文：社会乔

｢Colombia’s Constitutional Court struck down a law banning mothers-to-be, whether divorced or separated from their partners, from remarrying before they give birth. Under the law, which dated back to a 19th century civil code, pregnant women whose marriages had been annulled and even those who were widows had to give birth before they could marry again. It also established a 270-day “waiting period” for women who wanted to remarry, even if they swore they were not bearing a child, just to make sure they showed “no signs of pregnancy”. “This was an irrational law and it violated women’s rights”, said court justice Antonio Barrera Carbonell. “The purpose of this law was to dispel doubts about the paternity, but today, scientific tests can determine that. It was obsolete and belonged to the 19th century.” ｣

Vocabulary

annulled，vt, 废除、取消。

dispel, vt, 驱逐、消除、驱散。

paternity，n，父亲的身份。

obsolete，adj, 陈旧的，过时的。

Phrases

struck down, 废除。

mothers-to-be, 孕妇、准妈妈。

give birth to, 生产。

under the law, 该法律下。

civil code, 民法。

bear a child, 怀有小孩。

法律需要与时俱进，人也需要与时俱进。