近日，美国阿拉巴马州（Alabama）议会通过了一项堪称美国最严反堕胎法案，禁止女性在怀孕期间的任何阶段堕胎，即使是性侵或乱伦的受害者也不例外。除非，女性的健康受到“严重”威胁才允许堕胎。
Alabama Governor Signs Abortion Bill. Here’s What Comes Next
The New York Times
Alabama's governor on Wednesday signed into law a measure to ban most abortions in the state. But the Legislature' approval and the governor's signature did not immediately outlaw the procedure, and it is far from clear when, or even if, the measure will ultimately take effect.
abortion
表示“人工流产，堕胎”，英文解释为“a medical operation to end a pregnancy so that the baby is not born alive”举个：
She decided to have an abortion.
她决定做人工流产。
近义词：
· termination除了有“结束，终止”的意思（he act of ending sth; the end of sth），还可以指“终止妊娠”（a medical operation to end the life of a developing child before it is born）
outlaw
表示“将…定为非法，全面禁止”，英文解释为“to completely stop something by making it illegal”举个：
The bill would have outlawed several types of guns.
这项法案将全面禁用几种枪支。
Here's a guide to what happened, and what is likely to happen next.
What did Alabama do?
The bill [that the Republican-controlled Legislature overwhelmingly passed] sought to prohibit abortions at every stage of pregnancy. It includes an exception for cases where a woman's health is at “serious” risk, but lawmakers rejected a proposal to add exceptions for cases of rape or incest.
incest
表示“乱伦”，英文解释为“ Incest is the crime of two members of the same family having sexual intercourse, such as a father and daughter, or a brother and sister.”举个：
Oedipus, according to ancient Greek legend, killed his father and committed incest with his mother.
据古希腊传说，俄狄浦斯杀死了父亲并与母亲乱伦。
Women who have abortions will not be prosecuted under the measure, but, if the courts allow the law to stand, doctors could be charged with a felony and face up to 99 years in prison for performing the procedure.
stand
熟词僻义，表示“（决定、法律或提议）继续有效”，英文解释为“If a decision, law, or offer stands, it still exists and has not been changed or cancelled.”举个：
Although exceptions could be made, the rule still stands.
尽管有可能有特例，但这条规则继续有效。
felony
表示“重罪”，英文解释为“In countries where the legal system distinguishes between very serious crimes and less serious ones, a felony is a very serious crime such as armed robbery.”举个：
He pleaded guilty to two felonies.
他承认犯了两项重罪。
A Senate vote on Tuesday night moved the proposal to Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, who signed the legislation on Wednesday afternoon.
“To the bill's many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians' deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God,” Ms. Ivey said in a statement.
be a testament to sth
表示“是…的证据，是…的证明”，英文解释为“proving or showing very clearly that something exists or is true”举个：
For him to win the game like that is a testament to his perseverance.
他能赢得那样的比赛证明了他的毅力。
sacred
表示“很重要的，神圣的，深受尊重的”，英文解释为“very important or greatly respected”举个：
Human life is sacred.
人的生命是神圣的。
But abortion services will still be available in Alabama for the time being. At the earliest, the measure will take effect in six months. Now bet on a race to the courthouse.
Supporters of abortion rights have promised to challenge the measure in court. The expected legal battle could stop the restrictions entirely, or at least substantially delay them.
“Alabama politicians will forever live in infamy for this vote, and we will make sure that every woman knows who to hold accountable,” said Staci Fox, the president of Planned Parenthood Southeast Advocates.
infamy
表示“声名狼藉；臭名昭著”，英文解释为“Infamy is the state of being infamous.”如：one of the greatest acts of infamy in history 历史上最臭名昭著的恶行之一。
“In the coming days, we will be mounting the fight of our lives — we will take this to court and ensure abortion remains safe and legal.”
mount
表示“组织；发动”，英文解释为“If you mount a campaign or event, you organize it and make it take place.”举个：
Friends of the Earth are mounting a campaign to monitor the illegal logging of trees.
“地球之友”组织正在发起监控非法伐木的运动。
The measure's architects are not just expecting a pitched debate in the courts; they are inviting one.
architect
表示“设计师；缔造者”，英文解释为“The architect of an idea, event, or institution is the person who invented it or made it happen.”举个：
He was the principal architect of the constitution.
他是该宪法的主设计师。
pitched
本义是指表示“倾斜的，有坡度的”，英文解释为“a pitched roof is sloping rather than flat”此处a pitched debate 指的是“一场激烈的争辩”，纽约时报2007年一篇讲希拉里和奥巴马电视辩论的文章也用了这一说法：A Pitched Debate: Clinton Hears It From Her Rivals.
还有类似的表达：pitched battle
1) 表示“阵地战，对阵战；群殴”（a big battle between armies or large groups of people）；
2) 表示“激烈的长期争执/辩论”（an angry and usually long argument），举个：
She wanted to avoid another pitched battle with her son.
她想避免和儿子再次激烈争论。
“-pitched”也有“在所指的水平（或程度）”的含义（at the stated level or degree），如：high-pitched/low-pitched分别表示“声调高/低的”（voice or sound is very high/low），如：a high-pitched voice/scream 高嗓音/高声的尖叫。
此外，pitch本身作名词，也有“（感情或活动的）激烈，强烈”（a strong level of feeling about something or a high level of an activity or a quality）的意思，举个：
The controversy reached such a pitch (=become so strong) that the paper devoted a whole page to it.
争论非常激烈，故而报纸用了整版来报道。
· a pitch of excitement/excellence/perfection表示“非常激动/极为优秀/十全十美”（=a high level of excitement/excellence/perfection）举个：
He screamed at her in a pitch of fury.
他生气极了，对着她大喊大叫。
The entire purpose of the law, they have said, is to persuade the United States Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 46-year-old ruling that recognized a constitutional right for a woman to end a pregnancy.
overturn
表示“（使）翻倒，（使）倾覆；打翻”，英文解释为“if you overturn something, or if it overturns, it turns upside down or falls over on its side”举个：
His conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal.
他的有罪裁决被上诉法院推翻了。
Roe v. Wade
罗诉韦德案（Roe v. Wade），是美国联邦最高法院于1973年对于妇女堕胎权以及隐私权的重要案例，对于妇女堕胎的问题，美国联邦最高法院承认妇女的堕胎权，受到宪法隐私权的保护。（维基百科）
Roe v. Wade was a landmark legal decision issued on January 22, 1973, in which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Texas statute banning abortion, effectively legalizing the procedure across the United States. The court held that a woman’s right to an abortion was implicit in the right to privacy protected by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Prior to Roe v. Wade, abortion had been illegal throughout much of the country since the late 19th century.
“This bill is about challenging Roe v. Wade and protecting the lives of the unborn, because an unborn baby is a person who deserves love and protection,” said Representative Terri Collins, a Republican who sponsored the legislation.
But on Wednesday, the governor acknowledged that “at least for the short term,” Alabama's law might be “unenforceable.” It could take years for any court challenges to be resolved.
unenforceable
表示“（规则或法律）无约束力的，无强制力的”，英文解释为“If a rule or law is unenforceable, it is impossible to force people to obey it.”
What female senators had to say about Alabama's abortion bill
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