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The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a pair of landmark decisions last Wednesday that are being hailed as major victories for supporters of marriage equality. |
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美國最高法院在上週三發布了兩項重大決定,被人稱為婚姻平等支持者的重大勝利。 |
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In a dramatic check to congressional authority, a divided Supreme Court has struck down a key part of a law that denies to legally married same-sex couples the same federal benefits provided to heterosexual spouses. |
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在一項限縮國會權力的戲劇性決議裡,意見分歧的最高法院撤銷了一條法律中的一個關鍵段落,該法律規定合法同性夫妻不得享有與異性夫妻相同的聯邦福利。 |
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The Defense of Marriage Act defined marriage as only between a man and a woman. |
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The vote Wednesday was 5-4. |
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在《捍衛婚姻法案》的定義裡,只有一男一女的結合才算是婚姻。週三的投票結果為五比四。 |
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"Although Congress has great authority to design laws to fit its own conception of sound national policy, it cannot deny the liberty protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment," said Justice Anthony Kennedy. |
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He was supported by four more liberal colleagues. |
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「儘管國會有極大的權力,能夠根據其本身對於良好國家政策的認知而訂定法律,卻不能否決憲法第五修正案正當程序條款所保護的自由權,」大法官安東尼.甘迺迪指出。他獲得另外四名偏向自由主義立場的同僚支持。 |
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The case examined whether the federal government can deny tax, health and pension benefits to same-sex couples in states where they can legally marry. |
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At issue was whether DOMA violates equal protection guarantees in the Fifth Amendment's due process clause as applied to same-sex couples legally married under the laws of their states. |
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這件案子檢視了這個問題:在同性伴侶能夠合法結婚的州裡,聯邦政府是否能夠拒絕提供他們稅務、健保與退休金福利。爭執重點是:就根據州立法律合法結婚的同性伴侶而言,《捍衛婚姻法案》是否違反了憲法第五修正案的正當程序條款當中所保證的平等保護原則。 |
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The key plaintiff is Edith "Edie" Windsor, 84, who married fellow New York resident Thea Spyer in Canada in 2007, about 40 years into their relationship. |
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When Spyer died in 2009, the federal government didn't recognize Windsor's same-sex marriage, and she was forced to assume an estate tax bill much larger than those that other married couples would have to pay. |
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So, Windsor sued the federal government. |
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關鍵原告是八十四歲的伊迪絲.「伊迪」.溫莎,她在二00七年於加拿大與同為紐約居民的蒂雅.史拜爾結婚,兩人伴侶關係已達四十年。史拜爾在二00九年去世之後,聯邦政府不承認溫莎的同性婚姻,以致她被迫繳納的房地產遺產稅遠高於其他夫妻所必須繳的金額。於是溫莎對聯邦政府提起訴訟。 |
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In a separate case Wednesday, the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal over same-sex marriage on jurisdictional grounds, ruling private parties do not have "standing" to defend California's voter-approved ballot measure barring gay and lesbian couples from state-sanctioned wedlock, known as Proposition 8. |
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The ruling clears the way for same-sex marriages in California to resume. |
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在週三的另一件案子裡,最高法院以管轄權範圍為由,駁回一項針對同性婚姻提出的上訴案,裁決個別人士不符「資格」來為加州選民公投通過的議案提出辯護──該議案即所謂的「八號提案」,禁止同性伴侶享有州政府認證的婚姻。這項裁決為加州恢復同性婚姻打開了大門。 |