《美国最高法院通识读本》Chapter 1, Origins I

"The judicial power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish."

“联邦司法权，由一所最高法院和国会因时设立的下级法院行使。”

*judicial: connected with a court, a judge or legal judgement

 - judicial powers: 司法权

*shall: (old-fashioned or formal)used to show that you are determined, or to give an order or instruction

*vest something in somebody/vest somebody with something [often passive](formal): to give someone the legal right or power to do something

 - Overall authority is vested in the Supreme Court.  

 - The Supreme Court is vested with overall authority.

*Supreme Court: 最高法院

*inferior courts 下级法院

*from time to time 

*ordain something|ordain that…(formal)(of God, the law or fate): to order or command something

With those words-the opening sentence of the Constitution's Article III-the document's Framers announced the birth of an institution then unknown to the world, a national court with the authority to decide cases "arising under" the country's Constitution and laws. Precisely what that authority would mean in practice-what the Supreme Court's role would be with respect to the two elected branches of the new government-was far from clear when the Constitution was drafted in 1787. That role remains disputed even today, when Supreme Court nominees are routinely asked by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to disavow all interest in using the Court's authority in a manner that might be described as "judicial activism".

*the opening sentence 首句

*article 条

*announce the birth of something 宣告……的诞生

*something then unknown to the world 世人尚不熟悉的

*with the authority to decide cases 有权审理案件 

*in practice 实际 

*with respect to something: (formal or business) concerning

*elected branch 民选分支

*far from 远不……

*draft the Constitution 制宪 

*remain+过去分词

*dispute: [transitive]to question whether something is true and valid 争议

*nominee: a person who has been formally suggested for a job, a prize, etc. 候选人

*routinely:  as part of the way in which things are regularly done

*Senate Judiciary Committee: 参议院司法委员会

*disavow something(formal): to state publicly that you have no knowledge of something or that you are not responsible for something/somebody

*in a manner that...