NEW YORK, Aug 2 (AFP) - The percentage of people supporting the death penalty in the United States is dropping, but remains a significant majority, according to a poll published Wednesday.

According to a Harris Interactive poll, 64 percent of Americans approve of capital punishment while 25 percent are opposed. In a similar poll in 1997, 75 percent were in favor while 22 percent were opposed.

The 1997 poll showed that 53 percent of those asked supported an increase in executions. That number fell to 43 percent in 1999 and only 36 percent now.

Some 44 percent of those asked said they believe the death

penalty serves as a deterrent to crime, compared to 47 percent the year before.

"The recent debate about the quality of justice in murder trials, the overturning of several convictions as a result of DNA tests, and the resulting moratorium on executions in Illinois have clearly had an impact on public attitudes to the death penalty," said Humphrey Taylor, president of Harris Poll.

"Support for capital punishment has fallen significantly for the second year in a row," he said.

The poll questioned 1,010 adults around the United States between July 13 and 17.

难点词汇：
　　 death penalty　死刑　　　　　oppose　反对　　　　　execution　实施，执行
　　 deterrent　阻碍物　　　　　　overturn　推翻　　　　moratorium　缓刑