The Supreme Court dramatically advanced the struggle for gay rights Wednesday, ending the federal government's discrimination against same-sex spouses and authorizing the resumption of gay marriages in the nation's most populous state.

美国最高法院周三显著推动了为同性恋权利进行的斗争，结束了联邦政府对同性伴侣的歧视，授权在美国人口第一大州恢复同性婚姻。

In a pair of 5-4 decisions announced on the final day of the court's annual term, the justices struck down the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which had denied federal benefits to gay couples married under state law, and let stand a district-court ruling that Proposition 8, a 2008 voter initiative that ended same-sex marriages in California, is unconstitutional.

最高法院在年度开庭期的最后一天以五票赞成四票反对做出两项裁决。法官们推翻了1996年颁布的《婚姻保护法》(Defense of Marriage Act)，并维持了一家地方法院做出的“八号提案”(Proposition 8)违宪的裁决。《婚姻保护法》剥夺了依照州法律合法结婚的同性伴侣的联邦福利。“八号提案”是2008年加州公投通过的一项提案，该提案结束了加州的同性婚姻。

In striking down the Defense of Marriage Act, Justice Anthony Kennedy said Congress had no business undermining a state's decision to extend 'the recognition, dignity, and protection' of the marriage contract to same-sex couples.

在推翻《婚姻保护法》时，法官肯尼迪(Anthony Kennedy)说，一个州做出裁决，将对婚姻契约的认可、尊严和保护扩大到同性伴侣，对此美国国会无权破坏。

By excluding such couples from the rights and responsibilities of marriage afforded by more than 1,000 provisions of federal law, 'DOMA writes inequality into the entire United States Code,' Justice Kennedy wrote.

肯尼迪写道，美国联邦法律中有1,000多个条款涉及到婚姻的权利和义务，《婚姻保护法》剥夺了同性伴侣的此类权利和义务，这无异于将不平等写入了整部《美国法典》(United States Code)。

That violates the right to liberty protected by the Fifth Amendment, Justice Kennedy wrote, joined by liberal Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

肯尼迪与自由派法官金斯伯格(Ruth Bader Ginsburg)、布雷耶(Stephen Breyer)、索托马约尔(Sonia Sotomayor)和卡根(Elena Kagan)写道，这样做侵犯了《美国宪法第五修正案》(Fifth Amendment)所保护的自由权利。

President Barack Obama applauded the outcome. 'The laws of our land are catching up to the fundamental truth that millions of Americans hold in our hearts: When all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free,' he said in a statement. He directed cabinet secretaries to implement the ruling 'swiftly and smoothly.'

美国总统奥巴马(Barack Obama)对这一裁决表示赞扬。他在一份声明中说：我国的法律正在追赶众多美国人心中抱有的一个基本真理：当所有的美国人被平等对待时，无论他们是谁，他们爱什么人，我们所有的人都将更加自由。他指示内阁官员们迅速顺利地实施裁决。

The ruling means that same-sex couples lawfully married in their state can receive the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples, such as possible tax advantages by filing jointly, benefits for veterans' spouses and inheritance-tax exemptions.

这一裁决意味着在一州合法结婚的同性伴侣能够享受与异性伴侣同样的联邦福利，比如联合报税可能享受纳税优惠，退伍军人伴侣的福利以及免交遗产税。

When the Justice Department declined to defend the marriage law, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives hired its own attorney to do so. House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio), who championed that effort, said he was 'obviously disappointed.'

美国司法部拒绝为《婚姻保护法》进行辩护，于是共和党控制的众议院自己聘请了律师进行辩护。众议院议长、俄亥俄州共和党议员博纳(John Boehner)说，他显然很失望。博纳拥护禁止同性婚姻。

'A robust national debate over marriage will continue in the public square, and it is my hope that states will define marriage as the union between one man and one woman,' Mr. Boehner added.

博纳还说，围绕婚姻的全国性激烈论战将继续公开进行，我希望各州将把婚姻界定为一男一女的结合。