田恩澤
(武漢船舶職業(yè)技術(shù)學院,湖北武漢 430050)
1994年前,美國著名橄欖球運動員辛普森,被指控謀殺了前妻。二十多年后,這個震驚全美的案件被搬上熒屏時,吸引了大量觀眾的關(guān)注。隨著《美國犯罪故事:辛普森挑戰(zhàn)公眾》熱播,公眾再次關(guān)注到這個曾經(jīng)空前震動的案件,關(guān)于此案的更多細節(jié)也被披露。因為此案的審理過程太過戲劇性,辛普森成為了美國歷史上被指控為謀殺罪的最臭名昭著的人。這場全球矚目的世紀審判一波三折,在長達九個月的審理之后,辛普森被宣告無罪。而在庭審過程中,控辯雙方采用了諸多手段在詢問環(huán)節(jié)來獲得對己方有利的證詞,預(yù)設(shè)就是其中的方法之一。本文擬通過分析辛普森案庭審中的詢問環(huán)節(jié),剖析預(yù)設(shè)在詢問中的運用,展現(xiàn)控辯雙方如何使用語言學技巧實現(xiàn)各自的目的。
預(yù)設(shè)(presupposition),也叫“前提”,這一概念最先由德國哲學家弗雷格(Frege)于1892年提出。他認為預(yù)設(shè)理論大致包括以下三個要點:
(1)指稱短語和時間分句均有所指,因而具有前提;
(2)一個句子和它的否定形式具有同樣的預(yù)設(shè)信息;
(3)句子或聲音,無論真實或謬誤,其預(yù)設(shè)必須成立。
隨后,其觀點被英國語言學家斯特勞森(Strawson)接納并發(fā)展,從邏輯語義學角度將預(yù)設(shè)看作是句子或者命題之間的關(guān)系。然而越來越多的語言學家發(fā)現(xiàn)語義預(yù)設(shè)具有一些非語言性的特點,具有可取消性,意識到預(yù)設(shè)并非是單純的語義現(xiàn)象,并提出了語用預(yù)設(shè)這一概念,指出預(yù)設(shè)需要結(jié)合語境,例如說話人關(guān)系、共有的背景知識等方面綜合判斷。因此從語義學角度看,預(yù)設(shè)是句子本身具有的一層意義;從語用學角度看,預(yù)設(shè)是說話人的設(shè)想。
預(yù)設(shè)具有三個特性,即單向性、主觀性和隱蔽性。單向性是指預(yù)設(shè)是由說話人單方強加的,只有通過會話,預(yù)設(shè)才能在必要時被明確識別。主觀性是指表示事實陳述的句子假設(shè),本身并不必然正確或真實,這取決于說話人的態(tài)度和信念。隱蔽性是指預(yù)設(shè)部分的隱含意義可以悄無聲息地把說話人的“斷言”看作真實而接受并回答。利用預(yù)設(shè)的這三個特點,庭審雙方可采取一定的策略性提問,觸發(fā)預(yù)設(shè),隱蔽地將己方認定的事實單方面強加給對方,從而對辯護、審理等產(chǎn)生重要的影響。
預(yù)設(shè)觸發(fā)語指的是能夠引發(fā)預(yù)設(shè)產(chǎn)生的詞語或特定結(jié)構(gòu)??D林(Karttunen)和萊文森(Levinson)對觸發(fā)語進行了收集和歸納,本文將庭審中常見的預(yù)設(shè)觸發(fā)語分類如下:
2.1.1動詞
(1)敘實性動詞,預(yù)設(shè)動詞后的賓語或賓語從句中描述的事情已經(jīng)發(fā)生、成為事實,例如aware, realize, know等。
例:He didn’t realize that he was alcohol addicted.
預(yù)設(shè)為:He was alcohol addicted.
(2)含蓄性動詞,例如manage, forget, avoid, plan等。
例:Simpson forgot that he asked Mr.Shipp the question.
預(yù)設(shè)為:Simpson asked Mr.Shipp the question.
(3)狀態(tài)變化動詞,例如begin, stop, turn等。
例:I continued to yell at her.
預(yù)設(shè)為:I had been yelling at her.
(4)反復(fù)性動詞,例如repeat, return, come back等。
例:You repeated the action, didn’t you?
預(yù)設(shè)為:You did that action.
2.1.2限制性詞
(1)冠詞。如a, an, the。
(2)代詞。如 his, her ,our, their等。
例:His wife is pregnant.
預(yù)設(shè)為:He has a wife.
(3)其他表達。如 another, only等。
例:Miss Han, we have another one.
預(yù)設(shè)為:We’ve already had one.
2.1.3表迭代的詞
如 again, too, either等。
例:Come here my varlet, I’ll unarm again.
預(yù)設(shè)為:I unarmed once.
2.1.4其他詞
如 even, still, just等。
例:He is a strict vegetarian—he doesn’t even eat cheese.
預(yù)設(shè)為:So certainly, he will not eat any others.
2.2.1時間狀語從句
如 before, after, during, whenever, when, as…
例:What did you do before you became a doctor?
本句所隱含的預(yù)設(shè)為:You are now a doctor and you did something else previously.
2.2.2對比和比較
如 more than, as much as, 以及其他的對比結(jié)構(gòu)。
例:Jack is/isn’t a better teacher than Mary.
本句所隱含的預(yù)設(shè)為:Mary is a teacher.
2.2.3反事實條件句。
例:If only I had known his address.
本句所隱含的預(yù)設(shè)為:I did not know his address.
2.2.4非限制性定語從句
如who, which, when, where等。
例:My cousin, who is an engineer, went/didn’t go to Europe last week.
本句所隱含的預(yù)設(shè)為:My cousin is an engineer.
2.2.5分裂句,只能用yes/no回答的一般疑問句,反義疑問句,wh-引導(dǎo)的特殊疑問句。
例:It was/wasn’t Jane who called this morning.
本句所隱含的預(yù)設(shè)為:Someone called this morning.
例:Do you like English?
本句所隱含的預(yù)設(shè)為:Either you like English or you don’t like English.
例:What Jack lost/didn’t lose was his watch.
本句所隱含的預(yù)設(shè)為:Jack lost something.
(1)下面是辯方律師對探員進行交叉詢問,主要目的是探究探員是否在審訊時間之外訊問過辛普森,在辦案時的問話是否符合程序正義。
Q: Did you ever ask Mr.Simpson any question about a shovel?
A: I never asked--
DA: Objection.Assumes he ever asked anything.
The court: Overruled.
Q: Did you?
A: I’ve never asked Mr.Simpson any questions....
Q: Okay.
從這組對話可以看到,辯方律師在對探員進行交叉詢問時,使用“any question about a shovel”來迷惑探員,企圖轉(zhuǎn)移探員注意力,轉(zhuǎn)去思考是否問過關(guān)于“一個鐵鍬”的問題,而辯方預(yù)設(shè)的信息是“探員問過問題”。如果探員在規(guī)定情境外對辛普森進行過問話,可能導(dǎo)致程序的不正義??胤铰蓭熢谟X察到辯方的企圖后,立刻向法官表示反對,然而法官表示反對無效,示意辯方提問繼續(xù)。而此時,探員也覺察到了對方提問的預(yù)設(shè),警惕地答道“并未向辛普森提問任何問題”,堅定己方并未破壞程序正義。
(2)在接下來的交叉詢問中,辯方律師改變了詢問句式,通過一些間接的表述來證實探員在搜集證據(jù)時存在失誤,導(dǎo)致關(guān)鍵證據(jù)即手套的可信度不足,從而獲取對己方有利的供詞,來推翻關(guān)鍵證據(jù)的有效性。
Q1: You had three detectives who were armed in the house and didn’t tell any of them where you were going, correct?
A1: That’s correct.
Q2: You didn’t ask any of them to come with you to cover for you, correct?
A2: That’s correct.
Q3: You had previously stated there was a possibility that dangerous people were on the premises, had you not?
A3: I never used those words.
Q4: You know that you were not equipped with any protective gear, correct?
A4: I was not.
Q5: Now, if that glove had been there where you say you found it, it would have been placed there by someone involved in the homicide; isn’t that conclusion compelled?
A5: I would assume that, yes.
Q6: That would be a vicious killer of some sort, would it not?
A6: Yes.
Q7: And you hung around for fifteen minutes with no back-up and no vest doing something; is that correct?
A7: No, it isn’t.
Q8: All right.
在以上庭審對話中,辯方律師質(zhì)問探員在現(xiàn)場發(fā)現(xiàn)關(guān)鍵證據(jù)手套后,為什么獨自一人呆在案發(fā)現(xiàn)場,使用了反義疑問句和平行句式來加強語氣,以此來證實某一隱藏的事實已經(jīng)發(fā)生。問句中的從句反映的是被詢問者默認的事實,從而觸發(fā)預(yù)設(shè)。問句Q1-Q7隱含的預(yù)設(shè)都不能被否定回答取消,這樣辯方律師就在提問中巧妙地隱藏了問話的真實意圖,成功地隱含了存在性預(yù)設(shè),即探員可能有獨自在案發(fā)現(xiàn)場的時間,并趁人不備偽造了證據(jù)。即使退一步說,探員可能在采集證據(jù)過程中取證不規(guī)范,導(dǎo)致證據(jù)遭到污染,證據(jù)的可信度大打折扣,暗指法庭不應(yīng)采信此證據(jù)。
(3)在這一段交叉詢問中,辯方律師試圖通過證明探員的品格有缺陷,來否定探員的證詞有效性。
Q1: Do you remember meeting a woman named Kathleen Bell at that marine recruiting office between 1985 and 1986?
A1: No.
Q2: Did you say while in the recruiting station at any time during those years that when you see a nigger driving with a white woman, you pull them over?
A2: No.
Q3: Do you recall anyone asking you if you didn’t have a reason to pull them over, what would you do?
A3: I don’t recall anybody ever asking me that question, sir.
Q4: Did you ever make a statement that if you needed a reason, you would find one?
A4: No.
Q5: Okay.Next paragraph.Did you say at any time in that recruiting station in the presence of any female including Kathleen Bell that you’d like nothing more than to see all niggers gathered together and killed?
A5: No....
Q6: Okay.
…
Q7: Did you see a woman who called herself Kathleen Bell?
A7: Yes.
因受判例法系中“品格證據(jù)”傳統(tǒng)的影響,美國的證據(jù)法和判例都規(guī)定,如果出庭證人的品格被證明有缺陷,則證人的某些證詞就不具有法律效力。所以,在法庭審判時,控辯雙方律師都會在證人的個人品格上大做文章。此外,在法庭宣誓之后,如果一位證人在一部分證詞中故意撒謊,那么陪審團可以將這位證人的其它證詞也視為謊言。
在詢問的開始,辯方律師用問句Q1“Do you remember…”來觸發(fā)預(yù)設(shè),暗示探員在酒吧遇到過一位叫凱瑟琳的女士,只是記得或者忘記了。隨后用“Did you say…”來固定預(yù)設(shè)內(nèi)容,即探員在酒吧這樣的公共場合發(fā)表過歧視黑人的言論,暗示探員是種族主義者。緊接著,辯方律師繼續(xù)采用類似句式“Do you recall…”和“Did you ever make a statement…”來引出探員的具體發(fā)言,同樣這些問題隱藏的預(yù)設(shè)信息并不能用否定回答取消,即證明探員的確發(fā)表過種族歧視言論。最后,律師再次詢問Q7,“你是否見過一名叫凱瑟琳的女士”。此次,探員被逼到了絕境,心態(tài)崩塌,從剛開始A1的否定回答“沒有”,轉(zhuǎn)變成A7的“的確見過”。自此,探員的回答A1和A7截然相反,辯方律師成功從正面證實探員撒了謊,他的證詞不可信,并且他的其他證詞也可能是謊言。通過預(yù)設(shè)的詢問,辯方把探員描繪成“一個擁護種族滅絕政策的種族主義者、一個作偽證的家伙、美國最令人可怕的惡夢和魔鬼的化身”。
本文基于辛普森庭審案的文本分析,發(fā)現(xiàn)本案庭審中辯方律師利用語言學技巧觸發(fā)預(yù)設(shè),來隱藏提問目的,降低被提問者的警惕,誘導(dǎo)甚至支配對方說出有利于本方的事實,從而操控庭審發(fā)展方向。然而,由于控辯雙方不同的立場,預(yù)設(shè)策略常被律師用作語言陷阱來影響被提問者的回答,因而庭審中預(yù)設(shè)策略的潛在影響是不容小覷的。