VOA标准英语2012--Americans React to Obama's Same-Sex Marriage Stance

Americans React to Obama's Same-Sex Marriage Stance 

On the streets of Washington, passersby¹ voiced strong opinions about America’s first-ever presidential endorsement² of marriage rights for gays and lesbians.

“I support marriage equality, so I was very happy. It should be a universal right that you can love whoever you want to love and get the same benefits as somebody else, regardless of your genitalia,” said web designer Kate Brown:

By contrast, Washington resident Rupert Moreno says he has many gay friends, but does not support their right to marry. “I think that is an aberration³. If you go that route, then the next step will be people doing polygamy. How about that? Why not also allow marriage between one man and a few women? Three? How do you like that? Or four or five?," he said.

Advocacy groups weighed in quickly. The socially-conservative Family Research Council called President Obama’s announcement “disappointing but not surprising,” and predicted that same-sex marriage will be “a major issue" in this year's presidential election.

Gay rights groups applauded Obama.

“It is a tremendous day. The president coming out and pledging his full support for marriage equality really shows a great amount of leadership,” said Michael Cole-Schwartz of the Human Rights Campaign

He says he was elated when he heard the news. “I think there is something tremendously powerful when the leader of, not just our country, but the leader of the free world goes on television and says, ‘I value all families’. I think gay and lesbian families need the same protections. And I think about the gay kid growing up somewhere in this country who has heard his president say he can have that dream that everyone else shares of one day growing up and getting married. I think it sends a tremendously positive signal,” Cole-Schwartz said.

Recent public opinion surveys show a slight majority of Americans favor same-sex marriage. Only a few years ago, public opinion was decidedly opposed. 

1 passersby   

n. 过路人(行人,经过者)

参考例句：

• He had terrorized Oxford Street,where passersby had seen only his footprints. 他曾使牛津街笼罩了一片恐怖气氛，因为那儿的行人只能看到他的脚印，看不到他的人。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• A person is marceling on a street, watching passersby passing. 街边烫发者打量着匆匆行人。

2 endorsement   

n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注

参考例句：

• We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。
• His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。

3 aberration   

n.离开正路，脱离常规，色差

参考例句：

• The removal of the chromatic aberration is then of primary importance.这时消除色差具有头等重要性。
• Owing to a strange mental aberration he forgot his own name.由于一种莫名的精神错乱，他把自己的名字忘了。