neighbour said in his statement that when he rushed into the house with a fire extinguisher after the girls had been rescued, he found Herbert drinking beer in the kitchen.
一位邻居在他的陈述中表示，在女孩们被救出之后，当他拿着灭火器赶进事发房屋内时，他发现Herbert正在厨房里喝啤酒。
Rush into：冲进
Fire extinguisher：灭火器
When he confronted Herbert, he allegedly replied: "They're my kids to do whatever the f*** I want."
当他面对Herbert时，据说Herbert还回答说：“她们是我的孩子，我他妈想做什么就做什么。”
Herbert also told the neighbour he burnt his daughter because she was "too beautiful".
Herbert还告诉邻居说，他之所以烧他的女儿，是因为她长得太漂亮了。
He then allegedly lunged at the neighbour with a knife, but the man hit him on the head with the fire extinguisher.
随后，据称，Herbert还突然拿刀冲向他，但是他用灭火器反击了Herbert的头部。
Lunge at：冲向
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