照片人物是美國前大法官William Rehnquist,譯音:威廉·倫奎斯特。
維基(註1)寫:他一生是W. S. Gilbert和Arthur Sullivan的歌劇迷,由於喜歡Iolanthe這部歌劇,
就模仿劇中大法官服裝,在他黑袍制服加四條金色條紋。大法官穿著一貫是純色黑袍,
迄今,僅他這樣改。
而且,他常將Iolanthe經典台詞(註2,極小更動)掛在嘴邊,I did nothing in particular,
and I did it very well,中譯:我什麼都沒做,在這一點上我做得非常好(註3)。
這段話恰恰是身為大法官的修養,別主動作為,而要被動被詢問。
Leadership of the Court
註2:
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Rehnquist added four yellow stripes to the sleeves of his robe in 1995.
A lifelong fan of Gilbert and Sullivan operas,
he liked the Lord Chancellor's costume in a community theater production of Iolanthe,
and thereafter appeared in court with the same striped sleeves.
(The Lord Chancellor was traditionally the senior member of the British judiciary.)
His successor, Chief Justice John Roberts, chose not to continue the practice.[
LORD M:
When Wellington thrashed Bonaparte, As every child can tell,
The House of Peers, throughout the war, Did nothing in particular, And did it very well:
Yet Britain set the world ablaze In good King George's glorious days!
2. Bad News, John Roberts Will Not Wear a Striped Robe for Trump’s Impeachment Trial
Chief Justice William Rehnquist wore stripes on the sleeves of his robe, as he had since 1995,
during Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial. The embellishments were inspired by the
“one worn by the Lord Chancellor in a local production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe,”
the Times explained at the time.
Reinquist’s choice to wear his standard, gold-striped robe was among the most consequential
decisions he made at the trial. As he later put, quoting Iolanthe,
“I did nothing in particular, and I did it very well.”
保守主義者認為有些時候什麼都不做比亂做要好一百倍。
比如上世紀的美國最高法院,以厄爾·沃倫大法官為典型,狂飆突進,
在司法層面幹立法的活,造成了美國社會嚴重的撕裂,至今痛苦不堪。
而倫奎斯特大法官(William Rehnquist)就是個相反的智者,
他有一句話就講得特別好:我什麼都沒做,在這一點上我做得非常好 。
( I did nothing in particular and I did it very well ) 。