美国的真实犯罪案件爱好者大会(上)

与会者在支付了标价349美元的初级门票后，可以测量血迹、分析一个连环杀手的画作、为破案英雄喝彩，并得到关于臭名昭著的强奸案和谋杀案的大量血腥细节。

双语精读

Stacy Chapin walked into a conference ballroom at the annual CrimeCon gathering in Orlando, Florida, and let out a gasp.

在佛罗里达州奥兰多举行的年度"真实犯罪案件"大会上，斯泰西·查平走进会议大厅，发出了一声惊呼。

Nearly 3,000 people were packed inside, all to hear a college professor from Alabama conduct a "forensic analysis" of how Ms. Chapin's son and three of his college friends had been brutally murdered in Idaho last year.

大厅里坐得满满当当，共有3000人，都是为了来听一位来自阿拉巴马州的大学教授的"法医分析"，分析对象是查平的儿子和他的三个大学同学，他们去年在爱达荷州被残忍地杀害。

Ms. Chapin backed herself into an alcove to observe the discussion, muttering as the speaker mispronounced the name of her son's girlfriend, who was also one of the victims, then botched the description of the landscape around the crime scene.

查平退到会议厅的一个角落里观察这场讨论，当演讲者念错了她儿子的女朋友的名字（女友也是受害者之一），并且对犯罪现场的周边地形也描述得不清不楚时，查平不满地低声抱怨了几句。

The audience was captivated. Within minutes Ms. Chapin was quietly pushing herself out a side door. "Why does that person get to talk about my kid in front of all those people?" Ms. Chapin whispered in the hallway.

观众们听得很入迷。才过了几分钟，查平就默默地从侧门走出了大厅。"为什么那个人在那么多人面前谈论我儿子？"查平在走廊里低声说。

Ten months ago, Ms. Chapin was thrust into the center of the nation's obsession with true crime, as armies of podcast listeners, Internet commentators and amateur sleuths were consumed by the mystery of how Ethan Chapin and three other University of Idaho students had been stabbed to death late one night in a house near campus.

十个月前，查平被卷入人们对真实犯罪案件的狂热爱好中，大批播客听众、网络评论员和业余侦探们沉迷于伊桑·查平和另外三名爱达荷大学学生深夜惨遭谋杀的谜团中，这几个大学生在校园附近的一所房子里被人用刀捅刺致死。

Now she found herself navigating an unfamiliar world where she was an unwitting celebrity, searching for a way to harness the fervor for something good.

现在，查平发现自己在一个陌生世界里努力寻找方向，在这个世界，她稀里糊涂地成了一个名人，并想办法把人们的狂热引向好的方向。

She arrived as a guest of CrimeCon, where attendees -- after paying for an entry-level ticket with a price tag of $349 -- could measure blood spatter, analyze the drawings of a serial killer, cheer their crime-solving heroes and absorb the gory details of notorious rapes and murders.

她是作为嘉宾来到"真实犯罪案件大会"的，与会者在支付了标价349美元的初级门票后，可以测量血迹、分析一个连环杀手的画作、为破案英雄喝彩，并得到关于臭名昭著的强奸案和谋杀案的大量血腥细节。

The annual conference, which this year drew 5,000 people from all 50 states, capitalizes on what has been a breakneck level of growth in the true crime genre: Last week, of the 20 top podcasts on the Apple platform, more than half were related to true crime.

今年的大会吸引了来自50个州的5000人参加，充分利用了真实犯罪案件这一类型的惊人增势：上周，在苹果平台上排名最靠前的20个播客中，超过一半与真实犯罪案件有关。

Some attendees described their fascination with criminal minds; others said they felt deep empathy with the victims, or lured by the enticing possibility that someone asking the right questions or unearthing a missing digital clue could help bring justice to a stricken family.

一些与会者说他们对犯罪心理着迷，另一些人表示，他们对受害者深表同情，或者被一个诱人的可能性所吸引，即提出正确的问题或找出缺失的数字线索，或许就可以帮助一个遭受重创的家庭伸张正义。

Relatives of some of those families also signed up, posting materials and sharing stories, overjoyed that people and podcasters were eager to listen. In the exhibition hall, businesses vied for attention, one offering true-crime branded coffee, as the crackle of someone testing a stun gun was heard from a table nearby.

一些受害者的亲属也报名参加了大会，他们发布材料、分享故事，看到人们和播客作者对此很感兴趣，他们喜出望外。在展厅里，各大商家争先恐后地吸引人们的注意力，一个商家提供真实犯罪品牌的咖啡，旁边桌位上有人正在测试电击枪，噼啪的声音清晰地传了过来。

A crime-scene cleaning company had set up a bloodied cardboard box, next to a booth where attendees could get photos of themselves against a perp-lineup backdrop. Ms. Chapin flinched and turned away as a television screen flashed images of the man accused of killing her son.

一家犯罪现场清洁公司摆放了一个血迹斑斑的硬纸箱，旁边展位上，与会者可以在犯罪嫌疑人列队辨认的背景下拍照留念。当电视屏幕上出现被控告杀害她儿子的男子的图像时，查平退缩了，并转身离开。

Attendees had the chance to mingle with the stars of the genre: A YouTuber grabbed a selfie with Camille Vasquez, the lawyer known for her recent work representing the actor Johnny Depp.

与会者有机会与这一领域的明星见面交流：一个油管博主与卡米尔·瓦斯克斯自拍了一张合照，瓦斯克斯因最近代理演员约翰尼·德普的案件而闻名。

词汇预习

analyze [高考]
美[ˈænəˌlaɪz] | 英['ænəlaɪz]
vt. 分析；解析；研究
celebrity [高考]
美[səˈlebrəti] | 英[səˈlebrəti]
n. 名人；名誉；社会名流
empathy [高考]
美[ˈempəθi] | 英[ˈempəθi]
n. 移情作用；共鸣；[心]神入
killer [高考]
美[ˈkɪlɚ] | 英[ˈkɪlə(r)]
n. 杀人者；凶手；致命物；消灭…者；棘手的事；迷人的人；精彩的事物
landscape [高考]
美[ˈlændskeɪp] | 英[ˈlændskeɪp]
n. 风景；风景画；山水；[计]横向 v. 美化景观
fascination [高考]
美[ˌfæsɪˈneɪʃn] | 英[ˌfæsɪˈneɪʃn]
n. 魅力；迷惑力；入迷
obsession [高考]
美[əbˈseʃn] | 英[əbˈseʃn]
n. 困扰；沉迷；着魔；妄想
serial [高考]
美[ˈsɪriəl] | 英[ˈsɪəriəl]
n. 连载小说；序列；连续剧 adj. 连续的；一系列的
clue [高考]
美[kluː] | 英[kluː]
n. 线索；（故事等的）情节 vt. 为…提供线索；为…提供情况
stun [高考]
美[stʌn] | 英[stʌn]
vt. 使震惊；使目瞪口呆；使昏迷 n. 震惊；晕眩
observe [高考]
美[əbˈzɜːrv] | 英[əbˈzɜːv]
v. 观察；遵守；注意到；庆祝
growth [高考]
美[ɡroʊθ] | 英[ɡrəʊθ]
n. 【U】增长；生长；发展；种植 n. 【C】生长物；【医】瘤;赘生物
conduct [高考]
美[kənˈdʌkt] | 英[kənˈdʌkt]
n. 行为；举动；品行 v. 引导；指挥；管理 vt. 导电；传热
possibility [高考]
美[ˌpɑːsəˈbɪləti] | 英[ˌpɒsəˈbɪləti]
n. 可能；可能性；可能的事情；潜在的价值
absorb [高考]
美[əbˈzɔːrb] | 英[əbˈzɔːb]
vt. 吸收；吸引 ... 的注意；吞并；承受
eager [高考]
美[ˈiːɡər] | 英[ˈiːɡə(r)]
adj. 热切的；渴望的
Ms. [高考]
美[mɪz] | 英[mɪz]
n. 女士，小姐
annual [高考]
美[ˈænjuəl] | 英[ˈænjuəl]
adj. 每年的；年度的；一年生的 n. 年刊；一年生植物
crime [高考]
美[kraɪm] | 英[kraɪm]
n. 犯罪；恶行
description [高考]
美[dɪˈskrɪpʃn] | 英[dɪˈskrɪpʃn]
n. 描述；刻画；类型；说明书
analysis [高考]
美[əˈnæləsɪs] | 英[əˈnæləsɪs]
n. 分析；解析
entry [高考]
美[ˈentri] | 英[ˈentri]
n. 进入；进入权；入口；条目
justice [高考]
美[ˈdʒʌstɪs] | 英[ˈdʒʌstɪs]
n. 公平；公正；正义；司法；法官；法律制裁
criminal [高考]
美[ˈkrɪmɪnl] | 英[ˈkrɪmɪnl]
n. 罪犯 adj. 犯罪的；刑事的；违法的
platform [高考]
美[ˈplætfɔːrm] | 英[ˈplætfɔːm]
n. 平台，站台，月台，讲台，(政党的)政纲 v. 把…放在台上；起草政纲；站在讲台上演说
amateur [高考]
美[ˈæmətər] | 英[ˈæmətə(r)]
n. 外行；业余爱好者 adj. 业余（爱好者）的
booth [高考]
美[buːθ] | 英[buːð]
n. 货摊；电话亭；小间
stricken [高考]
美[ˈstrɪkən] | 英[ˈstrɪkən]
adj. 受伤或患病的；受灾的；受挫的；被击中的；与容器口齐平的 suf. 表示“深受…之苦的”
related to [高考]
美 | 英
与 ... 相关
next to [高考]
美[nɛkst tu] | 英[nekst tu:]
邻近；紧靠
let out [高考]
美['letˌaʊt] | 英['letˌaʊt]
放出；泄露
harness [高考]
美[ˈhɑːrnɪs] | 英[ˈhɑːnɪs]
n. 马具；安全带；甲胄；系在身上的绳子 vt. 束以马具；披上甲胄；利用；管理；控制
where [高考]
美[wer] | 英[weə(r)]
adv. 在哪里；在那个地方 conj. 在 ... 地方
gasp [四级]
美[ɡæsp] | 英[ɡɑːsp]
v. 喘气；喘息；渴望 n. 喘气
thrust [四级]
美[θrʌst] | 英[θrʌst]
v. 刺；插入；推挤 n. 刺；推力；要旨
known for [四级]
美[non fɔr] | 英[nəʊn fɔ:]
以 ... 著称
gathering [四级]
美[ˈɡæðərɪŋ] | 英[ˈgæðərɪŋ]
n. 集会；聚集
offering [四级]
美[ˈɔːfərɪŋ] | 英[ˈɒfərɪŋ]
n. 供品；作品；出售物
cardboard [四级]
美[ˈkɑrdbɔrd] | 英[ˈkɑ:dbɔ:d]
n. 厚纸板 adj. 厚纸板的；不真实的；无实质的
mingle [六级]
美[ˈmɪŋɡl] | 英[ˈmɪŋɡl]
vt. 使混合；使结合 vi. 交往；联合；混在一起
notorious [六级]
美[noʊˈtɔːriəs] | 英[nəʊˈtɔːriəs]
adj. 臭名昭著的
felt [专八]
美[fɛlt] | 英[felt]
n. 毛毡；毡制品 vt. 制毡；使粘结 vi. 毡合
spatter [专八]
美[ˈspætɚ] | 英[ˈspætə(r)]
v. 溅；滴下；洒；诬蔑 n. 泼溅的污迹
crackle [专八]
美[ˈkrækəl] | 英[ˈkrækl]
v. 发劈啪声 n. 劈啪响；裂纹
unwitting [专八]
美[ʌnˈwɪtɪŋ] | 英[ʌnˈwɪtɪŋ]
adj. 不知情的；无意的
genre [考研]
美[ˈʒɑːnrə] | 英[ˈʒɒ̃rə , ˈʒɒnrə]
n. 类型；流派
fervor [托福]
美[ˈfəvɚ] | 英[ˌfɜ:və]
n. 热诚；热心
packed [托福]
美[pækt] | 英[pækt]
adj. 塞满的；收拾好行李的；紧压的

重点讲解

Stacy Chapin walked into a conference ballroom at the annual CrimeCon gathering in Orlando, Florida, and let out a gasp.

在佛罗里达州奥兰多举行的年度"真实犯罪案件"大会上，斯泰西·查平走进会议大厅，发出了一声惊呼。

let out 发出（叫声等）

【例】to let out a scream/sob 发出尖叫/发出哭泣的声音

【辨析】let on 透露秘密

【例】She let on that she was leaving.

她透露说她要离开。

pack v.

1. 收拾；打包

【例】to pack the suitcase 收拾行李箱

【反义词】unpack v. 把东西从箱子里取出

2. 塞进；挤进

【例】Fans packed the hall to see the band.

乐迷为了一睹乐队丰采，把大厅挤得水泄不通。

【拓展】packed adj. 挤满人的

【例】The restaurant was packed.

餐馆里坐满了客人。

【搭配】be packed with sth 有大量的某物

【例】The book is packed with information.

这本书资料非常丰富。

Nearly 3,000 people were packed inside, all to hear a college professor from Alabama conduct a "forensic analysis" of how Ms. Chapin's son and three of his college friends had been brutally murdered in Idaho last year.

大厅里坐得满满当当，共有3000人，都是为了来听一位来自阿拉巴马州的大学教授的"法医分析"，分析对象是查平的儿子和他的三个大学同学，他们去年在爱达荷州被残忍地杀害。

let out 发出（叫声等）

【例】to let out a scream/sob 发出尖叫/发出哭泣的声音

【辨析】let on 透露秘密

【例】She let on that she was leaving.

她透露说她要离开。

pack v.

1. 收拾；打包

【例】to pack the suitcase 收拾行李箱

【反义词】unpack v. 把东西从箱子里取出

2. 塞进；挤进

【例】Fans packed the hall to see the band.

乐迷为了一睹乐队丰采，把大厅挤得水泄不通。

【拓展】packed adj. 挤满人的

【例】The restaurant was packed.

餐馆里坐满了客人。

【搭配】be packed with sth 有大量的某物

【例】The book is packed with information.

这本书资料非常丰富。

查平退到会议厅的一个角落里观察这场讨论，当演讲者念错了她儿子的女朋友的名字（女友也是受害者之一），并且对犯罪现场的周边地形也描述得不清不楚时，查平不满地低声抱怨了几句。

captivate v. 使着迷；迷住

【例】The children were captivated by her stories.

孩子们被她的故事迷住了。

【辨析】capture v. 捕捉；引起（兴趣等）

【例】to capture the children’s interest 吸引了孩子们的兴趣

The audience was captivated. Within minutes Ms. Chapin was quietly pushing herself out a side door. "Why does that person get to talk about my kid in front of all those people?" Ms. Chapin whispered in the hallway.

观众们听得很入迷。才过了几分钟，查平就默默地从侧门走出了大厅。"为什么那个人在那么多人面前谈论我儿子？"查平在走廊里低声说。

captivate v. 使着迷；迷住

【例】The children were captivated by her stories.

孩子们被她的故事迷住了。

【辨析】capture v. 捕捉；引起（兴趣等）

【例】to capture the children’s interest 吸引了孩子们的兴趣

Ten months ago, Ms. Chapin was thrust into the center of the nation's obsession with true crime, as armies of podcast listeners, Internet commentators and amateur sleuths were consumed by the mystery of how Ethan Chapin and three other University of Idaho students had been stabbed to death late one night in a house near campus.

十个月前，查平被卷入人们对真实犯罪案件的狂热爱好中，大批播客听众、网络评论员和业余侦探们沉迷于伊桑·查平和另外三名爱达荷大学学生深夜惨遭谋杀的谜团中，这几个大学生在校园附近的一所房子里被人用刀捅刺致死。

obsession n.

1. 痴迷；着魔

【例】I've got a bit of a jewelry obsession.

我对珠宝有些痴迷。

She has an obsession with cleanliness.

她对洁净有偏执的追求。

2. 使人痴迷的人或物

【例】Fitness has become an obsession with him.

他迷上了健身。

【拓展】obsess v. 使痴迷；使念念不忘

consume v.

1. 消耗；花费

【例】A smaller vehicle will consume less fuel.

小型车辆耗油更少。

2. 吃；喝；摄入

【例】She avoids consuming caffeine in any form.

她避免以任何形式摄入咖啡因。

3. 使充满（强烈的情感）

【例】She was consumed with guilt.

她深感内疚。

Now she found herself navigating an unfamiliar world where she was an unwitting celebrity, searching for a way to harness the fervor for something good.

现在，查平发现自己在一个陌生世界里努力寻找方向，在这个世界，她稀里糊涂地成了一个名人，并想办法把人们的狂热引向好的方向。

navigate v.

1. 导航；找到方向

【例】to navigate by the stars 根据星辰确定航向

to navigate your way through the forest 摸索方向走出森林

2. 找到方法应对（复杂的情况）

【例】 A lawyer will help you navigate the complex legal system.

律师能帮助你处理复杂的法律问题。

harness v.

1. 套上挽具

【例】harness a horse to a carriage 把马套到车上

2. 驾驭；控制；利用

【例】to harness the sun’s rays as a source of energy 利用日光产生能源

她是作为嘉宾来到"真实犯罪案件大会"的，与会者在支付了标价349美元的初级门票后，可以测量血迹、分析一个连环杀手的画作、为破案英雄喝彩，并得到关于臭名昭著的强奸案和谋杀案的大量血腥细节。

navigate v.

1. 导航；找到方向

【例】to navigate by the stars 根据星辰确定航向

to navigate your way through the forest 摸索方向走出森林

2. 找到方法应对（复杂的情况）

【例】 A lawyer will help you navigate the complex legal system.

律师能帮助你处理复杂的法律问题。

harness v.

1. 套上挽具

【例】harness a horse to a carriage 把马套到车上

2. 驾驭；控制；利用

【例】to harness the sun’s rays as a source of energy 利用日光产生能源

The annual conference, which this year drew 5,000 people from all 50 states, capitalizes on what has been a breakneck level of growth in the true crime genre: Last week, of the 20 top podcasts on the Apple platform, more than half were related to true crime.

今年的大会吸引了来自50个州的5000人参加，充分利用了真实犯罪案件这一类型的惊人增势：上周，在苹果平台上排名最靠前的20个播客中，超过一半与真实犯罪案件有关。

capitalize on 充分利用（从而获得好处）

【例】The company has failed to fully capitalize on online advertising and has missed out on new businesses.

这家公司没能充分利用线上广告，从而错过了新业务的风口。

【近义词】take advantage of 利用……的优势

【拓展】capital n. 资本

unearth v. 挖掘；找到

【例】The newspaper has unearthed some disturbing facts.

报纸揭发了一些令人不安的真相。

【近义词】dig up/uncover 挖出；揭发

stricken adj. 受打击的；遭受困苦的

【例】the stricken boat/region/face 失事船只/受灾地区/苦闷的脸

【搭配】be stricken with/by sth 遭受某事

【拓展】strike v. 打击（struck, struck）

Some attendees described their fascination with criminal minds; others said they felt deep empathy with the victims, or lured by the enticing possibility that someone asking the right questions or unearthing a missing digital clue could help bring justice to a stricken family.

一些与会者说他们对犯罪心理着迷，另一些人表示，他们对受害者深表同情，或者被一个诱人的可能性所吸引，即提出正确的问题或找出缺失的数字线索，或许就可以帮助一个遭受重创的家庭伸张正义。

capitalize on 充分利用（从而获得好处）

【例】The company has failed to fully capitalize on online advertising and has missed out on new businesses.

这家公司没能充分利用线上广告，从而错过了新业务的风口。

【近义词】take advantage of 利用……的优势

【拓展】capital n. 资本

unearth v. 挖掘；找到

【例】The newspaper has unearthed some disturbing facts.

报纸揭发了一些令人不安的真相。

【近义词】dig up/uncover 挖出；揭发

stricken adj. 受打击的；遭受困苦的

【例】the stricken boat/region/face 失事船只/受灾地区/苦闷的脸

【搭配】be stricken with/by sth 遭受某事

【拓展】strike v. 打击（struck, struck）

Relatives of some of those families also signed up, posting materials and sharing stories, overjoyed that people and podcasters were eager to listen. In the exhibition hall, businesses vied for attention, one offering true-crime branded coffee, as the crackle of someone testing a stun gun was heard from a table nearby.

一些受害者的亲属也报名参加了大会，他们发布材料、分享故事，看到人们和播客作者对此很感兴趣，他们喜出望外。在展厅里，各大商家争先恐后地吸引人们的注意力，一个商家提供真实犯罪品牌的咖啡，旁边桌位上有人正在测试电击枪，噼啪的声音清晰地传了过来。

vie for sth 激烈地争夺某物

【例】a row of restaurants vying with each other for business

彼此争抢生意的一排饭馆

【近义词】compete v. 比赛；竞争

【辨析】via prep. 通过；凭借

A crime-scene cleaning company had set up a bloodied cardboard box, next to a booth where attendees could get photos of themselves against a perp-lineup backdrop. Ms. Chapin flinched and turned away as a television screen flashed images of the man accused of killing her son.

一家犯罪现场清洁公司摆放了一个血迹斑斑的硬纸箱，旁边展位上，与会者可以在犯罪嫌疑人列队辨认的背景下拍照留念。当电视屏幕上出现被控告杀害她儿子的男子的图像时，查平退缩了，并转身离开。

flinch v. 退缩；畏缩

【例】She flinched as she touched the hot iron.

她碰到灼热的熨斗，把手缩了回去。

【搭配】flinch from sth 不愿做某事

【拓展】unflinching adj. 无所畏惧的；坚定不屈的

mingle with

1. 与……混合

【例】He felt a kind of happiness mingled with regret.

他感到既高兴又遗憾。

2. （在社交场合）聊天寒暄

【例】to mingle with guests 和宾客们交谈

Attendees had the chance to mingle with the stars of the genre: A YouTuber grabbed a selfie with Camille Vasquez, the lawyer known for her recent work representing the actor Johnny Depp.

与会者有机会与这一领域的明星见面交流：一个油管博主与卡米尔·瓦斯克斯自拍了一张合照，瓦斯克斯因最近代理演员约翰尼·德普的案件而闻名。

flinch v. 退缩；畏缩

【例】She flinched as she touched the hot iron.

她碰到灼热的熨斗，把手缩了回去。

【搭配】flinch from sth 不愿做某事

【拓展】unflinching adj. 无所畏惧的；坚定不屈的

mingle with

1. 与……混合

【例】He felt a kind of happiness mingled with regret.

他感到既高兴又遗憾。

2. （在社交场合）聊天寒暄

【例】to mingle with guests 和宾客们交谈

课后练习

What was the professor doing at the CrimeCon?
A. He was doing an analysis of a murder case.
B. He was giving a speech in memory of some victims.
C. He was introducing Ms. Chapin to the audience.
D. He was speculating about the suspects.
What was Ms. Chapin’s reaction towards the CrimeCon?
A. She was nervous about giving a speech there.
B. She was disappointed that no one noticed her.
C. She was confused about the gathering and attendees.
D. She was sad after recalling the tragedy of her son.
What can be learned about the genre of true crime?
A. It is popular among a small group of people.
B. It has amassed a large group of followers.
C. It reflects the increase of crime rates.
D. It is an effort to bring justice to victims.
What can attendees do at the CrimeCon?
A. They can apply for jobs to be professional detectives.
B. They can raise money for relatives of victims.
C. They can get various information about crime cases.
D. They can identify suspects at the perp-lineup session.