社論精粹 美國墮胎問題 重返公堂
Leaders Abortion in America Back in court
墮胎問題的爭論或許會阻礙2016年大選，但最高法院應該駁回德州的限制墮胎法案
It may poison the 2016 election, but the Supreme Court should strike down Texas's restrictive abortion law
美國明年總統大選的爭議似乎還不夠，最高法院也來湊湊熱鬧，竟決定在2016年對墮胎問題做出20年來最重要的裁決。
AS if next year's presidential election were not shaping up to be contentious enough, the Supreme Court has picked 2016 to issue its most consequential ruling on abortion in 20 years.
此舉將為墮胎與反墮胎的論戰注入新動力，這場文化道德鬥爭在美國國家政治舞臺上活躍了將近半個世紀，愈演愈烈，至今仍懸而未決。
This will add fresh impetus to a cultural battle that has raged, unresolved, on America's national stage for almost half a century.
鬥爭雖令人遺憾，
That is regrettable.
但也是必要的。
It is also necessary.
現在問題的爭議點在於德克薩斯州議會通過的一項名為HB2的法案是否符合憲法。
At issue is whether a law passed by the Texas legislature called HB2 is constitutional.
德州政府針對墮胎診所頒布了大量政策條規，目的就在於整垮它們（目前戰績相當不錯）。
The state has piled regulations on abortion clinics with the aim (so far rather successful) of closing them down.
最新數據顯示，德州的墮胎診所數量由2012年的41間逐漸減至18間。
The number of such clinics in the state has dropped from 41 in 2012 to 18 at the last count.
如果明年最高法院判定HB2符合憲法條陳，那麼診所的數量將進一步銳減。
If the court rules next year that HB2 is constitutional, that number will shrink further.
其他熱衷對墮胎實施法律約束的州將效仿此舉。
Other states keen to restrict legal access to abortion would follow suit.
現在美國已經有四個州全州只有一個墮胎診所，使得合法終止妊娠這一權利只空於理論，卻無實踐。
Already there are four that have only one clinic for the whole state, making the legal termination of a pregnancy a right that exists in theory but not in practice.
數十年來，絕大多數美國人告訴民意調查者們，在大多數情況下墮胎應該是合法的。
A clear majority of Americans have, for decades, told pollsters that abortion should be legal in most cases.
近來，微弱多數人認為20周以後墮胎違法，特殊情況除外。
More recently, a narrower majority has emerged for outlawing abortion after 20 weeks, with some exceptions.
妊娠中期前墮胎是合法的，不受任何限制的，之後墮胎則有法律約束，這與其他國家在墮胎問題上的折中點是類似的。
That position—access to abortion that is legal and unrestricted until late in the second trimester, with some restrictions thereafter—is not unlike the compromise reached in other countries.
英國更開化，規定懷孕24周以後禁止墮胎，除非繼續妊娠會危及母親生命或胎兒很可能會重度殘疾。
In more secular Britain abortion is banned after 24 weeks, with exceptions in cases where to continue the pregnancy would threaten the life of the mother, or where the child is likely to be severely disabled.
微信ID：The-Economists
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