2006年VOA标准英语-South African Assembly Legalizes Same-Sex Marri

By Scott Bobb
Johannesburg
14 November 2006
 
In South Africa, the National Assembly has passed a law legalizing same sex unions. The first such law in Africa, it sparked heated debate for months. 

Participants take part in Johannesburg's 17th Gay Pride parade, Sept. 30, 2006   
  
The South African parliament Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a law allowing same-sex unions.

The deputy chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Peggy Hollander, announced the vote.

"The voting session is now closed and the result of the division is as follows: the ayes 230, the nos 41 and abstentions three."

The law, known as the Civil Union Act, was condemned¹ by religious groups and traditional leaders and criticized by gay rights groups as insufficient².

It passed because the ruling African National Congress instructed its delegates to vote for it without exception.

A researcher at Johannesburg's Center for Applied³ Legal Studies, Beth Goldblatt, says nevertheless the law represents an important step for civil rights in South Africa.

"I am pleased that there is finally legislation which permits same-sex couples to marry, but I have some concerns that this legislation is inadequate⁴, poorly drafted and not quite what would have been the ideal solution," she said.

South Africa's Constitutional Court one year ago decided⁵ that the existing marriage law was unconstitutional because it discriminated⁶ against same-sex couples. It ordered the government to provide new marriage legislation by December 1.

Goldblatt says the simplest solution would have been to amend⁷ the marriage act to allow same-sex marriages. But she says the parliament has created a new institution.

She says the legislation provides the same protections as the marriage law, but that it is a separate, parallel law.

"So although there is no actual difference in the consequences of the law it still seems to be saying that if you are a same-sex couple you cannot use the marriage act that is provided for heterosexual couples and that seems to offend the same-sex couples' dignity," she said.

 
Women greet one another at a Gay Pride March in Soweto, Sept. 23, 2006 
  
As a result, Goldblatt predicts that gay rights groups will challenge the constitutionality of the Civil Union Act.

The new law also includes a provision that allows marriage officials to refuse to carry out the ceremony on religious or personal grounds.

Gay rights activists⁸ say this measure discriminates⁹ against them and is therefore unconstitutional.

Religious groups and traditional leaders have proposed amending¹⁰ the South African constitution to forbid same-sex marriages.

But many believe this will be difficult to carry out because of widespread support for individual freedoms in a country where the memories of the apartheid era are still fresh.

1 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

2 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

3 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

4 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 discriminated   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的过去式和过去分词 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• His great size discriminated him from his followers. 他的宽广身材使他不同于他的部下。
• Should be a person that has second liver virus discriminated against? 一个患有乙肝病毒的人是不是就应该被人歧视？

7 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。

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 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

10 amending   

改良，修改，修订( amend的现在分词 )； 改良，修改，修订( amend的第三人称单数 )( amends的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Amending acts in 1933,1934, and 1935 attempted to help honest debtors rehabilitate themselves. 一九三三年，一九三四年和一九三五年通过的修正案是为了帮助诚实的债务人恢复自己的地位。
• Two ways were used about the error-amending of contour curve. 采用两种方法对凸轮轮廓曲线进行了修正。