写在前面
5月2日,美国政治新闻网站Politico抛出重磅炸弹:一份泄露出来的美国最高法院多数意见草案显示,美国最高法院试图推翻「罗诉韦德案」(Roe v. Wade),取缔对女性堕胎权的宪法保障,交由各州的法律自行决定。
「罗诉韦德案」指什么?跟同学们简单介绍一下背景:
1973年的「罗诉韦德案」是美国里程碑式案件。在罗诉韦德案之前,美国的堕胎权由各个州规定。在南方的保守州,妇女往往不享有这样的权利,除非是一些特殊情况,比如强奸或乱伦造成的怀孕、胎儿对母亲生命造成威胁等。
1969年,美国得克萨斯州女服务生Norma McCorvey(法定化名Jane Roe)意外怀孕想堕胎,然而得州的法律是不允许堕胎的。因此,两位律师为Roe起诉了地区检察官Henry Wade。
这个案子最终打到了最高法院。1973年,最高法院的9名大法官以7比2的票数作出裁决:妇女应该享有决定是否堕胎的权利。这个裁决从联邦的层面赋予了女性堕胎的权利,对各州的权力做了限制,标志着堕胎权在美国的合法化。
然而,保守派大法官Samuel Alito在最近泄露出来的这份意见稿中称,1973年的罗诉韦德案「从一开始就大错特错」(egregiously wrong),应该被推翻。
这份意见书正在被评审,如果下个月真的最终被投票通过,那么将意味着美国将推翻宪法保障的妇女堕胎权利。
虽然最高法院在3日回应称该草案不代表最终判决,但是泄露出的内容在美国已经引起轩然大波。
《经济学人》5月3日的一篇报道分析了罗诉韦德案被推翻后的影响,我们一起来读一读。
学习要点
外刊原文
选段一:
For women in conservative states, the effects will be dreadful. Restrictions designed to make it hard for abortion clinics to operate already mean many women have to travel across state lines to terminate a pregnancy. That number will grow. It is difficult to predict by how much because new clinics could open near the borders of states that ban abortion, and no one knows how many women will access abortion medication—which enables women to have abortions at home, without the involvement of clinics or doctors. Although at least 22 states have introduced bills restricting the use of medication abortion and, if Roe is overturned more will doubtless follow, it is hard to enforce such laws. Abortion-rights groups are working to inform women that such medication is available, even when it is illegal, and that it is safe and effective.
选段二:
Poorer women will bear the brunt of all this. Federal funds cannot be used for abortion. Planned Parenthood, the biggest provider of abortions in America, says that 75% of patients are on low incomes. Some obstetricians worry that ditching Roe could push up America’s maternal- and infant-mortality rates. Little wonder that within hours of the leak, Women’s March, which in 2017 organised the biggest political protest in American history, had called for supporters to show up in court houses and town halls across America.
外刊精读
①For women in conservative states, the effects will be dreadful.
对于保守州女性而言,影响将极为严重。
conservative [kən'sɝvətɪv] 为形容词,指「保守的,守旧的」(not liking changes or new ideas)。
But the rural “high schools” were often dreadful, opened rapidly to meet official targets and staffed by teachers with little interest in teaching.
但农村的“高中”往往条件糟糕,只是为了完成官方目标而草草开设,配备的教师对教学也兴趣寥寥。
The food is dreadful here.
The service was dreadful. The lobster was inedible.
dread [dred] 作动词,指「非常害怕,极为担心」,相当于be very afraid of sth。 惯用搭配为:dread doing sth 害怕做某事 dread sb doing sth 害怕某人做某事。比如:I dread being sick. 我特别害怕生病。
dread 还可作名词,指「恐惧,令人恐惧的事物」(Dread is a feeling of great anxiety and fear about something that may happen)。
《华盛顿邮报》曾报道中国青年害怕过年这一现象,当中有一句话:
For ‘leftover’ single women in China, Lunar New Year brings dread of facing their families.
对于“剩女”来说,春节让她们害怕面对家人。
关于dread还有一个高频表达:live in dread of (doing) sth 指「终日担心…」。
我们来造个句子:中国的父母终日担心自己的孩子在学习上落后于人。
Chinese parents live in dread of their kids falling behind educationally.
形容词dreaded 则表示「令人可怕的」(causing fear)。《经济学人》就曾用dreaded来形容高考。
②Restrictions designed to make it hard for abortion clinics to operate already mean many women have to travel across state lines to terminate a pregnancy. ③That number will grow.
州内本就设置了层层限制措施,堕胎诊所难以维系,众多女性只能通过跨州终止妊娠。罗伊诉韦德案被推翻,跨州堕胎群体还会进一步扩大。
✍🏻 语篇分析:②句解释①句,指出保守州女性受影响严重的原因:保守州的限制下,堕胎诊所难以维系,导致众多女性只能跨州堕胎。
②句比较长,我们来简单拆分一下结构:
Restrictions [designed to make it hard for abortion clinics to operate already]// mean // many women have to travel across state lines to terminate a pregnancy.
restrictions为主语,mean为谓语,后面是that引导的宾语从句,省略了连接词that。
restriction [rɪˈstrɪkʃən] 为可数名词,指「限制,规定,约束」(a rule or law that limits or controls what people can do)。
惯用搭配有:
impose / place restrictions on sth 指「对…施加限制」。
lift / remove a restriction 指「取消限制」。
ease / relax a restriction 指「放宽限制」。
design [dɪ'zaɪn] 为动词,这里指「计划,设计」(to plan or develop something for a specific purpose)。
短语 be designed to do sth / be designed for sth 常用于表示「目的是…,旨在…」。
这个词常用于名词之后,充当后置定语,解释其作用。
文中designed to make it hard for abortion clinics to operate already 便是一个过去分词短语,作restrictions的后置定语,用于引出restrictions的用处。
再举个例子,《经济学人》一篇关于东京奥运会的文章曾这样写道:
There is irony in having to ditch an event designed to boost morale and bring people together at a time when the world has never needed it more.
具有讽刺意味的是,这个世界在最需要鼓舞斗志、团结一致的时候,却不得不放弃一项为此而举行的活动。
abortion [ə'bɔrʃən] 为名词,指「人工流产,堕胎」。举个例子:She decided to have / get an abortion. 她决定接受人工流产。
abort [əˈbɔːt] 为动词,指「使流产,堕胎」,比如: to abort a child / pregnancy / foetus 使婴儿流产 / 终止妊娠 / 堕胎。
abort 还可引申为抽象意义上的「使…夭折,使….中止」(to stop an activity because it would be difficult or dangerous to continue it)。比如:The rescue mission had to be aborted. 救援任务不得不停止。
operate [ˈɒpəreɪ] 为动词,指企业、机构「运营,营业」,写作sth operates。
operate也可表示人「经营,管理」企业、机构,写作sb operates sth。
比如:Illegal drinking clubs continue to operate in the city. 非法饮酒俱乐部继续在城内营业。
《纽约时报》一篇关于马斯克收购Twitter的文章也用到这个词:
Like all foreign investors in China, he operates Tesla at the pleasure of the Chinese authorities.
就像所有在中国的外国投资者一样,他对特斯拉的经营也要听从中国当局的安排。
terminate [ˈtɜːməneɪt] 为动词,指「使结束,使终止」(if something terminates, or if you terminate it, it ends),比end 更加正式。
terminate a pregnancy 便表示「终止妊娠」。
再举两个常见的例子:
terminate sb’s employment 终止雇佣关系
terminate a relationship 终止一段关系
But I have no other choice but to terminate an employer.
pregnancy ['prɛgnənsi] 作可数名词,指「怀孕,妊娠,孕期」。形容词为pregnant。
terminate a pregnancy 这个词与abortion相比,terminate a pregnacy 这个词更加中立一些。
④It is difficult to predict by how much because new clinics could open near the borders of states that ban abortion, and no one knows how many women will access abortion medication—which enables women to have abortions at home, without the involvement of clinics or doctors.
由于新诊所可能会在禁堕胎州边界附近开设,因此很难推测具体增长量。同时也没人知道会有多少妇女拿到堕胎药,在没有诊所或医生的参与协助下,在家自行终止妊娠。
access [ˈækses] 作动词,指「到达,进入,使用」(to reach, enter or use sth),access sth 就是「获得 / 进入…」,可与have access to sth同义替换。文中 access abortion medication 即「获得堕胎药」。
再拿上海疫情举个例子:Under lockdown, many patients in Shanghai cannot access basic care and treatment. 封控期间,很多上海的病人无法获得基本的护理和治疗。
accessible [əkˈsesəbəl] 为形容词,指「易得到的;易使用的」(to easy to obtain or use)。举个例子:Computers should be made readily accessible to teachers and pupils. 应当让老师和学生可以随时使用电脑。 [写作推荐]
medication [ˌmedɪˈkeɪʃən] 指「药物,药剂」(medicine or drugs given to people who are ill),既可作可数名词,也可作不可数名词。
惯用搭配为:be on medication for sth ,比如:
He is on medication for high blood pressure.他正在服用治疗高血压的药。
enable sb to do sth 指「让某人能够做某事」。这个短语常用来说明科技发展、经济发展的用处。
比如《经济学人》一篇关于远程医疗的文章有这样一句话:
The internet already enables patients to seek online consultations when and where it suits them.
有了互联网,患者已经能在自己方便的时间和地点在线问诊。
《经济学人》一篇关于外卖行业发展的文章也用到了这个词:
Such services — which enable users of a single site to order food from a swathe of local restaurants—are expanding around the world.
让人们可以从所在地附近的餐厅中点餐这样的外卖服务正在世界各地发展起来。
这句话的结构和原文一模一样,都是用一个破折号引出which引导的非限制性定语从句:— which enable sb to do sth— 说明一个东西的作用。
involvement [in'vɔlvmənt] 为不可数名词,指「参与;加入」(the act of taking part in an activity or event, or the way in which you take part in it)。动词形式为involve。
文中without the involvement of clinics or doctors 指「不需要诊所或医生参与」。
⑤Although at least 22 states have introduced bills restricting the use of medication abortion and, if Roe is overturned more will doubtless follow, it is hard to enforce such laws.
虽然目前超22个州已颁布限制药物流产法案,如果罗伊诉韦德案被推翻,无疑会有更多州紧随其后,但其实此类法律很难有效执行,
overturn [ˌəʊvəˈtɜːn] 为动词,指「推翻,撤销」判决(to officially decide that a legal decision etc. is not correct, and to make it no longer valid)。
A Chinese man convicted of murdering two children has had his conviction overturned after serving 27 years in prison.
一名中国男性被控杀害两名儿童,在羁押27年之后终于翻案。
Roe 指Roe v. Wade 罗诉韦德案。A v. B 是法律案件的规定表达方式,v即versus(对抗),其前为原告,其后为被告。
doubtless 由dount(怀疑)+less(没有)构成,指「无疑的,肯定的」。注意它长着形容词的样子,实际是个副词。
follow 作不及物动词,指「紧随其后,在…后发生」。
文中if Roe is overturned // more will doubtless follow 意思是「如果罗伊诉韦德案被推翻,无疑会有更多州紧随其后」。
enforce 为动词,指「执行,实施」(to make people obey a rule or law)。
enforce a law 即「执行法律」。
比如:Governments make laws and the police enforce them. 政府制定法律,警察负责执行。
My job is to enforce the law.
I enforce the rules.
名词形式为law enforcement,指「执法」。
《纽约时报》一篇关于全职太太的文章有这样一句话:
The Chinese government has offered some policies aimed at better protecting women’s rights, including a 2016 law against domestic violence. But enforcement of many such laws remains inconsistent.
为了更好地保护妇女权益,中国政府出台了一些政策,包括2016年禁止家庭暴力的法律。但许多此类法律的执行情况并不一致。
⑥Abortion-rights groups are working to inform women that such medication is available, even when it is illegal, and that it is safe and effective.
但其实此类法律很难有效执行,堕胎权利拥护团体正在对女性广而告之——即使非法,也会有渠道获取堕胎药,并且药物安全有效。
abortion-rights groups 指「支持堕胎权的团体」。
在美国,堕胎是两党之间激烈争执的议题。反对堕胎权的保守派认为,母亲身体里的胎儿已经有了生命,堕胎就是谋杀,所以他们将自己的立场称为pro-life(支持生命权),而支持堕胎权的自由派则认为,是否选择堕胎应该是母亲的自由,因此他们的观点被称为pro-choice(支持选择权)。
work to do sth 指「力争做某事,努力做某事」(to make efforts to achieve sth)。比如:The police are working to provide more help for victims of crime. 警方在尽力为犯罪受害人提供更多帮助。
inform [ɪnˈfɔːm] 为动词,指「通知;告知」(If you inform someone of something, you tell them about it)。介词搭配为 inform sb about / of sth ,指「通知某人某事」。
我们在江歌妈妈诉刘鑫案这篇文章也学过这个词组:
Liu was obviously at fault in the incident and should bear the civil penalty as she had not informed Jiang Ge of the potential danger posed by Chen.
刘暖曦在此案中具有明显过错,应当承担相应的民事赔偿责任。对于由其引入的侵害危险,没有如实向江歌进行告知和提醒陈世峰可能带来的潜在危险。
informed 为形容词,指「见多识广的,消息灵通的」。2016、2014和2008的考研英语一的阅读中都出现过这个词。
ill-informed 指「孤陋寡闻的」,well-informed 指「知识渊博的,见多识广的」。
available [əˈveɪləbəl] 为形容词:
形容物时,表示「可获得的,可用的」(able to be bought or used),相当于 accessible。
形容人时,表示「有空的」。
How is this place even available?
我们把这段话再连起来默读一遍,注意尽量一遍读完,不要回读。如果第一遍阅读时做不到,就再读一遍。如此循环往复地训练,直到能够流畅地一次性读完。
For women in conservative states, the effects will be dreadful. Restrictions designed to make it hard for abortion clinics to operate already mean many women have to travel across state lines to terminate a pregnancy. That number will grow. It is difficult to predict by how much because new clinics could open near the borders of states that ban abortion, and no one knows how many women will access abortion medication—which enables women to have abortions at home, without the involvement of clinics or doctors. Although at least 22 states have introduced bills restricting the use of medication abortion and, if Roe is overturned more will doubtless follow, it is hard to enforce such laws. Abortion-rights groups are working to inform women that such medication is available, even when it is illegal, and that it is safe and effective.
对于保守州女性而言,影响将极为严重。州内本就设置了层层限制措施,堕胎诊所难以维系,众多女性只能通过跨州终止妊娠。若罗伊诉韦德案被推翻,跨州堕胎群体还会进一步扩大。由于新诊所可能会在禁堕胎州边界附近开设,因此很难推测具体增长量。同时也没人知道会有多少妇女拿到堕胎药,在没有诊所或医生的参与协助下,在家自行终止妊娠。虽然目前超22个州已颁布限制药物流产法案,如果罗伊诉韦德案被推翻,无疑会有更多州紧随其后,但其实此类法律很难有效执行。堕胎权利拥护团体正在对女性广而告之——即使非法,也会有渠道获取堕胎药,并且药物安全有效。
①Poorer women will bear the brunt of all this.
贫穷女性将首当其冲承受这一切。
bear the brunt of sth 指「承受某事主要压力,首当其冲」(to receive the main force of sth unpleasant)。
这是一个外刊高频词组,我们也可以把bear替换为动词take, suffer。
比如《金融时报》一篇关于互联网寒潮的文章有这样一句话:
But right now it is workers who are bearing the brunt of cutbacks. 但现在这股裁减潮首先冲击到的是员工。
再来看一个《纽约时报》的例子:
Japanese wives and mothers are still typically expected to bear the brunt of the housework, child care and help for their aging relatives, a factor that stymies many of their careers.
日本的妻子和母亲通常仍被认为要承担家务、照顾小孩和帮助年迈长辈的重任,这是阻碍她们许多职业发展的一个因素。
bear / take / suffer the brunt of sth 这个表达大家背下来,可以在作文里替换 be worst affected by sth, be hit by sth。
我们联系「疫情」造个句:从事服务业的人无法居家工作,首当其冲受到封控的影响。
Unable to work remotely, people working in the service sector bear the brunt of lockdowns. [写作推荐]
②Federal funds cannot be used for abortion. ③Planned Parenthood, the biggest provider of abortions in America, says that 75% of patients are on low incomes.
联邦资金不能用于堕胎。计划生育组织是美国最大的堕胎手术提供单位,称他们75%的患者来自低收入人群。
✍🏻语篇分析: ②句解释①句原因:联邦基金被禁止用于堕胎。③句借由Planned Parenthood的数据支撑①句:说明大多堕胎女性属于低收入群体。
federal [ˈfedərəl] 为形容词,指「联邦政府的」。美国联邦政府在层级上相当于我们的中央政府。
funds [fʌnd] 指「资金」,federal funds 即「联邦基金」。
provider [prəˈvaɪdr] 为可数名词,指「供应商,供应者」,近义词还有supplier。
provider也可指一个家庭里「养家糊口的人」,近义词还有bread-winner。
动词短语provide for sb 可专指「抚养某人,供养某人」。
我们来看两个美剧里的例子:
Rob is such a wonderful provider.
After banishing all musick from her life she found a way to provide for her daughter.
Drinks are on me!
Drinks on the house!
④Some obstetricians worry that ditching Roe could push up America’s maternal- and infant-mortality rates.
一些产科医生担心,推翻罗诉韦德案可能会导致美国产妇死亡率和婴儿死亡率上升。
✍🏻语篇分析:④句指出推翻罗诉韦德案还可能导致产妇死亡率和婴儿死亡率上升。
obstetrician [ˌɒbstəˈtrɪʃən] 为可数名词,指「产科医生」。
ditch [dɪtʃ] 为动词,指「摆脱,抛弃,丢弃」,相当于 get rid of sth 和 dump sth。ditch Roe 即「推翻罗诉韦德案」,与上文的overturn互为同义替换。
我们在马斯克收购Twitter,《经济学人》看好吗?也学过这个词:
Tesla tore up the car industry’s rule book by replacing petrol with electricity, ditching dealerships and treating cars as computers.
特斯拉以电力代替汽油,取消经销商并将汽车电脑化,以此彻底改变汽车行业规则。
顺便补充一下,ditch 还可指「逃学,逃课」(to not go to school, a class etc when you should)。
push up sth 指「推动…的上涨,导致…增加」(to increase an amount, value, or number)。反义词push down sth 则指「导致...减少」。
maternal [məˈtɜːnl]为形容词,指「母亲的,与做母亲有关的」。
maternal-motality rates 即「产妇死亡率」
这个词的拉丁语词根为mater,意思就是mother。
同根词 maternity [məˈtɜːnəti] 作形容词时,指「孕妇的,产妇的」。
比如:maternity / maternal leave 产假。paid maternal leave 指「带薪产假」。
与maternal 相对的是 paternal [pəˈtɜːnl],指「父亲的,与做父亲有关的」。
paternity [pəˈtɜːnəti] 指「父亲身份」。短语 paternal / paternity leave 即「父亲休的陪产假」。
mortality [mɔr'tæləti] 为不可数名词,指「死亡率,死亡数」。
文中the maternal- and infant- mortality rate 指「婴儿死亡率」。
同学们注意这里连字符的使用,再举两个类似的表达:
low- and middle-income countries 中低收入国家
small- and medium-sized enterprises 中小企业
顺便补充一下:mortal ['mɔrtl] 为形容词,指「极其严重的;致命的」。
比如:mortal enemy, danger, threat 死敌/致命的危险/严重的威胁。
电影《怦然心动》里有一句台词,就用到了mortal enemy:
Here I was, about to have lunch with Eddie Trulock... while the boy I mooned over for half my life was going to share a meal with my mortal enemy.
mortal 只比表示「道德的」的 moral 多了一个字母t,大家注意辨别。
✍🏻语篇分析:⑤句说明④句的后果:女性游行组织激烈抗议。
Little wonder that...是一个固定句式,指「难怪,怪不得」。完整的表达是 It is little wonder (that)...
我们也可以用 no, small 来替换 little,与no相比,little wonder和small wonder 两个词不那么绝对,更加严谨客观。
这是外刊里出镜率很高的一个句式,我们再来看几个例子:
《经济学人》一篇文章曾谈到为什么中国有句谚语叫「医不过二代」,就用到了这个词:
Fully two-thirds of doctors told the Chinese Medical Doctor Association in 2017 that they had been attacked or threatened in a hospital, often by their patients’ angry relatives. Small wonder that in one survey after another, few want their children to be doctors.
2017年,足足有三分之二的医生告诉中国医师协会,他们曾在医院遭到攻击或威胁,这些攻击和威胁通常来自患者愤怒的家属。难怪一次又一次的调查显示,几乎没有医生希望子女“走自己的老路”。
再比如,《经济学人》一篇关于为什么政府不愿投资高等教育的文章这样写道:
Many politicians suspect that universities are not teaching the right subjects, and are producing more graduates than labour markets need. Small wonder that the state is beginning to pull back.
许多政客怀疑大学没有在传授正确的内容,培养出的毕业生数量又超出了劳动力市场的需求。难怪政府开始打退堂鼓。
从这些例句里,我们可以发现Little wonder that ...可以用于引出一个显而易见的结论。
再举一个电影《百万美元宝贝》中的例子:
You're the meanest I ever met. No wonder no one loves you.
当然,我们也可以先用这个句式给出结论,后面再给原因。
在口语中,(It’s) no wonder. 也可单独使用,后面不带从句,表示「难怪」。
leak [liːk] 为名词,指「泄密」(an intentional disclosure of secret information)。
文中 the leak 特指美国最高法院被泄漏的文件。
Women’s March 指是一个女权组织,曾在 2017 年1月21日组织了一场大游行,呼吁支持女性权利和人权。
call for sb to do sth 指「呼吁某人做某事」。《华尔街日报》一篇关于上海封城中的外卖骑手的文章就用到了这个词:
While they were able to find housing for roughly 15,000 workers, they are calling for more hotels to join the effort.
虽然已经为大约15,000名外卖骑手找到了住宿,但美团仍在呼吁更多酒店加入爱心酒店行业。
call for sth 指「呼吁某事」。《纽约时报》一篇关于郑爽代孕事件的文章也用到了这个词:Other official media called for an outright ban on surrogate pregnancies.其他官方媒体呼吁全面禁止代孕。
court house 也可写作courthouse,指「法院大楼」。
town hall 指「市政厅」。
我们把这段话再连起来默读一遍,注意尽量一遍读完,不要回读。如果第一遍阅读时做不到,就再读一遍。如此循环往复地训练,直到能够流畅地一次性读完。
Poorer women will bear the brunt of all this. Federal funds cannot be used for abortion.Planned Parenthood, the biggest provider of abortions in America, says that 75% of patients are on low incomes. Some obstetricians worry that ditching Roe could push up America’s maternal- and infant-mortality rates. Little wonder that within hours of the leak, Women’s March, which in 2017 organised the biggest political protest in American history, had called for supporters to show up in court houses and town halls across America.
贫穷女性将首当其冲承受这一切。联邦基金被禁止用于堕胎。美国最大的堕胎服务提供机构“计划生育协会”表示,75%的堕胎女性属低收入群体。一些产科医生担心,罗伊诉韦德案的推翻将提高美国孕产妇及婴儿的死亡率。毫不奇怪,就在消息传出几小时内,2017年曾组织美国历史上最大规模政治抗议活动的女性组织“女性游行”会起身号召堕胎权利支持者在美国各地法院、市政厅集会示威。
保守州:conservative states
自由州:liberal states
推翻罗诉韦德案:overturn / ditch Roe v. Wade
人工流产,堕胎:have / get an abortion,
to abort a child, terminate a pregnancy
出台法律 :introduce a law
产假:maternal / maternity leave
陪产假:paternity leave
产妇死亡率:the maternal-mortality rate
婴儿死亡率:the infant-mortality rate
...很糟糕:dreadful 👈 terrible
目的是…,旨在…:n. +designed to do sth
收入低 / 收入高:be on low / high incomes
月光族:living paycheck to paycheck
领救济金的人:people on the dole queue / people on the dole
勉强维持生计:make ends meet
推动…的上涨 / 下跌:push up sth / push down sth
呼吁某人做某事:call for sb to do sth
呼吁某事:call for sth
首当其冲受到影响:bear / take / suffer the brunt of sth
某事物的影响极其严重:
The effects (of sth) is dreadful.
怪不得,难怪:
No / Small / Little wonder that …