VOA慢速英语2016 美国:变性学生可自主选择厕所（在线收听）

AS IT IS 2016-05-17 US: Let Transgender Students Choose Restroom 美国:变性学生可自主选择厕所

The United States government says transgender students have a right to use restrooms that agree with their chosen sexual identity.

美国政府称变性学生有权按照自己的性别认知选择厕所。

The Obama administration sent a letter containing its guidance to all U.S. public school districts last week. The letter was signed by Justice and Education department leaders.

上周，奥巴马政府给全美公立学校发了一封指导意见信。该信件由美国司法部和教育部签署。

School district officials also received a statement from Attorney General Loretta Lynch. It said that “there is no room in our schools for discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against transgender students on the basis of their sex.”

各学区负责人还收到了司法部长洛丽泰·林奇(Loretta Lynch)的声明。声明称，禁止学校存在任何形式的歧视，包括因性别问题歧视变性学生。

Lynch said the guidance “gives (school) administrators, teachers, and parents the tools they need to protect transgender students from peer harassment and to identify and address unjust school policies.”

林奇称该指导意见“为学校管理人员、教师及父母们提供了其所需信息，以保护变性学生免受同伴的骚扰及查明并调整学校不公平政策。”

The letter said that public schools are required to treat transgender students in a way that agrees with their gender identity. It said this is a requirement even when a different sex is listed on a student’s education records or identity documents.

该意见要求公立学校需按照变性学生性别认知来对待他们。即使学生学籍或身份文件上的性别不同，学校也需遵照此意见内容。

The new directive might not be legally enforceable. But it is possible that opponents of the Obama administration’s position could face legal action or lose federal aid.

虽然这项指令不具有法律约束力。但若违背此项意见要求，学校很可能要面临法律诉讼或失去联邦教育资金支持。

The letter said that schools may not require transgender students to have a medical exam before treating them according to their chosen gender identity. It said schools also may not require such individuals to get a medical treatment or produce a birth certificate or other documentation.

意见中还表示，学校需按照学生自己的性别认知采取不同的对待方式，在此之前，学校不得要求变性学生进行体检。此外，学校不得要求变性学生进行治疗，或者出具出生证明及其他身份文件。

The letter was sent soon after the Obama administration brought legal action against the state of North Carolina. In March, the state’s legislature approved a bill that became law. It requires transgender people to use bathrooms that match their sex at birth instead of the gender with which they now identify.

这封指导意见信是美国司法部对北卡罗来纳州提起诉讼后不久发出的。3月份时，北卡罗来纳州立法机构通过了一项法案，该法案最终成为法律。法案要求变性人群选择厕所时须根据出生性别，而不是目前的性别。

North Carolina is the first state that bars people from using large bathrooms in public buildings that do not match the gender on their birth certificate.

北卡罗来纳州要求人们在公共场所使用卫生间时，应当严格按照出生证明上的性别，这是美国首个颁布如此律法的地区。

Attorney General Lynch called the North Carolina law “state-sponsored discrimination.” She said it reminded her of a time when African-Americans were barred from public buildings and when states could decide who is permitted to marry.

而司法部长林奇认为北卡罗来纳州的这项法律是“州政府支持的歧视”。这让她想起曾经非裔美国人被禁止进入公共场所，还有政府才能决定哪些人可以结婚等歧视事件。

The federal government’s case names the state government, Governor Pat McCrory, the Department of Public Safety, and the University of North Carolina.

联邦的指导意见还提到了州政府，北卡罗来纳州州长麦克罗利（Pat McCrory），州公共安全部以及北卡罗来纳大学。

Lynch said “this is about the dignity and respect we accord our fellow citizens.” She said the North Carolina law has caused, in her words, “emotional harm, mental anguish, distress, humiliation and indignity” to transgender people.

林奇表示：“这是我们赋予公民基本的尊严和尊重。”她表示北卡罗来纳州的法律对变性群体造成了“精神伤害、心灵创伤、悲痛、羞耻和侮辱。”

North Carolina has brought a case against the federal government, seeking to keep the law in effect.

北卡罗来纳州为了维持该法律起诉了联邦政府。

McCrory and other supporters of the law say it is necessary to protect privacy in public bathrooms and guard against men using women’s restrooms to spy on women.

麦克·罗里和该法律支持者们称有必要保护人们在公共洗手间的隐私，防止男性使用女洗手间时偷窥。

But Lynch said the state invented a problem that does not exist so it can discriminate against and threaten people.

但林奇表示北卡罗莱纳州的理由是虚构的，给人们带来了歧视和威胁。

In addition to possibly losing federal money, North Carolina could also lose millions of dollars in taxes from companies that have or could cancel plans to open offices in the state.

除了有可能失去联邦教育资金支持外，北卡罗来纳州可能还会失去部分公司价值数百万美元的税款，这些公司已经取消或者打算取消在北卡罗来纳州开设办事处的计划。

In April, an opinion survey found that Americans are divided about which public bathrooms should be used by transgender people. It showed 44 percent of those asked said people should use bathrooms that match their biological gender. The study also found 39 percent said they should be used according to the gender with which a person identifies.

4月份时，一项民意调查显示，在变性任应使用哪个公共洗手间的问题上，美国人产生分歧。接受调查的人群中有44%的人表示变性群体应当根据其生理性别选择卫生间。39%的人则表示应根据其身份证件上的性别进行选择。

Words in This Story

transgender – adj. of or relating to people who have a sexual identity that is not clearly male or clearly female

school district – n. an area or region containing the schools that a school board is in charge of

peer – n. a person who belongs to the same age group or social group as someone else

gender – adj. the state of being male or female

match – v. to be in agreement with (something)

state-sponsored – adj. supported by a government

remind – v. to make (someone) think about something again; to cause (someone) to remember something

accord – v. to give (something, such as special treatment or status) to someone or something

distress – n. unhappiness or pain; suffering that affects the mind or body

humiliation – n. to make (someone) feel very ashamed or foolish