新概念英语第四册65-02

10When it made no difference to the fate of a highwayman whether he had killed his victim or merely robbed him of a few pieces of silver, there were no more murders than there were when men like Sir Fraricis Burdett succeeded in lightening the excessive severity of the penal laws

10. 当一个人杀死他的受害者或者只抢了少部分的钱财,这对他的命运而言没有大的区别,当

我们这类如爵士 Fraricis Burdett 的这些人成功的减轻了过度严厉的刑法时,也不见得那种谋杀案有任何的增多.

Sir 爵士(做先生的时,不可加姓或名)；

意为: if you just take away death penalty ,there is surely no great harm tosociety ；

lightening 减轻； excessive 过度的,过分的；

more ..than : the same as ..no 与…都不多(两个没多大区别)

11. on earth 人世间； in the world to come 来世；was taken for granted 理所当然地

12. nor 表示和前面一定有联系,并用倒装；gaoler 监狱看守 gaoler-gaol 监狱；

gaol bird；惯犯

10When it made no difference to the fate of a highwayman whether he had killed his victim or merely robbed him of a few pieces of silver, there were no more murders then than there were when men like Sir Fraricis Burdett succeeded in lightening the excessive severity of

the penal laws. 11In those days the sacredness of life on earth was not greatly regarded because a life in the world to come was taken for granted except by a comparatively small minority of philosophers.