The Homosexual Family

　　Although many people do not think of homosexual relationships as resulting in a family, it has been estimated that about one of five gays and one of three lesbians enter a homosexual marriage. The marriage may or may not be established by a formal ceremony. One male couple , for example , after four months of cohabitation3, went to Mass4 and let the service be their private ceremony of commitment. They used the term marriage to describe their relationship. They bought matching rings and verbally agreed to be sexually faithful, to emotionally support each other, and to have equal say in such matters as finances.

　　Moreover, millions of gays and lesbians have had children. In many cases, the children were born when the individual was part of a heterosexual marriage . Subsequently, the individual openly acknowledged his or her homosexual preference. Some of these children are being raised in a homosexual family — two men, two women, or some other arrangement. For example, Nancy is a lesbian who is raising a daughter with two gay males, one of whom is the child’s father.

　　Homosexual couples have to work through the same problems as heterosexual couples. They face issues of household division of labor, power, sexual relationships, and money. In addition, like the interracial couple , they face problems arising from being in a socially stigmatized relationship. Gallup polls5 that asked the American public whether homosexual relations between consenting adults should be legal have found an increasing proportion from the mid-1970s to the late 1990s who said that they should not be legal. Homosexual families, then, must not only deal with the same issues as other families but also with a hostile environment and with some problems that are unique to6 the homosexual relationship .

　　閱讀自測

　�、�. Are these statements True or False according to the article ?

　　1. Like heterosexual marriage, homosexual marriage must go through a formal ceremony.

　　2. Most of the children of homosexuals are adopted from other places.

　　3. Homosexual couples just have to confront the same problems as heterosexual couples.

　　4. Homosexual couples have to overcome various problems and still have a long way to go .

　　5. From the mid-1970s, homosexual marriages are gradually accepted by our society.

　�、�. Choose the best answer to fill in the blanks :

　　1. The tax increases in ______to the amount you earn.

　　A. accordance B. proportion C. ratio D. scale

　　2. There are some matters ______ from the recent changes in the law.

　　A. raising B. happening C. arising D. rising

　　3. The father is not willing to consent ______ the marriage.

　　A. to B. from C. with D. in

　　參考答案

　�、�. 1. F 2. F 3 . F 4. T 5. F

　�、�. 1. B 2. C 3 . A

　　參考譯文

　　同性戀家庭

　　盡 管許多人認為同性戀關系不能使兩個同性戀者組成一個家庭, 但據估計大約每五個男同性戀者中就有一個會與同性結婚, 而每三個女同性戀者中則會有一個與同性結婚。同性戀者的婚姻關系也許會通過正式的儀式得以確認, 也許根本就不通過正式儀式。比如說, 一對男同性戀者同居四個月以后, 會去教堂望彌撒, 他們將這種宗教活動作為互相托付終身的私人儀式。他們用結婚這個詞來描述他們之間的關系。他們還買了情侶戒指, 信誓旦旦在性關系上忠于對方, 感情方面互為支持, 而且表示在家庭財政等方面擁有平等的發(fā)言權。此外, 許許多多的男女同性戀者都有孩子。在許多情況下, 這些孩子是同性戀者在以前的異性戀婚姻中的結晶。后來, 這個同性戀者在公開場合里承認了他或她的同性戀傾向。一些孩子在同性戀家庭里得到撫養(yǎng)——— 家里或有兩個男人, 或有兩個女人, 抑或是其他某種家庭構成。舉例來說, 南希是一名女同性戀者, 她與兩個男同性戀者共同撫養(yǎng)了一個女兒, 這兩個男同性戀中有一個人就是這個孩子的生父。

　　同性戀伴侶和異性戀伴侶一樣要克服相同的困難。他們要面對家庭勞動分工、家庭權力、性關系和金錢等問題。另外, 像那些與不同種族的人結合的伴侶一樣, 同性戀伴侶還要面對因社會對同性戀關系的歧視所引發(fā)的其他問題。曾有一次蓋洛普民意測驗, 調查美國公眾對情投意合的成年人之間的同性戀關系是否合法的觀點, 結果發(fā)現從20 世紀70 年代中期到90 年代末, 認為同性戀關系不合法的人數比例在不斷攀升。因此, 同性戀家庭不僅要應付與其他家庭相同的問題, 而且還要面對一個充滿敵意的社會環(huán)境, 并應付同性戀關

　　閱讀導評

　　著名性學家金賽說過:“任何在生物學上可能的事物其本身并不是內在有害的�！睆哪壳暗难芯拷Y果看, 同性戀幾乎存在于所有時代、所有社會、所有文化中。在今天, 問題的關鍵是社會能否給同性戀以及他們的婚姻以適度的寬容。

　　閱讀導釋

　　1. homosexual adj. 同性戀的。與之相對的是heterosexual ( 異性戀的) 。homosexual 可分為lesbian ( 女同性戀者) 和gay ( 男同性戀者) 。前綴homo- 意為“ 相同的”, 而hetero- 則意為“ 不同的”。

　　2. think of . .. as . . . 意為“ 把⋯⋯看作”, 意同regard . .. as . . . , as 后要跟名詞或動名詞, 如:018 I think of your action as a crime. ( 我認為你的行為就是犯罪。)

　　3. cohabitation n. 同居。cohabit 是其動詞形式, co- 是前綴, 意為“ 共同, 相互”, 如: co-star( 聯合主演) ; co-worker ( 同事, 幫手) 。habitation 則意為“居住, 住所”, 如: a place fit forhabitation ( 適于居住的地方) 。

　　4. 望彌撒。彌撒又稱圣餐( Eucharist) , 拉丁語missa 的音譯, 是紀念耶穌基督犧牲的宗教儀式。其形式雖從簡樸到精致繁復不盡相同, 但核心內容卻都是領受面餅和葡萄酒, 用面餅和葡萄酒表示耶穌的身體和血來祭祀他。

　　5. 蓋洛普民意測驗。蓋洛普( 1901—1984 ) , 美國統計學家, 民意抽樣調查( 即蓋洛普民意測驗) 創(chuàng)始人, 曾創(chuàng)建美國民意學會( 1935) 和不列顛民意學會( 1936) 。在1936 年美國總統大選時, 他成功地預言了羅斯福的當選, 從此名聲大振, 他的調查所由此成為世界上著名的民意調查機構。

　　6. be unique to 只有⋯⋯才有的, 如: special difficulties unique to blind people ( 只有盲人才會遇到的特殊困難) 。本文指只有同性戀才會面對的問題。

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