美国宪法第八修正案“不得‘施加残酷和异常的刑罚’”条款并非是1787年美国宪法的内容,而是1791年十条修正案的内容之一,其直接来源于英国的法律。在废除死刑运动日益高涨的美国,如何理解“残酷和异常的刑罚”呢?本文以此为基础,详细介绍了第八修正案的通过、渊源和内容之含义。 The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, “The Penalty Not to Impose Brutal and Unusual Penalties,” is not part of the U.S. Constitution of 1787 but rather of one of the ten Amendments of 1791, which comes directly from British law. How can we understand “cruel and unusual punishment” in the United States, which abolishes the death penalty movement? Based on this, this article details the meaning of the passage, origin and content of the Eighth Amendment.