問 1
What is the main idea of the passage?
- All forensic techniques are worthless and should be banned from courts.
- Juries are generally too sceptical of the experts who testify before them.
- Forensic evidence is less objective than its courtroom authority suggests, and reform requires humility about its limits.
- Physical evidence such as fingerprints never lies and should always be trusted.
rest on far shakier ground than their courtroom authority implies
本文の論旨は『法廷での権威ほど法科学は客観的でなく、限界への謙虚さこそ改革に要る』。
「Forensic evidence is less objective than its courtroom authority suggests, and reform requires humility about its limits.」
正解第1段で many of the techniques ... rest on far shakier ground than their courtroom authority implies と述べ、第3段で What it demands is humility と説く。よって『法廷の権威ほど客観的でなく、限界への謙虚さが改革に要る』が主旨。
「Physical evidence such as fingerprints never lies at all and so ought always to be trusted completely.」
= 決して嘘をつかず常に信じるべき ━ as comforting ... conviction を冒頭で皮肉り否定。
「Every forensic technique is entirely worthless and ought to be banned from all of the courts for good.」
= 全技法は無価値 ━ None of this means the techniques are worthless と明確に否定。
「Juries everywhere are generally a great deal too sceptical of the experts who come to testify to them.」
= 陪審は概して懐疑的すぎる ━ dazzled by the white coat と逆 (信じ過ぎる)。
| パターン | 意味 | 例 |
|---|---|---|
| rest on shaky ground | 脆弱な根拠に立つ | rest on far shakier ground |
| a silent witness | 物言わぬ証人 | presented as silent witnesses |
| beyond dispute | 議論の余地なく | testimony beyond dispute |
| an aura of objectivity | 客観性の後光 | an aura of objectivity |
| demand humility | 謙虚さを求める | What it demands is humility. |
The method rests on shakier ground than claimed.
その手法は主張より脆弱な根拠に立つ。
Evidence is treated as beyond dispute.
証拠は議論の余地なきものとされる。
What it demands is humility.
それが求めるのは謙虚さだ。
主旨は『権威ほど客観でない + 謙虚さが要る』の二点を含む肢を採る。本文が明示否定する両極端 (never lies / worthless) は罠。陪審は『懐疑的』でなく『信じ過ぎ』である点も確認。