2006年VOA标准英语-US Supreme Court Takes on 38 Cases in New Term

By Peter Fedynsky
Washington, DC
04 October 2006
 
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The U.S. Supreme Court began its new term this week with a docket of 38 cases, 17 of which are related to business.  VOA's Peter Fedynsky looks at the most prominent cases, including one about abortion², a politically divisive social issue in the United States. 

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Abortion rights demonstration   
  
The high court will decide a federal law that bans a procedure, which proponents³ refer to as a partial birth abortion, and proponents call a late-term abortion. Lower courts declared the law unconstitutional, because it does not recognize medical emergencies. 

 
Irene Jaroslaw
  
Ilene Jaroslaw, a New York attorney, had a late-term or partial birth abortion due to genetic⁴ defects. "Part of the brain was missing, part of the skull⁵ was missing and this baby had a very grim prognosis."

The procedure the Bush administration considers immoral⁶.  Constitutional lawyer Jay Sekulow agrees. "It is a gruesome procedure."

Jay Sekulow  
  
Observers say two new conservative members of the nine-member court could tip the balance to limit a woman's right to an abortion.  Roger Evens is a pro-choice activist⁷. "The most important principle at stake here is protecting the relationship between physicians and their patients from intrusion by politicians."

The Supreme Court is also reviewing a lower court ruling, which ordered cigarette maker⁸ Philip Morris to pay nearly $80 million in punitive⁹ damages to the family of a deceased smoker¹⁰ in Oregon.  Business interests are seeking limits on such damages.

Another business issue includes a case in which environmentalists are challenging a lower court decision that would allow an energy company to continue using old, refitted electric generators¹¹ without expensive pollution control equipment.

In a social issue, school boards in Seattle, Washington and Louisville, Kentucky are seeking to achieve racial integration¹² by taking race into account when limiting the choice students have of which schools they may attend.

The Supreme Court will be in session through June 2007.

1 supreme   

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。

2 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

3 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句

4 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

5 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

6 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。

7 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

8 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

9 punitive   

adj.惩罚的，刑罚的

参考例句：

• They took punitive measures against the whole gang.他们对整帮人采取惩罚性措施。
• The punitive tariff was imposed to discourage tire imports from China.该惩罚性关税的征收是用以限制中国轮胎进口的措施。

10 smoker   

n.吸烟者，吸烟车厢，吸烟室

参考例句：

• His wife dislikes him to be a smoker.他妻子不喜欢他当烟民。
• He is a moderate smoker.他是一个有节制的烟民。

11 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。