经济学人243:最高法院 起草法案,郑重起誓,划分选区

 　　The Supreme¹ Court

　　最高法院

　　Drafting laws, vows² and maps

　　起草法案，郑重起誓，划分选区

　　Obamacare, gay marriage and race: the justices' term is heating up

　　奥巴马医改，同性婚姻，种族问题：最高法院忙得团团转

　　TWO years ago Obamacare survived a constitutional assault by the narrowest of margins³, but its opponents have not given up. On November 7th the Supreme Court agreed to hear another challenge which, if upheld, could gut⁴ the president's health-care law.

　　两年前，奥巴马医改绝处逢生，躲过了宪法的攻击，但反对者并不就此善罢甘休，11月7日最高法院决定“网开一面”，再给他们一次机会，如果他们心想事成，奥巴马医改可能就此土崩瓦解。

　　In King v Burwell the challengers are demanding that Obamacare be enforced as it was written. Since it was badly written—Congress passed a shoddy and confusing first draft, which Barack Obama signed—this could cause problems. The law specifies⁵ that subsidies⁶ will be available to people who buy their health insurance on an exchange “established by the State”. At the time, Democrats⁷ assumed that the states would all set up exchanges, but 27 refused to do so. Mr Obama got round this by setting up a federal exchange and offering subsidies through that, too. The plaintiffs say such subsidies are illegal.

　　在King v Burwell，反对者要求奥巴马医改如案推行，先前由于其表述拙劣，国会便先通过了一项草案，但其仍然晦涩难懂，漫不经心，法案中规定，在州立交易所中购买保险的人将得到补贴，当时，民主党以为所有州都会设立交易所，但事实上27个州都拒绝如此，因而奥巴马采取迂回战术，设立联邦交易所提供补贴，但控诉者称此举违法。

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　　The administration argues that Congress never intended to doom⁸ its own law with a four-word time bomb. Over 5m Americans have bought their policies via federal exchanges. If the justices strike down their subsidies, millions could lose coverage⁹, or have to pay more for it out of their own pockets. The court will hear the case early next year and rule by June.

　　政府称国会从未想要置自己的法律于死地，500多万美国民众已经接受这项政策并通过联邦交易所购买了保险，如果法律再取消他们的补贴，这些人会失去保障，或者得自己掏腰包购买保险。法院会在明年年初审理此案并在6月做出判决。

　　Gay marriage may also soon arrive on the justices' docket. On November 6th the Sixth Circuit became the first federal appellate court to uphold a state ban on gay marriage. Four circuits have nullified similar bans in recent months, so the new ruling creates a split. Are same-sex marriage bans compatible with the Constitution's guarantee of “the equal protection of the laws”? Only the Supreme Court can settle the matter. It may do so next year.

　　同性婚姻也在最高法院议程之内，11月6号，第六辖区的上诉法院率先禁止同性婚姻，4个辖区近几个月也出台了类似的禁令，这就与宪法有了出入，在宪法“法律平等保护”的保证下，这种禁令是否还有一席之地？只有最高法院能回答这一问题，答案可能会在明年揭晓。

　　On November 12th the Supremes heard a tricky¹⁰ case involving race and gerrymandering. The Alabama Legislative¹¹ Black Caucus¹² and the Alabama Democratic Conference claim that the Republican-controlled Alabama legislature violated the 14th Amendment¹³ (the equal protection clause, again) when it redrew electoral boundaries in 2012. The new map, the appellees argue, stuffed more blacks into areas where blacks already outnumbered whites, creating districts with black supermajorities topping 70% and solidifying¹⁴ the Republican Party's hold on other districts.

　　11月12日，最高法院听审了一项错综复杂的案子，涉及种族和私自改划分选区问题，阿拉巴马州黑人立法预备会议及民主大会指控共和党主导的州议会违反了第14条修订案（同样是平等保护条款），因为其私自重新划分了2012年的选区，他们称新的选区划分将更多地黑人囊括到黑人数量已经占绝对优势的地区，造成部分区的黑人占到了70%以上的绝对多数，共和党对其他区的控制也因此稳如泰山，

　　Both sides have been opportunistic. Democrats are now railing against Alabama for using “rigid racial targets” in redistricting. Yet it was they who insisted that the state create the majority-black districts in 2001, to boost black voting power. Justice Antonin Scalia said to Richard Pildes, a lawyer for the appellants: “You're making the argument that the opponents of black plaintiffs used to make here.” Chief Justice John Roberts implied that it was unfair to ask Alabama to “hit a sweet spot” between too little racial gerrymandering and too much. Where to draw the line? (Which is, of course, the question.)

　　其实双方都在投机取巧，民主党现在对阿拉巴马运用死板的种族主义重划选区恶语相加，但2001年是他们举大力塑造黑人主导区域增强黑人选举权，法官安东宁·斯卡利亚对上诉人律师理查德说，你援引了过去受黑人控诉的被告的观点，大法官约翰罗伯特表明要求阿拉巴马在划分选区时踩准种族问题的平衡点本身不公平，划分界限在哪儿呢？（这当然是个问题）

　　Alabama, for its part, claims it is merely trying to comply with the Voting Rights Act, which has been interpreted to favour the creation of majority-minority districts wherever possible. As recently as last year, however, Alabama Republicans were challenging one part of the Voting Rights Act, in Shelby County v Holder¹⁵. (They succeeded.)

　　阿拉巴马则强调自己不过是在遵从选举权法案，即抓住机会塑造少数民族占主导的州，但就在去年，阿拉巴马的共和党就在Shelby County v Holder违反了这一规定（他们成功了）.

　　Today, no one doubts that Alabama Republicans' real aim is to draft an electoral map that favours their own party. That is, after all, what both parties invariably do when they get the chance. Justice Elena Kagan scoffed¹⁶: “Nobody would say that [the Voting Rights Act] required you to maintain a 78% [black] district.” Yet, as Justice Samuel Alito pointed¹⁷ out, gerrymandering based “purely on partisanship¹⁸ rather than on race” is perfectly¹⁹ legal. Whether it should be is another question.

　　如今，阿拉巴马共和党重划选区为自身牟利的目的昭然若揭，这是任何一党都不会放过的机会，检察长埃琳娜·卡根指责说，每人规定选举权法案要求一个周的黑人选民数量达到78%，但是正如法官塞缪尔所言，基于党派利益而非种族歧视划分选区是合法的，但是否合理又是另一个问题。

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

3 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

4 gut   

n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏

参考例句：

• It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
• My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。

5 specifies   

v.指定( specify的第三人称单数 )；详述；提出…的条件；使具有特性

参考例句：

• The third clause of the contract specifies steel sashes for the windows. 合同的第三款指定使用钢窗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The contract specifies red tiles, not slates, for the roof. 合同规定屋顶用红瓦，并非石板瓦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

9 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

10 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

11 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

12 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

13 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

14 solidifying   

（使）成为固体，（使）变硬，（使）变得坚固( solidify的现在分词 )； 使团结一致； 充实，巩固； 具体化

参考例句：

• The substances are formed from a mixture of liquids solidifying under pressure. 这些材料是由几种液体混合在一起并加压使之凝固而成的。
• Painting is an art solidifies time and space for solidifying. 绘画是凝固了的时间和空间的艺术。

15 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

16 scoffed   

嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scoffed at our amateurish attempts. 他对我们不在行的尝试嗤之以鼻。
• A hundred years ago people scoffed at the idea. 一百年前人们曾嘲笑过这种想法。

17 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

18 Partisanship   

n. 党派性, 党派偏见

参考例句：

• Her violent partisanship was fighting Soames's battle. 她的激烈偏袒等于替索米斯卖气力。
• There was a link of understanding between them, more important than affection or partisanship. ' 比起人间的感情，比起相同的政见，这一点都来得格外重要。 来自英汉文学

19 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。