奥巴马、克林顿发声支持同性恋者

    This is IN THE NEWS
    in VOA Special English.
    President Obama and Secretary
    of State Hillary Clinton
    each released video messages
    this week
    on the problem of bullying.
    Both messages centered
    on abusive behavior
    toward homosexuals.
    BARACK OBAMA: "Like all of you,
    I was shocked and saddened
    by the deaths of several
    young people who were bullied
    and taunted for being gay,
    and who ultimately
    took their own lives.
    As a parent of two daughters,
    it breaks my heart.
    It's something that just
    shouldn't happen in this country.
    We've got to dispel the myth
    that bullying is just
    a normal rite of passage
    -- that it's some inevitable
    part of growing up. It's not."
    One recent victim
    was an eighteen-year old student
    at Rutgers University
    in New Jersey.
    Tyler Clementi was a first-year
    student and a promising musician.
    In late September he jumped
    to his death from a bridge
    over the Hudson River
    between New Jersey and New York.
    Three days earlier, his roommate
    had secretly used a webcam
    to broadcast live images of him
    in a sexual encounter
    with another man.
    Law enforcement officials
    have charged the roommate
    and another student
    with invasion of privacy.
    Last month, writer Dan Savage
    started the It Gets Better Project.
    The purpose is to help LGBT
    -- lesbian, gay,
    bisexual and transgender
    -- young people.
    President Obama recorded
    his message to show support
    for that project.
    BARACK OBAMA: "I don't know
    what it's like to be picked on
    for being gay.
    But I do know what it's like
    to grow up feeling that
    sometimes you don't belong.
    It's tough.
    And for a lot of kids,
    the sense of being alone
    or apart -- I know
    can just wear on you.
    And when you're teased or bullied,
    it can seem like somehow
    you brought it on yourself
    -- for being different,
    or for not fitting in
    with everybody else.
    But what I want to say is this.
    You are not alone."
    Secretary Clinton released
    her message earlier in the week.
    HILLARY CLINTON: "Like
    millions of Americans,
    I was terribly saddened
    to learn of the recent suicides
    of several teenagers
    across our country
    after being bullied
    because they were gay
    or because people thought
    they were gay.
    Children are particularly
    vulnerable to the hurt
    caused by discrimination
    and prejudice and we have
    lost many young people
    over the years to suicide.
    These most recent deaths
    are a reminder that all Americans
    have to work harder
    to overcome bigotry and hatred."
    She said opportunities
    will only increase:
    HILLARY CLINTON: "Just think
    of the progress made by women
    just during my lifetime by women,
    or ethnic, racial and
    religious minorities
    over the course of our history
    — and by gays and lesbians,
    many of whom are now free
    to live their lives
    openly and proudly."
    The videos come as the government
    and the courts try to
    settle the future of
    the military policy known as
    "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
    Under federal law, gays
    and lesbians can serve,
    but not openly.
    No one may ask about a person's
    sexual orientation.
    But service members
    can be discharged
    if they are found to be homosexual.
    Congress and President Bill Clinton
    approved the law
    in nineteen ninety-three
    as a compromise.
    Now a federal judge in California
    has ruled it unconstitutional.
    Last week she ordered a halt
    to all dismissals
    of gay service members.
    But on Wednesday an appeals court
    let the administration
    temporarily continue the policy.
    President Obama says
    he wants to end the policy,
    but he wants Congress
    and not the courts to do it.
    In July, the Defense Department
    e-mailed a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
    opinion survey to four hundred
    thousand service members.
    Defense Secretary Robert Gates
    expects the results
    by December first.
    And that's IN THE NEWS
    in VOA Special English.
    I'm Steve Ember.
     

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
这里是美国之音慢速英语新闻报道节目。

President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton each released video messages this week on the problem of bullying. Both messages centered on abusive behavior toward homosexuals.
本周,奥巴马总统和国务卿克林顿就欺凌问题发布视频。这2个视频都围绕对同性恋者的辱骂行为。

BARACK OBAMA: "Like all of you, I was shocked and saddened by the deaths of several young people who were bullied and taunted for being gay, and who ultimately took their own lives. As a parent of two daughters, it breaks my heart. It's something that just shouldn't happen in this country. We've got to dispel the myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage -- that it's some inevitable part of growing up. It's not."
奥巴马:“和各位一样,对于几名因是同性恋者而遭受欺凌和嘲笑,并最后结束自己生命的年轻人的死去,我感到震惊和悲伤。作为两个女儿的父亲,这让我心碎。这是在我们国家里不应该发生的事。我们必须消除认为欺凌是一种正常的成人仪式,是成长过程中不可避免的一部分这种荒谬观点。它并非如此!”

One recent victim was an eighteen-year old student at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Tyler Clementi was a first-year student and a promising musician. In late September he jumped to his death from a bridge over the Hudson River between New Jersey and New York. Three days earlier, his roommate had secretly used a webcam to broadcast live images of him in a sexual encounter with another man.
最近的受害者之一是新泽西州罗格斯大学一名18岁的学生。泰勒·金文泰(Tyler Clementi)是一名大一学生,也是一位很有前途的音乐家。九月下旬,他在横跨新泽西和纽约的哈德逊河的一座桥上跳下结束了自己的生命。3天前,他的室友使用一个隐蔽摄像头,散布他和另一位男子性接触时的视频。

Law enforcement officials have charged the roommate and another student with invasion of privacy.
执法人员指控该室友和另一名学生侵犯隐私。

Last month, writer Dan Savage started the It Gets Better Project. The purpose is to help LGBT -- lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender -- young people. President Obama recorded his message to show support for that project.
上月,作家作家丹萨·维奇(Dan Savage)启动了明天会更好(It Gets Better)项目。其目的是帮助年轻人中的同性恋、双性恋和变性群体。奥巴马录制了这个视频来表示对该项目的支持。

BARACK OBAMA: "I don't know what it's like to be picked on for being gay. But I do know what it's like to grow up feeling that sometimes you don't belong. It's tough. And for a lot of kids, the sense of being alone or apart -- I know can just wear on you. And when you're teased or bullied, it can seem like somehow you brought it on yourself -- for being different, or for not fitting in with everybody else. But what I want to say is this. You are not alone."
奥巴马:“我不知道被上帝选择成为同性恋者到底是怎样的感受,但我体会那种有时感觉自己不属于大众的那种成长感受。它是非常艰难的。对许多孩子来说,我知道,孤独或被疏远的感受只会磨练你。当你被嘲笑或欺负,你可以把它看作像是你给自己带来的某种不同的,或并非适合所有人的东西。但我想说的就是这些,你并不孤单。”

Secretary Clinton released her message earlier in the week.
本周早些时候,克林顿也发布了她的视频。

HILLARY CLINTON: "Like millions of Americans, I was terribly saddened to learn of the recent suicides of several teenagers across our country after being bullied because they were gay or because people thought they were gay. Children are particularly vulnerable to the hurt caused by discrimination and prejudice and we have lost many young people over the years to suicide. These most recent deaths are a reminder that all Americans have to work harder to overcome bigotry and hatred."
克林顿:“和数百万美国人民一样,在得知我国最近发生的数名青少年因为自己是同性恋、或被认为是同性恋者而遭到欺凌并自杀后,我感到非常地难过。儿童特别容易受到歧视和偏见的伤害。近年来,我们已经因为自杀失去了很多青年。近期的这些死亡事件提醒人们,所有的美国人必须努力克服偏见和仇恨。

She said opportunities will only increase:
她表示,前景只会更好:

HILLARY CLINTON: "Just think of the progress made by women just during my lifetime, or ethnic, racial and religious minorities over the course of our history — and by gays and lesbians, many of whom are now free to live their lives openly and proudly."
克林顿:“想想在我的生命历程中,妇女们所取得的进展。或在我们的历史进程中,民族、种族和宗教少数派取得的进展 - 以及同性恋者,他(她)们中的很多人现在可以公开、自豪地过着自己的生活。”

The videos come as the government and the courts try to settle the future of the military policy known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Under federal law, gays and lesbians can serve, but not openly. No one may ask about a person's sexual orientation. But service members can be discharged if they are found to be homosexual.
这些视频发布在政府和法院正试图解决军方“不问不说”政策的未来之际。根据联邦法律,同性恋者允许在不公开性取向的情况下在军中服役,没人会问他的性取向。但如果被发现是同性恋者,服役人员将被开除。

Congress and President Bill Clinton approved the law in nineteen ninety-three as a compromise. Now a federal judge in California has ruled it unconstitutional.
1993年,国会和总统克林顿批准该法律作为一项折衷方案。目前,加州联邦法官裁定该法违宪。

Last week she ordered a halt to all dismissals of gay service members. But on Wednesday an appeals court let the administration temporarily continue the policy.
上周,该法官下令暂停解雇所有同性恋服役人员。但周三,上诉法庭裁定管理部门暂时继续执行该政策。

President Obama says he wants to end the policy, but he wants Congress and not the courts to do it.
奥巴马表示他希望终止该政策,但他希望国会而不是法院来做到这一点。

In July, the Defense Department e-mailed a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" opinion survey to four hundred thousand service members. Defense Secretary Robert Gates expects the results by December first.
今年七月,美国国防部通过电子邮件向四十万军中服役人员发送了“不问不说”的民意调查。国防部长罗伯特·盖茨预计结果将于十二月一日揭晓。