2015考研英语阅读英文原刊《经济学人》：幸福婚姻在美国

　　That might make electoral sense. Since it is the young who are most relaxed about gaymarriage, standing in its path might cost the Republicans dear in the future. The notion ofdenying gays the spousal rights available to others makes little sense to a generation thatsees marriage at least as much as a union of soul-mates as a formal structure for child-rearing.

　　民主党此举对于自己的竞选来说大有裨益。现如今，年轻人对于同性婚姻最看的开，因此跟他们意见相悖对于共和党的前途很不利。有人认为，结婚是为了名正言顺的生儿育女，而婚姻之于年轻人来说主要是两个情投意合之人长相厮守， 至少，年轻人把两者看得同等重要，因此，其他人拥有结婚的权利，而同性伴侣却不能够，这种说法在年轻人这儿行不通。

　　To crusaders against gay marriage, however, the issue transcends electoral calculation. Theysay they are defending both God’s will and a vital child-centred institution that is alreadybeleaguered enough. In this election cycle, Michele Bachmann, the Minnesota congresswomanpursuing the Republican presidential nomination, has become a lightning-conductor on gayissues. In spite of having a gay stepsister, she has long put opposition to same-sex marriageat the centre of her politics. In 2004 she likened the gay lifestyle to “personal bondage,personal despair and personal enslavement”. The fact that her husband runs a clinic offering tocure gays of their supposed affliction has caused both indignation and merriment amongmetropolitan types.

　　然而，对于抵制同性婚姻的斗士来说，同性婚姻这个问题已经不是竞选能够丈量的了。他们称自己捍卫神的旨意，同时也在捍卫着“以孩子为中心”的重要社会习俗，而这一习俗已是受尽折磨，频临承受极限。米歇尔•巴赫曼是明尼苏达州国会女议员，她正奋力争取拿下共和党总统候选人资格，在这次选举周期里，她俨然成为了同性恋问题的一把“避雷针”。尽管自己的一个同父异母的姐姐就是同性恋，米歇尔一直以来还是把反对同性婚姻问题作为自己的核心政治立场。早在2004年，她就将同性恋生活方式与“人身依附”，“痛苦绝望”以及“个人奴役”画上了约等号。米歇尔的丈夫开了一家诊所，他们认定同性恋者饱受痛苦，于是为他们提供这方面的治疗，生活在大都市中的人们对于这一举动可谓是既愤慨又欢迎。

　　Attitudes like Mrs Bachmann’s may do her little harmwith the Republican base, but strike parts of thewider electorate as antiquated or downrightbigoted. That may be why Rudy Giuliani, the formermayor of New York who ran for the presidency in2008 and may yet do so again, has warned fellowRepublicans to “get the heck out of people’sbedrooms”. It could also explain why Rick Perry, thegovernor of Texas now pondering a presidential runof his own, says that he has no quarrel with NewYork’s new law. Pleading the tenth (states’ rights)amendment, he argues that New York’s stand on gay marriage is its own business.

　　在共和党内，巴赫曼所持的这类看法于她来说无伤大雅，但走出共和党阵营，她还要面对广泛选民，而在一部分人看来，她的观点过于守旧，或者说是无比顽固。这也就是为什么前纽约市市长朱利安尼提醒共和党人，不要瞎搀和人家家卧室里的私事。朱利安尼曾于2008年竞选总统，这次他可能还将参选。正考虑参选下届总统的德克萨斯州州长裴礼表示，自己对于纽约州承认同性婚姻没有什么意见，同样也是出于这个道理。裴礼搬出了《美国宪法第10修正案》(第10修正案保护各州的权利)，坚称纽约州对于同性婚姻持有什么立场完全是他们自己的事情。

　　In point of fact, neither Mr Giuliani nor Mr Perry favours gay marriage. Mr Giuliani says civilunions are good enough for gays. Mr Perry has not only been a vehement opponent of gaymarriage but also gone so far as to defend Texas’s anti-sodomy law, which the Supreme Courthas ruled to be unconstitutional. Such men have their beliefs, but they are also seasonedpoliticians. They can see which way the national mood is blowing.

　　事实上，朱利安尼和裴礼二人都不赞同同性婚姻。朱利安尼认为同性伴侣民事结合就足够了。而裴礼之前不仅强烈反对同性婚姻，甚至还捍卫德克萨斯州的《反鸡奸法》，而美国最高法院裁定《反鸡奸法》违宪。这些人有自己的主见，但是同时，他们又是颇为老练的政客。他们清楚民意所向。

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