"prove sb.'s guilt" 是一个法律/正式场景常用短语,字面意为“证明某人有罪”。
prove:及物动词,意为“证明;证实”(通过证据、逻辑等使结论成立);
sb.'s:某人的(名词所有格,表所属);
guilt:不可数名词,意为“罪行;罪责;有罪(的事实)”(强调“有罪”的状态或事实,而非“罪名”)。
该短语是动宾结构(prove + 宾语sb.'s guilt),通常用于需要“用证据确认有罪”的场景(如法庭、调查、刑侦等)。以下是具体用法要点:
通常是试图证明他人有罪的一方,如:
执法者:the police(警方)、the prosecution(检察官/控方);
诉讼参与者:the lawyer(律师)、the witness(证人);
其他:the evidence(证据)、the investigation(调查)等(被动或拟人化用法)。
常与表示“证据力度、场景”的词连用,强化“证明”的效果或 context:
prove sb.'s guilt + 程度/方式:
prove sb.'s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt(排除合理怀疑地证明某人有罪,法律上的“定罪标准”);
prove sb.'s guilt conclusively(确凿地证明某人有罪);
prove sb.'s guilt with solid evidence(用确凿证据证明某人有罪)。
prove sb.'s guilt + 对象/场景:
prove sb.'s guilt to the jury(向陪审团证明某人有罪);
prove sb.'s guilt in court(在法庭上证明某人有罪);
prove sb.'s guilt during the trial(在审判中证明某人有罪)。
The prosecution failed to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, so he was acquitted.(控方未能排除合理怀疑地证明被告有罪,因此他被无罪释放。)
New DNA evidence helped the police prove the suspect's guilt in the murder case.(新的DNA证据帮助警方证明了嫌疑人在谋杀案中的罪行。)
The witness's testimony was crucial to proving the CEO's guilt in the fraud scheme.(证人的证词对证明CEO在欺诈案中的罪责至关重要。)
Can you prove his guilt with concrete facts, or is this just speculation?(你能用具体事实证明他有罪吗?还是这只是猜测?)
两者含义相近,但结构和侧重不同:
"prove sb.'s guilt":强调“证明[某人的罪行]这一事实”(guilt是名词,作宾语);
"prove sb. guilty":强调“证明[某人]处于有罪的状态”(guilty是形容词,作宾语补足语)。
例如:
The evidence proved his guilt(证据证明了他的罪行)→ 侧重“罪行本身”;
The evidence proved him guilty(证据证明他有罪)→ 侧重“他本人有罪”。
综上,"prove sb.'s guilt"是正式、精准的法律表达,核心是“用证据确认某人的罪行事实”,常见于法庭、刑侦等需要“定罪”的场景。