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2013 年 07 月 03 日 (No. 638)

 
 
Politics

China-U.S. ties under strain, not imperiled by Snowden -- Reuters
中美關係緊繃 但未受史諾登危害(2013/06/25)

Kevin Rudd sworn in as new Australian prime minister -- BBC
陸克文就任澳洲新總理(2013/06/27)

Society

Indonesia apologizes for 'hazardous' pollution levels -- CNN
印尼為「危險」級污染提出道歉(2013/06/25)

12-year compulsory education law passed -- China Post
12義務教育法通過(2013/06/28)

Business
Fed officials downplay worries over end to QE3 -- Reuters
第三輪量化寬鬆政策退場引憂 聯準會官員滅火安撫(2013/06/25)

Taiwan cuts capital gains tax on shares sales, rid threshold -- Businessweek
台灣降低證券交易所得稅 取消課徵門檻(2013/06/26)

Science & Technology

First Apple computer could fetch $500000 or more -- Wall Street Journal
早期蘋果電腦可望賣得五十萬美元以上(2013/06/24)

NASA telescope to probe long-standing solar mystery -- Reuters
美國太空總署望遠鏡將探測長久以來的太陽之謎(2013/06/28)
Entertainment

Jim Carrey condemns violence in his own movie Kick-Ass 2 -- The Guardian
金凱瑞譴責自己電影《特攻聯盟 2》暴力成分(2013/06/25)

He will be back: 'Terminator' film franchise gets trilogy reboot -- Reuters
他會再回來的:《魔鬼終結者》系列電影將重拍三部曲(2013/06/28)
Sports

World number one Djokovic negotiates first round dangers -- CNN
【網球】世界第一喬柯維奇順利通過溫網首輪危機(2013/06/26)

Adams hopes selection will raise basketball profile in NZ -- Reuters
【籃球】亞當斯希望入選 NBA 能提高籃球在紐西蘭的知名度(2013/06/28)

 
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SCOTUS Hands Down Landmark Rulings Supporting Marriage Equality
 

美國最高法院宣布重大裁決 支持婚姻平等

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.
  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。
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.
  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。
The Defense of Marriage Act defined marriage as only between a man and a woman.
The vote Wednesday was 5-4.
  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。
"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.
He was supported by four more liberal colleagues.
  「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。
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.
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.
  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。
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.
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.
So, Windsor sued the federal government.
  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。
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.
The ruling clears the way for same-sex marriages in California to resume.
  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。
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landmark n. 重大事件;里程碑

ruling n. 裁決;裁定

hail as v. 讚譽……為

The press hailed the firefighter as a hero for rescuing several people from the burning building.
媒體讚譽那名消防員為英雄,因為他從失火大樓中救出了好幾個人。

divided adj. 分離的;分裂的

The class was divided on who it would send to the math competition.
班上對於要派誰參加數學競賽意見分歧。

heterosexual adj. 異性的

The church conducts marriage ceremonies for both gay and heterosexual couples.
那座教堂會替同性與異性伴侶舉行結婚典禮。

pension n. 退休金;養老金

guarantee n. 保證;擔保

clause n. 條款;款

plaintiff n. 起訴人;原告

assume v. 承擔

Brian assumed the large tax bill for property he inherited from his uncle.
布萊恩繼承了叔叔的財產,扛下大筆稅款。

dismiss v. 【律】駁回;不受理

The judge dismissed the case.
法官駁回了這個案子。

jurisdictional adj. 司法權的;裁判權的

The court has no jurisdictional authority over actions that took place in another state.
法院對在其他州發生的行為沒有司法權。

ballot n. 選票;投票

sanction v. 贊許;支持;鼓勵

The country's athletic association sanctions all major sports competitions.
該國的體育協會支持所有大型體育競賽。

measure n. 議案

wedlock n. 婚姻;婚姻生活

on... grounds 基於……的理由

ground 在此指「理由;根據」,on the ground of / on... grounds 是「基於……的理由」的意思,注意是用複數 grounds
The dog owner was fined on the grounds that his animal was not on a leash when it attacked another dog in the park.
那名狗主人遭罰款,因為他的動物在公園攻擊其他的狗時沒有繫牽繩。

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