George Floyd death: What US police officers think of protests  

By Boer Deng 

BBC News, Washington  

26 June 2020

Cops Need a New Code

Jeremiah Johnson serves as a police sergeant in Connecticut and holds an appointment as a Practitioner in Residence at the University of New Haven

sergeant/ˈsɑːdʒənt/ 陆军或空军的军士；英国巡佐；美国警佐

Connecticut/kə'netikət/ 美国康涅狄格州

Practitioner /prækˈtɪʃənə(r)/ 1.a person who works in a profession, especially medicine or law （尤指医学或法律界的）从业人员•dental practitioners 牙医2.a person who regularly does a particular activity, especially one that requires skill 习艺者；专门人才

It took several days before I could bring myself to watch George Floyd's life agonizingly extinguished beneath the unyielding knee of a Minneapolis Police Officer. As a sworn police officer, I believe it is my duty to watch and not look away; George Floyd's humanity demands it.

agonizingly adv. /ˈæɡənaɪzɪŋli/  used meaning ‘extremely’ to emphasize sth negative （强调反面事物）极其 • an agonizingly slow process 极其缓慢的过程

extinguish /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/1.to make a fire stop burning or a light stop shining 熄灭；扑灭·Firefighters tried to extinguish the flames. 消防队员奋力救火。2.to destroy sth 毁灭；消灭；使破灭

unyielding adj. /ʌnˈjiːldɪŋ/  

1.if a person is unyielding , they are not easily influenced and they are unlikely to change their mind 坚定的；顽强不屈的；固执的

2.an unyielding substance or object does not bend or break when pressure is put on it 不弯曲的；坚固的

His unconscionable death laid bare the deficiencies of American policing, a reality which resonated with cities and communities across the nation. Viral images and video clips documenting protests against racism and brutality have done little to disconfirm that the police are racist and brutal. Calls to re-imagine, defund, or even abolish the institution of policing are amplified through these encounters.

Lay bare：揭露，揭发，公开

deficiency /dɪˈfɪʃənsɪ/1.Deficiency in something, especially something that your body needs, is not having enough of it. 缺乏; 不足•  They did blood tests on him for signs of vitamin deficiency. 他们给他做了血检看是否有缺乏维生素的迹象。2.A deficiency that someone or something has is a weakness or imperfection in them. 缺点; 缺陷

the deficiencies of American policing：美国警察系统的缺陷

resonate v. /ˈrezəneɪt/  1.( of a voice, an instrument, etc. 嗓音、乐器等 ) to make a deep, clear sound that continues for a long time 产生共鸣；发出回响；回荡2.~ (with sth) ( of a place 地方 ) to be filled with sound; to make a sound continue longer （使）回响，起回声

•a resonating chamber 产生回音的房间

3.~ (with sb/sth) to remind sb of sth; to be similar to what sb thinks or believes 使产生联想；引起共鸣；和…的想法（或观念）类似

•These issues resonated with the voters. 这些问题引起了投票者的共鸣。

amplify /ˈæmplɪˌfaɪ/扩大 (声音)•  This landscape seemed to trap and amplify sounds. 这种地形好像能聚拢和扩大声音。2.扩音3.V-T To amplify something means to increase its strength or intensity. 增强

A friend from my undergraduate days recently lamented on Facebook that she did not know how to explain the police to her children. Rhetorical or not, I inquired whether she meant "police as they are" or "police as they should be?"

lamented adj. /ləˈmentɪd/  ( of sb/sth that has died or disappeared 已死亡的人或已消失的事物 ) missed very much 令人悼念（或怀念）的；使人思念的

• her late lamented husband 她那令人怀念的已故的丈夫

rhetorical adj. /rɪˈtɒrɪkl/  

1.( of a question 问题 ) asked only to make a statement or to produce an effect rather than to get an answer 反问的；反诘的

2.( formal often disapproving ) ( of a speech or piece of writing 言语或文章 ) intended to influence people, but not completely honest or sincere 辞藻华丽的；虚夸的；花言巧语的

3.( formal ) connected with the art of rhetoric 修辞的；修辞性的；带有修辞色彩的

Policing is a social institution with an uncertain mandate and mismatched expectations invariably leads to conflict. Reductionist phrases such as, "to serve and protect", are of little help as they are ambiguous and easily co-opted.

invariably adv. /ɪnˈveəriəbli/ always 始终如一地；一贯地

reductionist /rɪˈdʌkʃənɪst/ ADJ Reductionist describes a way of analysing problems and things by dividing them into simpler parts. (以分解法分析问题及事物的)还原论者

ambiguous adj. /æmˈbɪɡjuəs/  

1.that can be understood in more than one way; having different meanings 模棱两可的；含混不清的 •an ambiguous word/term/statement 模棱两可的词╱用语╱说法

2.not clearly stated or defined 不明确的 •His role has always been ambiguous. 他的角色一直不明确

opt v. /ɒpt/  ~ (for/against sth) to choose to take or not to take a particular course of action 选择；挑选

co-opted-- co-opting--- co-opts

1.V-T If you co-opt someone, you persuade them to help or support you. 团结

2.V-T If someone is co-opted into a group, they are asked by that group to become a member, rather than joining or being elected in the normal way. 指派

3.V-T If a group or political party co-opts a slogan or policy, they take it, often from another group or political party, and use it themselves. 借鉴

The field of policing desperately needs to do some soul-searching and reconsider what it stands for professionally. Rewriting its code of ethics is a good place to start.

The current Law Enforcement Code of Ethics is a product of the mid-20th Century's professional era of policing. It was formally adopted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 1957.

Code of Ethics：道德规范

The document is more than symbolic; many police organizations (including the Minneapolis Police Department) have incorporated the Code of Ethics into their policy manuals and oath of office ceremonies. Police reform often takes place in a patchwork fashion.

Manual：形容词是人工的，用手的；做名词是说明书，操作指南

oath of office：就职宣誓

Changing the Code of Ethics would be unprecedented and wide-reaching. To draft a new Code of Ethics worthy of a democratic society, policing should turn to Hippocrates.

unprecedented /ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd/ that has never happened, been done or been known before 前所未有的；空前的；没有先例的

Hippocrates/hi'pɔkrəti:z/希波克拉底（希腊的名医，称医药之父）

Medicine's Hippocratic Oath is commonly summarised as "do no harm".

It is the physician's job to examine the patient, diagnose the medical condition underlying presenting symptoms, and prescribe an effective course of treatment. A doctor who only attends to visible symptoms, provides ineffective medicine, or treats in a manner that is ultimately harmful has failed the patient.

prescribe v. /prɪˈskraɪb/  

~ (sb) sth (for sth) ( of a doctor 医生 ) to tell sb to take a particular medicine or have a particular treatment; to write a prescription for a particular medicine, etc. 给…开（药）；让…采用（疗法）；开（处方）

( used about a person or an organization with authority 当局 ) to say what should be done or how sth should be done 规定；命令；指示

By these standards, American policing may be guilty of malpractice.

A police code of ethics designed around the Hippocratic Oath should incorporate four key themes that are noticeably absent from the present document: evidence-based policing, crime prevention, professional identity, and the sanctity of life.

malpractice n. /ˌmælˈpræktɪs/  ( law 律 ) careless, wrong or illegal behaviour while in a professional job 渎职；玩忽职守• medical malpractice 医疗失误

Noticeably adv. 显著地，明显地；引人注目地

sanctity n. /ˈsæŋktəti/  1.~ (of sth) the state of being very important and worth protecting 神圣不可侵犯2.the state of being holy 神圣性；圣洁性

In the decades following the code's inception, a vast body of scientific evidence has emerged regarding what works in policing and, perhaps more importantly, what does not.

 inception /ɪnˈsepʃn/. 起初；获得学位；《盗梦空间》（电影名）

This is not an abstract intellectual issue since police interventions directly impact the lives of community members. Ignoring the evidence base in favour of tradition or personal opinion is more than irresponsible; unscientific policing is unethical policing.

Second, the Code of Ethics is a product of the crime-control era and is singularly focused on enforcement. The desire to apprehend is dominant in American policing's DNA, yet this orientation must give way to crime prevention. It is the absence of crime and disorder that policing should seek to achieve.

singularly adv. /ˈsɪŋɡjələli/  very; in an unusual way 非常；特别；异常地

• singularly beautiful 特别漂亮

apprehend v. /ˌæprɪˈhend/ 1.( of the police 警方 ) to catch sb and arrest them 逮捕；拘押2.( old-fashioned ) to understand or recognize sth 理解；认识到；领会

Third, the Code of Ethics must repudiate the ideology of the 'thin blue line'. It must clearly establish that police are first and foremost members of the community, not some separate caste standing in the gap between good and evil.

repudiate v. /rɪˈpjuːdieɪt/  1.to refuse to accept sth 拒绝；不接受；回绝

1. to say officially and/or publicly that sth is not true （正式地）否认，驳斥

·to repudiate a report 驳斥一份报告

2. ( old-fashioned ) to refuse to be connected with sb any longer 拒绝与…往来；断绝同…的关系

The thin blue line：《细细的蓝线》，美国电影　采用了事件重现的方法再现了1976年美国得克萨斯州达拉斯市一起枪杀警察案。导演埃罗尔•莫里斯（Errol Morris）11年后采访了被判死刑、后转终身监禁的犯罪嫌疑人兰道•亚当姆斯（Randall Adams）、指证亚当姆斯的惯犯大卫•哈里斯（David Harris）、当年案件审判的三位证人米勒夫妇和麦克•兰道（Michael Randall），以及参与此案侦破与审判的警察、法官与律师们。通过不同人物对案件发生情形不同角度的描述，莫里斯成功证实了亚当姆斯的冤屈，并借片中一位公诉员之口点名警察是区分一个民主社会与极权的“细蓝线”。

Foremost adj. 最重要的；最先的adv. 首先；居于首位地

caste n. /kɑːst/  1.[ C ] any of the four main divisions of Hindu society, originally those made according to functions in society （印度教的四大）种姓  •the caste system 种姓制度

2.[ C ] a social class, especially one whose members do not allow others to join it （尤指禁止其他等级成员进入的）社会阶层，社会等级 •the ruling caste 统治阶层

3.[ U ] the system of dividing society into classes based on differences in family origin, rank or wealth 社会等级制度

Finally, the Code of Ethics rightly speaks to protecting the weak and innocent while opposing unnecessary force and violence. This does not go far enough.

Policing must fundamentally acknowledge the sanctity of life and a duty to protect every person, even individuals who have placed themselves or others in jeopardy. If police must use force, they have an ethical duty to transition and render aid to prevent the loss of life.

jeopardy n. /ˈdʒepədi/  1. IN ˈJEOPARDY

in a dangerous position or situation and likely to be lost or harmed 处于危险境地；受到威胁

Render 有很多词义，在此文章是提供帮助的意思 ~ sth (to sb/sth)~ (sb) sth ( formal ) to give sb sth, especially in return for sth or because it is expected 给予；提供；回报    Render aid 提供援助

As George Floyd lay dying, one of the bystanders in the crowd tried to reason with the officers declaring, "Bro, he's human." The appeal fell on deaf ears.

bystander n. by--stander /ˈbaɪstændə(r)/ 旁观，看热闹的人

Appeal /əˈpiːl/ 词义非常多，在这段话中是恳求呼吁的意思；它还有上诉的意思to file an appeal 提出上诉；感染力、吸引力的意思mass/wide/popular appeal 对大众的╱广泛的╱普遍的吸引力

fell on deaf ears 不受重视；听而不闻

Hippocrates viewed the art of medicine as something fundamentally connected with the love of humanity. The very fabric of American policing must change before the same can be said about law enforcement. It's time for a new code.