字面直译是“确立某人的罪行”,更符合中文表达习惯的翻译是:证实某人有罪 / 坐实某人的罪行。
其中:
establish 表示“通过证据、逻辑或程序正式确立/证实(事实、结论的真实性)”;
one's guilt 指“某人的有罪状态”(guilt 此处是不可数名词,强调“犯罪的事实或责任”)。
该短语主要用于法律、司法或正式语境,强调“通过客观证据、调查或法律程序,严谨地证明某人犯了罪”。以下是具体用法要点:
通常是负责证明罪行的主体(如检方、警方、证据、调查结果等):
The prosecution(检方)tried to establish the defendant's guilt.
DNA evidence(DNA证据)finally established his guilt.
The investigation(调查)failed to establish her guilt due to lack of proof.
常与“beyond reasonable doubt”(排除合理怀疑,法律上的证明标准)连用,强调“证据充分到无合理质疑”:
The jury found that the prosecution had established the defendant's guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
(陪审团认为检方已排除合理怀疑地证实了被告有罪。)
由于“罪行被证实”是常见逻辑,被动式也很常用:
His guilt was established by multiple witnesses and forensic evidence.
(他的罪行通过多名证人和法医证据得到证实。)
表示“未能证实有罪”(法律上即“无罪”):
The defense attorney argued that the prosecution had not established his client's guilt.
(辩护律师辩称,检方未能证实其当事人有罪。)
1、 法律场景:
The police spent months gathering evidence to establish the suspect's guilt.
(警方花了数月收集证据,以证实嫌疑人有罪。)
2、 新闻报道:
Newly discovered surveillance footage helped establish the thief's guilt.
(新发现的监控录像帮助坐实了小偷的罪行。)
3、 辩论/讨论:
Without concrete proof, you can't establish someone's guilt based on rumors.
(没有确凿证据,你不能仅凭谣言就认定某人有罪。)
prove one's guilt:更口语化,强调“证明”的结果;
establish one's guilt:更正式、严谨,强调“通过系统方法(如证据链、法律程序)确立”的过程,更符合司法语境。
简言之,"establish one's guilt" 是法律领域的正式表达,核心是“用可靠证据/程序严谨证实某人有罪”。