VOA标准英语2010年-Gay US Service Members Press for Repea

A recent study estimates 66,000 homosexuals currently serve -- about two percent of the total in uniform. In 2002, David Hall was an Air Force sergeant¹ studying to be an officer, pursuing his dream of becoming a military pilot. But once his sexual status was revealed his aspirations² ended.

Earlier this year, President Barack Obama called on Congress to repeal³ the U.S. military's policy of expelling openly gay service members. Since then, some of the nation's top military officials and commanders have voiced support for changing the policy pending⁴ a thorough review process. In the first of a two-part report,  VOA examines the issue from the perspective of those who have served in the armed forces.

In 2002, David Hall was an Air Force sergeant studying to be an officer, pursuing his dream of becoming a military pilot. But he had a closely-guarded secret. Hall is gay. He recalls the day his career ended, the day he received a summons from his commander.

"Unfortunately we are going to have to disenroll [expel] you from the Air Force [officers program] due to homosexual conduct'. I was ranked number one in my class. I had just received my pilot slot a few months before that. And that ended it, just like that. What one person said [about me] ended my career, my dream of flying planes," he said.

More than 13,000 gay and lesbian service members have been discharged from the U.S. armed forces since 1993. That was the year President Bill Clinton signed a bill revising the military's outright⁵ ban on homosexuals.

The law, called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", stipulates⁶ that gays and lesbians can serve, but only if their sexual orientation⁷ is secret. Any admission -- or substantiated⁸ accusation⁹ by someone else -- can lead to discharge.

Retired¹⁰ Navy Captain Joan Darrah, a lesbian, describes the constant fear of exposure she endured during 29 years in the military. "I went to work each day literally¹¹ wondering if that would be the last day of my career," she stated. "A simple comment -- like 'my partner and I went to the movies this weekend' -- could have been the end of my career."

Gay service members must hide their partners. 

Unlike their heterosexual peers, gay and lesbian soldiers go to war without a parting embrace from a loved one, and return from deployments pretending there is no one to publicly welcome them home. While on duty, they dare not display a picture of a partner.

The military stresses personal integrity and honor, yet compels gay personnel to shield the truth. When allegations of homosexuality surfaced against Coast Guard Academy cadet Bronwen Tomb, her superiors pressured her to sign an affidavit¹² denying a same-sex attraction. "I was not willing to lie," she said. "So, I did not sign it, and two months later I was out of the Coast Guard."

President Barack Obama's call to repeal "Don't Ask Don't tell" has been welcomed by gay service members who want to serve openly.

Polls conducted over the last year show a clear majority of Americans favor ending the ban. A new survey of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan finds 73 percent saying it would be "acceptable" for gay people to serve openly. Earlier polls showed greater resistance. 

Opponents of repeal argue that the presence of self-avowed homosexuals will create friction¹³, destroy morale¹⁴, and reduce military effectiveness.

"We force these young men and women to live in very close, intimate situations. Many of them say, 'look, if you are going to have someone of the same sex living in close quarters with me, who is attracted to the same sex, I feel uncomfortable about it," Lieutenant¹⁵ Colonel Robert Maginnis (retired Army) said. "That is going to bother me.'"

Others say simply that homosexuality is incompatible¹⁶ with military service. "You cannot have a thief aboard. You cannot have a drug pusher or drug user. And we found out you cannot have a homosexual," Retired Admiral James Lyons, former commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet said.

A recent study estimates 66,000 homosexuals currently serve -- about two percent of the total in uniform.
 

1 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

2 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

3 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

4 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

5 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

6 stipulates   

n.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的名词复数 )；规定，明确要求v.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的第三人称单数 )；规定，明确要求

参考例句：

• The trade contract stipulates for the settlement of balances in RMB. 贸易合同规定余额以人民币结算。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The contract stipulates for the use of seasoned timber. 合同上订明用干透的木料。 来自辞典例句

7 orientation   

n.方向，目标；熟悉，适应，情况介绍

参考例句：

• Children need some orientation when they go to school.小孩子上学时需要适应。
• The traveller found his orientation with the aid of a good map.旅行者借助一幅好地图得知自己的方向。

8 substantiated   

v.用事实支持（某主张、说法等），证明，证实( substantiate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The results of the tests substantiated his claims. 这些检验的结果证实了他的说法。
• The statement has never been substantiated. 这一陈述从未得到证实。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

10 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

11 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

12 affidavit   

n.宣誓书

参考例句：

• I gave an affidavit to the judge about the accident I witnessed.我向法官提交了一份关于我目击的事故的证词。
• The affidavit was formally read to the court.书面证词正式向出席法庭的人宣读了。

13 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

14 morale   

n.道德准则，士气，斗志

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is sinking lower every day.敌军的士气日益低落。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

15 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

16 incompatible   

adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的

参考例句：

• His plan is incompatible with my intent.他的计划与我的意图不相符。
• Speed and safety are not necessarily incompatible.速度和安全未必不相容。