加州同性婚姻诉讼案昨日开庭

时间：2010-01-16 02:53:16

（单词翻译:单击）

Two Californian men challenging a ban on same-sex marriage on Monday said they had been a couple for nine years and felt like third-class citizens, leading them to launch the federal case which could set a national precedent1.

美国加州一对同性恋男子就一项禁止同性婚姻的法案提起的诉讼案于本周一开庭，这项联邦诉讼有望开创全美先例。这对同性恋人称，他们在一起的九年里，一直觉得自己被视为“三等公民”。

Same-sex couples Paul Katami (L), Jeff Zarillo (2nd L), and Kris Perry (2nd R) and Sandy Stier pose for photographs before the start of their trial in San Francisco, California January 11, 2010. Californiasupreme2="" us="" way="" all="" take="" hope="" plaintiffs="" that="" case="" federal="" a="" in="" monday="" trial="" goes="" marriage="" gay="" ban="" src="http://www.enread.com/upimg/100116/4_030237_1.jpg" />
Same-sex couples Paul Katami (L), Jeff Zarillo (2nd L), and Kris Perry (2nd R) and Sandy Stier pose for photographs before the start of their trial in San Francisco, California January 11, 2010. California's ban on gay marriage goes to trial on Monday in a federal case that plaintiffs hope to take all the way to the US Supreme Court and overturn bans throughout the nation.

The men and a lesbian couple unable to marry in California hope to take their case against the state's Proposition命题，提议 8 ban on same-sex marriage all the way to the US Supreme Court and to overturn bans throughout the nation.

A loss in the top court, two ranks above the action in the case which began on Monday, would seriously undermine efforts to win gay marriage rights in state courts.

The United States is divided on same-sex marriage. It is legal in only five states, though most of those, and the District of Columbia, approved it last year.

Approval of Prop3 8 in November 2008 was a sweet victory for social conservatives in a state with a liberal, trend-setting reputation, and maintained the steady success they have scored on the issue at the ballot4 box. Where it is legal, gay marriage has been championed by courts and legislatures, not voters.

"I don't think of myself as a bad person," said Paul Katami, describing the persecution5 he felt from a media campaign warning California parents to 'protect' their children by voting against same-sex unions in the 2008 poll.

He and his would-be husband, Jeffrey Zarrillo, described slights in gay life that ranged from being pelted6 with rocks and eggs in college to the awkwardness笨拙，尴尬 of checking into a hotel and not being able to clarify the relationship.

"Being able to call him my husband is so definitive," Katami said. "There is no subtlety微妙，敏锐 to it. It is absolute."

Gays and lesbians have nearly equal rights under domestic partnership8 laws, but the two men said that left them feeling second- or third-class citizens and they wanted to be married to have kids.

"We hear a lot of 'What's the big deal?'. The big deal is it is creating a separate category for us," Katami said.

Gay rights lawyers in the case describe their battle as a continuation of the fight against racist9 laws stopping whites and blacks from marrying. Marriage is a fundamental Constitutional right, and in addition gays and lesbians deserve special protection from discrimination, they say.


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1 precedent sSlz6     
n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的
参考例句：
  • Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
  • This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。
2 supreme PHqzc     
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。
3 prop qR2xi     
vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山
参考例句：
  • A worker put a prop against the wall of the tunnel to keep it from falling.一名工人用东西支撑住隧道壁好使它不会倒塌。
  • The government does not intend to prop up declining industries.政府无意扶持不景气的企业。
4 ballot jujzB     
n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票
参考例句：
  • The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
  • The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。
5 persecution PAnyA     
n. 迫害,烦扰
参考例句：
  • He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
  • Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。
6 pelted 06668f3db8b57fcc7cffd5559df5ec21     
（连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮
参考例句：
  • The children pelted him with snowballs. 孩子们向他投掷雪球。
  • The rain pelted down. 天下着大雨。
7 subtlety Rsswm     
n.微妙，敏锐，精巧；微妙之处，细微的区别
参考例句：
  • He has shown enormous strength,great intelligence and great subtlety.他表现出充沛的精力、极大的智慧和高度的灵活性。
  • The subtlety of his remarks was unnoticed by most of his audience.大多数听众都没有觉察到他讲话的微妙之处。
8 partnership NmfzPy     
n.合作关系，伙伴关系
参考例句：
  • The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
  • Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。
9 racist GSRxZ     
n.种族主义者，种族主义分子
参考例句：
  • a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
  • His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

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