VOA慢速英语2013 AS IT IS 2013-06-30 U.S. Offers Benefits to Married Gay Couples

 

AS IT IS 2013-06-30 U.S. Offers Benefits to Married Gay Couples

 

Hi again. Nice to have you with us on As It Is, from VOA Learning English. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

If you were in front of the United States Supreme¹ Court building in Washington, DC, this week, you would have heard this:

“USA, USA!”

Those shouts were from people who support gay marriage. They were reacting to the court’s decision to permit same-sex married couples to receive federal tax, health and retirement² benefits. In other words, the federal government will treat homosexual marriage the same as heterosexual marriage.

Five of the nine justices supported the decision. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion. He said the U.S. Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law.

However, the Supreme Court did not say every state must permit same-sex marriage. Currently, same-sex marriage is legal in 13 states and Washington, DC.

Among opponents of the decision is the Reverend Rob Schenck. He represents an organization of Christians³.  

“One thing true about today’s court decisions on marriage, they do not change the biblical or timeless truth of the nature of marriage as between a man and a woman.”

Other opponents of same-sex marriage promised they would fight the ruling. Congressman⁴ Tim Huelskamp is a Republican from Kansas.

“The court has taken it upon itself the attempt, a radical⁵ attempt, to redefine marriage. With    this decision the courts have allowed the desires of adults to trump⁶ the needs of children. Every child deserves a mommy and a daddy.”

President Barack Obama welcomed the court’s decision on same-sex marriage. He learned about the decision while flying to Africa.

Mr. Obama called Edie Windsor from his plane, Air Force One. Ms. Windsor brought the case to the Supreme Court. She was married to a woman named Thea Spyer. The state of New York recognized their marriage. But, when Ms. Spyer died, the federal government said Ms. Windsor had to pay taxes on her wife’s property. Heterosexual spouses⁷ do not have to pay taxes when one of them dies.

The president congratulated Ms. Windsor, who is 84-years-old, on her victory. According to a spokesperson for the White House, Mr. Obama told Ms. Windsor he was happy that loving, committed couples could enjoy full equality under the law. 

Ms. Windsor said this to reporters in New York City:

“To all of the gay people and their supporters who have cheered me on, thank you, thank, you thank you! Okay, I am sure Thea is thanking you too.”

David Boies is a lawyer who argued another gay rights case before the Supreme Court. The justices said they did not have the right to rule in that case, for technical reasons.

The case involved a ban against same-sex marriages in the state of California. The justices' decision means that same-sex couples may once again be legally married in California. Lawyer David Boies said he believes same-sex marriages will soon be legal across the country.

“The United States Supreme Court held that there was no purpose for depriving gay and lesbian couples of the right to marry the person they love. There was no legitimate⁸ justification⁹ for that.”

The leader of the U.S. House of Representatives was one of those disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision. House Speaker John Boehner said the country will continue to discuss the issue of same sex marriage.

This week Americans will celebrate their Independence Day. The holiday, known as the Fourth of July, remembers the day the Continental¹⁰ Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence from Britain in 1776. Five years later, in 1781, the British army surrendered to American and French forces.

Most Americans learn about the Revolutionary War in school. But author Andrew O’Shaughnessy says many people do not have a complete picture of the conflict. He has published a new book that tells about the British leaders of the war. Steve Ember reports on Professor O’Shaughnessy’s book, “The Men Who Lost America.”

In 2000, an American movie called “The Patriot” told a story about the Revolutionary War. The movie starred Mel Gibson. Professor Andrew O’Shaughnessy says “The Patriot” and other movies show the British war leaders as aristocratic and foolish.

“Lord Cornwallis is presented always in immaculate scarlet¹¹ uniform back at headquarters more worried about his dogs than winning the war.”

But Mr. O’Shaughnessy, who is British, says the British soldiers and politicians were not bad leaders. Instead, he says they were, in his words, “men of substance.”

And, he says Britain had an opportunity to win the war in 1776—the same year the American Declaration of Independence was signed. Britain had a strong army. But, Mr. O’Shaughnessy says while Britain’s army could win battles, they could not keep power over the people.

“One of the British generals, Henry Clinton, actually used the phrase ‘winning hearts and minds.’”

Mr. O’Shaughnessy says the British leaders believed the American colonists¹² supported them. So, they were surprised when Americans took their supplies, or when local militias¹³ fought them.

Mr. O’Shaughnessy says he is not trying to comment on current wars in his book. But, he says he sees a connection.

“It’s very, very difficult both today in Afghanistan and for the British in America in the 1770s, it’s very difficult to fully¹⁴ gauge¹⁵ where opinion lies.”

Mr. O’Shaughnessy says American soldiers in the Revolutionary War made mistakes, too. But in the end, he says the American patriots¹⁶ were fighting under better conditions.

And, he adds that it is not fair to American generals like George Washington to say they won the war just because the British were not good leaders. General Washington, he says, had to fight a military and a political war, and he won both.

I’m Steve Ember.

And I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

 

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 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

3 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

4 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

5 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

6 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

7 spouses   

n.配偶，夫或妻( spouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Jobs are available for spouses on campus and in the community. 校园里和社区里有配偶可做的工作。 来自辞典例句
• An astonishing number of spouses-most particularly in the upper-income brackets-have no close notion of their husbands'paychecks. 相当大一部分妇女——特别在高收入阶层——并不很了解他们丈夫的薪金。 来自辞典例句

8 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

9 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

10 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

11 scarlet   

n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的

参考例句：

• The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
• The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

12 colonists   

n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

14 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

15 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

16 patriots   

爱国者，爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Abraham Lincoln was a fine type of the American patriots. 亚伯拉罕·林肯是美国爱国者的优秀典型。
• These patriots would fight to death before they surrendered. 这些爱国者宁愿战斗到死，也不愿投降。