Surrogacy laws vary from country to country, which can leave children vulnerable

各国间的代孕法律差异显著，哪个让宝宝更弱势/易受伤害

The case of Gammy, a baby with Down's syndrome who was born to a Thai surrogate mother and allegedly left behind by the intended Australian parents, has caused international controversy. Where do people go to arrange for surrogate babies, and is it legal?

Gammy的案例中，一名由泰国代孕母亲所生并患有唐氏综合症的婴儿，被其澳籍的【预定父母】（intended parents；译注：尚无确切国内译法，译者擅拟)所遗弃，此事已引起国际争议。人们去哪里安排代孕，而且是合法的？

What is surrogacy?

什么是代孕？

Surrogacy is where a woman becomes pregnant with the intention of handing over the child to someone else after giving birth. Generally, she carries the baby for a couple or parent who cannot conceive a child themselves - they are known as "intended parents".

代孕是：一个女性有目的性的打算将产后的孩子交予他人的受孕。一般而言，她为不能自行受孕的夫妇或父母孕育宝宝——他们（不孕夫妇）被称为【预定父母】（intended parents）。

There are two forms of surrogacy. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate mother's egg is used, making her the genetic mother. In gestational surrogacy, the egg is provided by the intended mother or a donor. The egg is fertilised through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and then placed inside the surrogate mother.

代孕有两种形式。传统代孕中，使用代孕母亲的卵子，这使其成为遗传学上的母亲。在受孕代孕中，使用【预定母亲】或者其他捐赠者的卵子。卵子通过试管受精，再植入代孕母亲体内。

Is surrogacy legal?

代孕合法吗？

It varies from country to country.

这在国与国间各不相同。

Countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Bulgaria prohibit all forms of surrogacy.

如在法国、德国、意大利、西班牙、葡萄牙和保加利亚禁止一切形式的代孕。

In countries including the UK, Ireland, Denmark and Belgium, surrogacy is allowed where the surrogate mother is not paid, or only paid for reasonable expenses. Paying the mother a fee (known as commercial surrogacy) is prohibited.

在包含英国、爱尔兰、丹麦和比利时等的国家中，代孕母亲在无偿或仅支付合理费用的情况下是被允许的。支付（代孕）母亲酬金（被称为商业代孕）是禁止的。


Elton John (right) and David Furnish are among the celebrities to become parents of a baby born to a surrogate

名人中的艾尔顿·约翰（右）和大卫·费尼什因代孕而成为一名宝宝的家长

Commercial surrogacy is legal in some US states, and countries including India, Russia and Ukraine.

商业代孕在美国的一些州是合法的，（合法的）国家包括印度、俄罗斯和乌克兰。

People who want to be parents may go abroad if their home country does not allow surrogacy, or if they cannot find a surrogate.

想要成为父母的人或许会出国，如果他们的祖国禁止代孕，或者他们无法找到代孕妇。

However, even here, the laws may vary. For example, some Australian states have criminalised going to another country for commercial surrogacy, while others permit it.

然而，即便如此，法律也许有些不同。例如，澳洲有些州已经宣布去外国寻找商业代孕是违法的，而其他（州）则允许。

Where do people go for surrogacy?

人们去哪代孕？

Experts say that countries popular with parents for surrogacy arrangements are the US, India, Thailand, Ukraine and Russia.

专家指出，受父母欢迎的代孕安排国是美国、印度、泰国、乌克兰和俄罗斯。

Mexico, Nepal, Poland and Georgia are also among the countries described as possibilities for surrogacy arrangements.

墨西哥、尼泊尔、波兰和格鲁吉亚也是这些国家中被描述为有潜力的代孕安排国。

Costs vary significantly from country to country, and also depend on the number of IVF cycles needed, and whether health insurance is required.

花费在国与国之间显著的不同，也同样取决于所需的试管受精周期数量和是否要求健康保险。

An Indian nurse is seen with a surrogate baby. India is a popular destination for surrogacy arrangements

一名印度护士和一个代孕宝宝。印度是一个受欢迎的代孕安排目的国。

Families Through Surrogacy, an international non-profit surrogacy organisation, has estimated the approximate average costs in different countries:

■US - $100,000 (￡60,000)

■India - $47,350

■Thailand - $52,000

■Ukraine - $49,950

■Georgia - $49,950

■Mexico - $45,000

【代孕成家】（Families Through Surrogacy；译注：尚无确切国内译法，译者擅拟），一家国际非盈利代孕组织，其对不同国家代孕的花费均值估计：

美国 - 100000美元（60000英镑）
印度 - 47350美元
泰国 - 52000美元
乌克兰 - 49950美元
格鲁吉亚 - 49950美元
墨西哥 - 45000美元

There are few statistics on how many children are born through surrogacy arrangements, as many countries do not formally record this.

几乎没有关于“多少孩子是出生于代孕安排”的统计，许多国家并未对此进行正式记载。

Nicola Scott, a lawyer with UK family law firm Natalie Gamble Associates, says that about 25% of her firm's clients go to the US, often because they feel it is safer.

尼古拉·斯科特，一名英国家庭法律事务所--娜塔莉·甘布尔合伙（事务所）的律师，说到：她所里的客户大约有25%前往美国，常因为他们觉得那里更安全。

"The US has a very long history of surrogacy. One reason is that the parents know there are established frameworks in many states, particularly California, so there is safety associated with going there," she says.

“美国在代孕方面有很长的历史。其中一个原因是父母知道在许多州已经形成了框架，特别是加州，所以去那有更多的安全保障。”她说。

Why do women become surrogate mothers? Sarah Wisniewski, Surrogacy UK

为什么女性会成为代孕母亲？莎拉·维希涅夫斯基，英国的代孕母亲

We're aware of how, just taking a year out of our lives can drastically help someone else's life.

我们意识到，仅仅用掉我们生命中的一年将会如何猛烈的帮助他人的人生。

The majority of us have our own children, although a couple of the surrogate mothers in our network are childless.

我们中的大多数都拥有自己的孩子，虽然有两三个代孕母亲在我们的网络中是无子的。

We appreciate and are grateful for our own children too - the majority of us just see pregnancy as something we find very easy - something we can do while getting on with our everyday lives.

我们同样对我们自己的孩子重视并心存感激——我们中的大多数仅仅把怀孕看做很舒适/简单的事——那种可以一边做、一边过好每一天的事情。

"People who choose other destinations tend to do so because a surrogacy there typically costs a lot less than in the US."

“使人们选择其他目的国的主要原因，是那里的花费要远远少于美国。”

In many countries, "surrogacy isn't illegal, but there's no framework to support it," Ms Scott says.

在许多国家，“代孕并不是违法的，但是那里也没有（法律）框架来支持代孕。”斯科特女士说。

For example, Thailand does not have clear regulations surrounding surrogacy. However, legislation has been drafted to regulate surrogacy, and authorities now say the surrogates must be a blood relative of the intended parents.

举例来说，泰国没有明确的规范化代孕的周边环境。然而，规范代孕的立法已经被起草，并且当局现在声明代孕妇必须是【预定父母】（intended parents）的血亲。

Similarly, India is considering legislation which could "massively restrict surrogacy", Ms Scott says, and will "shut the door to singles and gay couples".

同样的，印度正在考虑进行的的立法或将“大规模的限制代孕”，斯科特女士说，并将“对单身或同性夫妇关上大门”。

What are the complications?

还有什么复杂的因素？

There are no internationally recognised laws for surrogacy, so many parents and children can be left vulnerable - or even stateless.

没有国际公认的代孕法律，如此多的父母和孩子将变得弱势/易受伤害——甚至无国籍。

It can take several months to bring a surrogate baby back to the parents' home country, as they may not be automatically recognised as the legal parents.

将代孕宝宝带回其父母的国家会花费数月之久，他们或许不会自动被承认为（代孕宝宝的）合法父母。

"In Thailand, surrogates are seen as the legal mother, so if the parents leave the baby with the mother, she is legally responsible. This is one of the difficulties seen in the Gammy case," Ms Scott says.

“在泰国，代孕妇被视为合法母亲，所以如果父母将孩子留给代孕母亲，她将负有（抚养孩子的）法律责任，这正是我们在Gammy案例中看到的难点之一。”斯科特女士说。

"In India, the intended parents are seen as the legal parents," whereas under UK law, the surrogate mother is recognised as the legal mother.

“在印度，【预定父母】（intended parents）被视为合法父母，”而在英国法律下，代孕母亲被承认为合法母亲。

The case of Gammy (right) who was born to a surrogate mother, has caused controversy in Australia and Thailand

Gammy的案例（右），由代孕母亲所生，已经引起了澳大利亚与泰国的争论。

"This means a surrogate baby born in India, for UK parents, is born stateless, and has to apply for British citizenship."

“这意味着一个生于印度的代孕宝宝，对于宝宝的英国父母来说，是无国籍的，并且不得不申请英国国籍。”

Depending on the parents' legal status in their home country, things can also become difficult if the couple split up, Paul Beaumont, a Professor of EU and Private International Law at the University of Aberdeen, and author of the book International Surrogacy Arrangements, says.

依赖于父母在其祖国的法律地位，如果夫妇离婚的话事情也将变得麻烦。保罗·博蒙特，一名亚伯丁大学的欧洲与国际私法学教授，『国际代孕安排』（International Surrogacy Arrangements；译注：尚无确切国内译法，译者擅拟）一书的作者，如是说。

"There can be an unfair advantage in a custody dispute. The father will often have parental rights, as the one who supplied the sperm, whereas, more often than not, the egg has been provided by a third party donor... so the mother may not be regarded as the parent of the child," Prof Beaumont says.

“这将成为监护权争夺中的一项不公平优势。父亲常常因为提供精子而获得父权，然而，多半的卵子由第三者提供...所以母亲或许不被认为是孩子的母亲。”博蒙特教授说。

Many experts argue that an international agreement, similar to the Hague Adoption Convention, is needed so that rules are consistent across different countries.

许多专家主张，一项类似于『海牙收养公约』（Hague Adoption Convention；译注：尚无确切国内译法，译者擅拟）的国际协定是必要的，以使不同国家的法规保持一致。

However, this could be difficult since countries are divided in their views of surrogacy.

然而，自各国对代孕的观点出现分歧后，这或将变得困难。

Are there risks for surrogate mothers?

这对代孕母亲有风险吗？

Prof Beaumont argues that regulation is also needed to ensure that "clinics are properly regulated and mothers are adequately compensated, given proper healthcare, and properly consenting".

博蒙特教授认为法规同样需确保“诊所被正确的监管，（代孕）母亲获得充分的补偿、适当的医保和正确的准许。”

Regulation would also ensure that "the intending parents are considered suitable to be parents in their home country", he adds.

法规同样应确保“【预定父母】（intended parents）在其祖国被认为是适合当父母的。”他补充道。

Without regulation, one potential risk for many surrogate mothers is that "if the child is born with some kind of defect, the intending parents could abandon the child", as has been claimed in the Gammy case.

没有法规，对许多代孕母亲来说的一项潜在风险是“如果孩子生来有某些缺陷，【预定父母】（intending parents）或将遗弃孩子。”就像Gammy的案例中报道的那样。

Although it is difficult to get hard evidence of exploitation, it is also possible that, like any potentially lucrative industry, surrogacy could be open to abuse, with women forced to act as surrogate mothers for profiteers, Prof Beaumont says.

虽然难以获得有关剥削的确凿证据，但也不无可能，就像发生在任何潜在有利可图的行业，代孕可能易被滥用，奸商可能强迫妇女做代孕母亲。博蒙特教授说。

My experience with surrogacy: Richard Westoby, author of Our Journey: One Couple's Guide to US Surrogacy

我关于代孕的经验：理查德·韦斯特比，『我们的旅行：一对夫妇去美国代孕的指南』（Our Journey: One Couple's Guide to US Surrogacy；译注：尚无确切国内译法，译者擅拟）一书的作者

We chose to go to the US because my partner is American, and there is a legal framework in place in a lot of states that protects the surrogates, the intended parents, and the child.

我们选择去美国的原因是我的配偶是美国人，而且那里的许多州有一个适当的法律框架来保护代孕妇、【预定父母】（intended parents）和孩子。

All the parties involved had legal representation - our surrogate had her own lawyer represent her when we were negotiating the contract.

所有当事人都有合法代表——我们的代孕妇有自己的律师代表其与我们进行合同商谈。

We spoke about the whole situation - what we were expecting regarding the number of embryos, caesareans, abortion - everything was discussed up front, so everyone was fully informed.

我们谈及所有情况——我们所期望的胚胎数量，剖腹产，流产——所有事情都被预先讨论，所以所有人（对代孕）都有了充分的了解。

It's so important that people have the whole picture before it starts. So many things can and do go wrong if you're not properly counselled and guided through the process.

所有人在（代孕）开始前已知悉概况是如此重要。如果在（代孕）过程中你没有被充分告知并指导，很多事情可能并将出错。

Surrogates don't get a huge amount of money. I think surrogates are phenomenal women going through the process because they want to help other people enrich their lives with family.

代孕妇没有获得巨额金钱。我认为代孕妇们是非凡的女性，她们熬过（代孕）过程是因为她们想帮助他人充实他们的家庭生活。

My partner was in the room when the twins were born. It's the same as when any parent meets their child for the first time - there were lots of tears. It was indescribable.

我的配偶见证了双胞胎的诞生。就如任何其他父母初见他们的宝宝——充满泪水，难以言述。

There's nothing like when your children open their eyes for the first time. It was an incredible feeling.

当你的宝宝初次睁开眼睛的时候是如此与众不同，如此的难以置信。

Our surrogate is part of our life now - we email regularly and she comes to the UK to see the children.

我们的代孕妇现在是我们生活的一部分——我们定期通电邮，并且她也来英国探望宝宝。