VOA慢速英语 2008 0524

IN THE NEWS - California Ruling Opens New Front in Fight Over Same-Sex Marriage
A ban is overturned in the nation's largest state. Also, in another civil rights case, a federal court rules that America's paper money discriminates¹ against the blind. Transcript² of radio broadcast:
23 May 2008

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

Two recent court rulings in the United States could have national effects on civil rights issues.
　

Same-sex partners Stuart Gaffney, left, and John Lewis, second from left, celebrate the California Supreme3 Court's decision in their case in front of San Francisco's court house

Last week the California Supreme Court rejected that state’s ban on same-sex marriage. A four-to-three majority ruled that same-sex couples have a right to marry under the California Constitution.

Couples from anywhere in the country could get married in the nation's largest state as early as the middle of June. In most cases, however, their marriage would not be recognized back home. The only state where homosexuals can now marry is Massachusetts, and they have to be living there.

Californians will likely vote in November on a proposal to amend⁴ their constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Conservative groups want the court to delay its decision until after the elections.

Douglas Kmiec is a constitutional law professor at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. He predicts that courts in other states will now be faced with similar questions. The issue could end up before the United States Supreme Court.

It could also enter into the presidential campaign. The major candidates -- Democrats⁵ Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain -- are all against same-sex marriage. But senators Obama and Clinton support civil unions.

Same-sex marriage is legal in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, South Africa and Spain.
　

Mitch Pomerantz, president of the American Council of the Blind, shows the similarity between four different kinds of American bills

The second ruling came this week from a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. It found that America's paper money discriminates against blind people. Bills of different dollar amounts all have the same size and feel, so there is no way to tell them apart by touch.

A panel of three judges voted two-to-one that the government must do something to change its bills. The court agreed with a lower court judge who ruled in two thousand six that redesigning paper money would not be too costly⁶.

The government says it would be. Millions of machines that accept bills would also have to change.

Yet that lower court judge said the United States was the only country to print bills all the same size and color.

More than one million Americans are blind. Millions more have limited vision.

The American Council of the Blind brought the case in two thousand two to seek bills of different sizes or with raised marks.

Many blind people welcomed this week's ruling, but not all. The National Federation⁷ of the Blind says it could strengthen misbeliefs about blind people being helpless. It says there are greater needs, like more Braille education and job training.

The government could now ask for a hearing by the full thirteen-member court, which includes a blind judge. Or it could appeal to the Supreme Court.

The Treasury⁸ Department says it is exploring ways to help people who are blind or have limited vision. A five-dollar bill released earlier this year has an extra large numeral five on it.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. I’m Steve Ember.

1 discriminates   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的第三人称单数 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• The new law discriminates against lower-paid workers. 这条新法律歧视低工资的工人。
• One test governs state legislation that discriminates against interstate commerce. 一个检验约束歧视州际商业的州立法。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 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。

4 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

5 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》

6 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

7 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

8 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。