Ages ago, people did not understand sickness and death. They could not figure out why some animals died or why crops failed. These were very scary events for them. In early US colonies, people blamed witches when bad things happened. Anyone accused of being a witch was arrested and put on trial. Some of the most famous were the Salem Witch Trials. However, the trials were not fair. Most of the accusations could not be proven to be true. On this date in 1692, five women from Massachusetts were hanged for being witches. Altogether, 19 people were hanged as a result of the Salem Witch Trials.
很久以前，人們並不 了解疾病和死亡。他們搞不懂為何有些動物會暴 斃，或是為什麼農作物會歉收。這些對他們而言是極其可怕的事。在早期美國的殖民地中，當有壞事發生時，人們會把事情怪罪在女巫頭上。任何被指控為女巫的人 都會遭到逮捕並受到審判。這當中最著名的就是一連串的賽林女巫審判案。不過這些審判一點都不公平。大多數的指控都無法獲得證實。在1692年的今天，5位 來自麻塞諸塞州的女子因被判為女巫而被吊死。最後共有19位民眾因賽林女巫審判案而被處以絞刑。
知識大補帖
;)
賽林是波士頓（Boston）北邊的一個小鎮，在1692年的一月，當地 的山繆．派瑞斯這位牧師（Reverend Samuel Parris）的女兒和姪女久病不癒，村裡的醫生診斷他們中了妖術，導致150多位被懷疑是女巫的村民被捕。當時的州長（governor）更成立了一個法庭（圖，網路照片），試圖將施咒的女巫揪出並繩之以 法。整起事件後來愈演愈烈，共有14名女子和5名男子被吊死，還有數百人被關入獄中。最後因民眾群情激憤而使得法庭解散，獵殺女巫事件才宣告平息。
單字片語
◎figure out...想出……，找出……
例：Thomas had to figure out a way to pay his rent after he lost his job.
（丟掉工作後，湯瑪斯必須想個辦法來付房租。）
◎crop
n. 農作物
◎fail
vi.（農作物）歉收
◎blame
vt. 歸咎；責怪
例：The report blamed the terrible accident on the dense fog.
（這份報告將這起嚴重意外的起因歸咎於濃霧。）
◎accuse
vt. 指控；指責
．accuse sb of sth 指控╱指責某人（做）某事
例：Kevin seemed upset when his classmate accused him of lying.
（當凱文的同學指責他說謊時，凱文顯得十分難過。）
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