English News News 6. Senate Approves Ban on Partial-Birth Abortion.

News 6.   Senate Approves Ban on Partial-Birth Abortion.

[WORDS]

  * prospect : n. 예상, 기대, 전망

  * comatose : a. 혼수상태의

  * pregnancy : n. 임신  -a. pregnant

  * abortion : n. 유산, 낙태

  * legislation : n. 법률, 법률제정

  * landmark : n. 역사적인/획기적인 사건

  * confer : v. 수여하다, 주다

  * (the) Supreme Court : n. 대법원

  * versus : (소송 경기 등에서) ···대(對), ···에 대한 ((略v., vs.))

  * hard-won : a. 이루기 어려운

  * fetus : n. n.태아 ((임신 3개월 후의))  cf.EMBRYO : 임신 8주까지의 태아

  * puncture : v. 구멍을 내다, 못쓰게 만들다

  * skull : n. 두개골, 해골

  * senator : n. 미국 상원의원

  * deform : v. 추하게 하다; 볼품없게 하다, 불구로 만들다; 【물리】 변형시키다;

  * at stake : a. ad. 내기에 걸려서; 위태로워(risked); 관련이 되어(concerned)

  * motive : n. 동기, 목적

  * overturn : v. 뒤집다, 전복시키다

  * abhorrent : a. 아주질색인, 싫어서견딜 수 없는

Good evening everyone. We begin tonight with a process of life and the prospect of death. Today in Florida, Governor Jeb Bush has acted to keep a comatose woman alive against the wishes of her husband and the courts, and we will get to that in a minute. The Senate has voted today to ban a certain abortion procedure which is most often used late in a pregnancy, and President Bush has said that he will sign the legislation. Both cases are undoubtedly headed back to the courts, but it is still something of a landmark day. We begin in Washington with the first federal ban on abortions since the right to abortion was conferred by the Supreme Court in Roe vs. Wade 30 years ago. Here's ABC's Linda Douglas.

  It is a hard-won victory for opponents of abortion rights who fought for 8 years to ban what they call 'partial birth' abortion. 'People in this country do not want children killed. They don't want that to take place.'

  The law would ban a procedure used after the third month of pregnancy that involves partially delivering a fetus and puncturing its scull. Some senators argue that it is usually intended for cases where the fetus is badly deformed.

  Polls show 60 percent of Americans want to ban the procedure except where the mother's health is at stake. The new law makes no exception for the mother's health. Some opponents of abortion rights say women have other motives. 'Not for the health of the mother, not for the life of the mother, but because the mother no longer wants the child.'

  Three years ago, the Supreme Court overturned a similar ban on so called 'Late term abortions', because it failed to protect the mother's health. Those opposed to abortion rights say they can only hope the court will have a change of heart.

  The President issued a statement today praising the Senate for ending what he calls an abhorrent practice, Peter, and he will sign it as you say at the end of this week when he returns from his trip.

  Many thanks to Linda Douglas on Capitol Hill. Several groups which oppose the ban passed today say they will challenge it in court as soon as it becomes law.