原味人文风情

Fighting for the Right to Get Married
相爱的权利

Bill and I met in 1963 at the wedding of a sister of a friend of mine. Because it was many years ago, we were seated together at the young people's table. And we have been happily together ever since.
比尔和我在 1963 年一场朋友妹妹的婚礼上相遇。因为那是许多年前了，所以那时我们一起坐在年轻人那桌。从此以后，我们过着幸福快乐的日子。
Not having legal protection among gay couples, we heard stories, horror stories. The only option was to use whatever legal process there was to protect ourselves. We adopted each other in the year 2000, so it's been a 15-year relationship as father and son. The fact that legally we're father and son, it did not mean that much to us.
没有法律保障同性伴侣，我们听过许多故事，许多骇人的故事。唯一的选择就是利用当时存在的任何法律程序来保护我们自己。我们在 2000 年时领养彼此，所以这是个以父子身份持续 15 年的关系。法律上我们是父与子这件事，这对我们来说其实没什么意义。

When we moved to Pennsylvania, we became aware that legally we were considered strangers. We had no legal underpinning at all to our relationship. And we were told by our legal adviser that hell would freeze over before Pennsylvania did accept same-sex marriage.
在我们搬到宾州时，我们开始发现，就法律来说，我们被认定是陌生人。我们的关系毫无任何法律支持。而我们的法律顾问告诉我们，在宾州接受同性婚姻前，地狱会先冰封。

Now that Pennsylvania is enlightened, we decided to take advantage of it and proceed with the marriage.
而今宾州敞开胸襟，我们决定好好善用并进行结婚仪式。
To legally marry, Norman and Bill first needed a judge to vacate their adoption.
要合法地结婚，诺曼和比尔首先需要一名法官来撤销他们的领养关系。
So this is where it was all made legal.
所以这样一切就合法了。
The courtroom burst into applause, and I burst into tears, but tears of happiness, certainly.
法庭爆出一阵热烈掌声，而我哭了起来，但当然是喜悦的泪水。
Adoption vacated; they'll wed soon.
领养撤销；他们很快就会步入礼堂。
I was freed of thinking of myself as father, and we were free to proceed with the marriage.
我从将自己视为父亲的想法中被解放出来，而我们可以不被限制地结婚了。
To finally be able to be married after 53 years was an almost indescribable feeling. When we started our relationship, marriage was so out of the question that it wasn't even on the horizon.
经过 53 年终于得以结婚，这是种几乎无法言喻的感觉。在我们开始交往时，婚姻根本是天方夜谭，我们根本没想过这会发生。
So literally, we had a 52-year engagement and a quick marriage.
所以不夸张，我们约会了 52 年然后速速结了婚。

重点内容讲解

1.burst into 突然进入某种状态，突然开始

例句:The courtroom burst into applause, and I burst into tears, but tears of happiness, certainly.

法庭爆出一阵热烈掌声，而我哭了起来，但当然是喜悦的泪水。

2.out of the question 不值得讨论的，不可能，谈不上

例句:When we started our relationship, marriage was so out of the question that it wasn't even on the horizon.
经过 53 年终于得以结婚，这是种几乎无法言喻的感觉。在我们开始交往时，婚姻根本是天方夜谭，我们根本没想过这会发生。

3.proceed with 继续

例句:I was freed of thinking of myself as father, and we were free to proceed with the marriage.
我从将自己视为父亲的想法中被解放出来，而我们可以不被限制地结婚了。

4.take advantage of 利用

例句:Now that Pennsylvania is enlightened, we decided to take advantage of it and proceed with the marriage.
而今宾州敞开胸襟，我们决定好好善用并进行结婚仪式。