President Donald Trump Grants Pardons to Eleven People for Regulatory and Financial Crimes
川普總統赦免 11 名涉嫌監管與金融罪行的人士
Introduction
President Donald Trump has issued pardons to eleven individuals. Most of these people were convicted of breaking federal emissions laws, while two others were pardoned for financial crimes.
川普總統已赦免 11 名人士。其中大多數人因違反聯邦排放法而被定罪，另外兩人則因金融罪行獲赦免。
Main Body
The largest group consists of nine people, including diesel mechanics and vehicle tuners like Matthew Geouge and MacKenzie Spurlock. They were convicted of violating the Clean Air Act by using 'defeat devices' to bypass emissions-control systems. The administration emphasized that these prosecutions were an excessive use of government power and described the legal actions as political persecution. Furthermore, this change in policy is supported by a recent order allowing vehicle modifications and the removal of federal tailpipe standards.
最大的一組包含 9 人，包括像 Matthew Geouge 和 MacKenzie Spurlock 這樣的柴油機械師和汽車調校師。他們因使用「欺騙裝置」繞過排放控制系統，而被判定違反《清潔空氣法》。政府強調這些起訴是過度使用政府權力，並將這些法律行動描述為政治迫害。此外，最近一項允許修改車輛並取消聯邦排氣管標準的命令，支持了此次的政策變更。
In addition to environmental cases, the president pardoned two individuals convicted of fraud. Adam Kidan, a former associate of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, was pardoned for 2005 fraud charges. The White House justified this by pointing to Kidan's later success in the staffing industry. Similarly, ranch owner Jack Harvard was pardoned for bank fraud from the 1980s because of his good behavior and his support for U.S. and NATO military training.
除環境案件外，總統還赦免了兩名被判定犯詐欺罪的人士。遊說者 Jack Abramoff 的前助手 Adam Kidan，因 2005 年的詐欺指控獲赦免。白宮以 Kidan 隨後在人力派遣產業取得成功作為理由。同樣地，牧場主 Jack Harvard 因表現良好且支持美國與北約的軍事訓練，而獲赦免 1980 年代的銀行詐欺罪。
These pardons are part of a larger effort to reduce government regulations. While the administration claims these actions remove unnecessary burdens, critics argue that they may damage the reputation of the legal system. Moreover, some researchers suggest that removing these environmental rules could worsen the climate crisis, which is already causing extreme weather and health risks.
這些赦免行動是減少政府監管之更大努力的一部分。雖然政府聲稱這些行動移除了不必要的負擔，但批評者認為這可能會損害法律系統的聲譽。此外，部分研究人員指出，取消這些環境規則可能會加劇氣候危機，而氣候危機已造成極端天氣與健康風險。
Conclusion
Overall, these actions show a clear effort by the administration to remove environmental regulations and forgive those who were punished under previous federal laws.
總體而言，這些行動顯示政府明顯企圖取消環境監管，並原諒那些在先前聯邦法律下受懲罰的人。
Vocabulary Learning
🚀 The 'Logic-Link' Shift
At the A2 level, you usually connect ideas with simple words like and, but, or because. To reach B2, you need to use "Formal Connectors." These are words that act as bridges, making your writing sound professional and academic rather than like a casual conversation.
🔍 Spotting the Bridge
Look at how this text moves from one idea to another without using 'and' or 'but':
- "Furthermore..." (Use this instead of also when adding a strong, supporting point).
- "In addition to..." (Use this to group similar topics together before moving to a new one).
- "Similarly..." (Use this when two different people or things are doing the same kind of action).
- "Moreover..." (Use this to add a final, often more important, piece of evidence).
🛠️ Practical Application: From A2 to B2
| A2 Style (Simple) | B2 Style (Professional) |
|---|---|
| He was a mechanic and he broke the law. | He was a mechanic; furthermore, he violated federal laws. |
| He was pardoned and so was Jack Harvard. | Adam Kidan was pardoned; similarly, Jack Harvard received a pardon. |
| The rules are gone and the climate is getting worse. | The regulations were removed; moreover, researchers suggest this will worsen the climate crisis. |
💡 Pro-Tip for Fluency
Stop thinking of these words as just "vocabulary." Think of them as signposts. They tell the reader exactly where the argument is going. When you start a sentence with Moreover or Furthermore, you are signaling that you are adding a "layer" of information to your argument, which is a hallmark of B2-level English.