有效威懾重大犯罪
The US federal government will resume its use of capital punishment after a nearly two-decade lapse, Attorney General Bill Barr announced Thursday.
美國司法部長巴爾上週四宣布，美國聯邦政府將恢復近二十年來暫停執行的死刑政策。
the federal government聯邦政府capital punishment死刑=the death penaltylapse(n.)(兩件事之間的)間隔時間hiatus(n.)間斷;間隙
The attorney has directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to schedule the execution of five death-row inmates starting at the end of the year.
巴爾已指示聯邦監獄局（BOP）安排從年底開始處決五名死刑犯，
direct sb. to RV指導某人做某事on death row(死囚)等待受刑，將被處死inmate(n.)(監獄中)囚犯
The five inmates are “the worst criminals and each of them was convicted by a jury after a full and fair proceeding,” according to Barr.
巴爾說，這五名囚犯是「犯行最嚴重的罪犯」，經過完整公正的訴訟被陪審團定罪。
convict(v.)(在法庭上)宣判…有罪，證明…有罪jury(n.)陪審團(legal) proceedings訴訟=legal action
“We owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system,” the attorney said.
巴爾說：「我們應該執行司法制度判處的刑罰，給受害者及其家屬一個交代。」
owe it to sb. to RV有責任為某人做某事
The move ends a 16-year moratorium on capital punishment.
決定恢復執行死刑前，聯邦政府有16年暫停執行死刑，
moratorium(n.)暫停、中止
Only three defendants have been put to death since the government restored the federal death penalty in 1988.
自1988年聯邦政府恢復死刑以來，只處死了三名被告。
defendant(n.)被告since(conj.)自從restore(v.)恢復=reinstate
Capital punishment remains legal in 29 states, but only a few regularly conduct executions.
死刑在美國29個州仍然合法，但只有少數州會定期處決死刑犯。
conduct(v.)執行=carry out
The rate of executions has been falling steadily due to controversy over the drugs used, as well as a decrease in the number of Americans who support the death penalty.
由於使用藥物相關爭議，加上支持死刑的美國人減少，執行率一直在下降。
decrease(v.)(n.)下降;減少as well as~=in addition to~除了…之外
The decision to resume executions is likely to stir up fresh debates surrounding the death penalty.
恢復處決的決定可能再度引發死刑相關辯論，
stir up激起;引發=spark=triggersurrounding(prep.)圍繞著;與…有關
It will also add a new front to the culture battles that President Donald Trump is already waging on issues such as abortion and immigration in the lead-up to the 2020 elections.
並為川普為2020年總統大選就墮胎和移民等議題發起的文化戰爭，增添新的炒作議題。
front(n.)(戰爭)前線wage a battle發動戰爭in the lead-up to~在…之前
Trump has been a vocal proponent of capital punishment, and he believes executions serve as both an effective deterrent and appropriate punishment for serious crimes.
川普曾多次公開表明自己支持死刑，他認為死刑既能有效遏止重大犯罪，也是應當的懲罰。
vocal(adj.)直言不諱的proponent(n.)支持者;擁護者=supporterserve as~扮演…角色;充當做=act asdeterrent(n.)威嚇力量、遏止因素deter(v.)阻撓;阻止;威懾;使不敢deter sb. from Ving使某人不敢做某事