Et in Alabama ego 外星人在亞拉巴馬星球

　　The state has come up with Americas harshestimmigration law該州實行美國最嚴移民法

　　THERE are few immigrants in Alabama, and evenfewer who are there illegally. Roughly 3% of thestates population is foreign-born, compared with12.5% nationwide, and many of those people arelegal immigrants. So in June, when Alabama passed the nations most draconian anti-immigration law, it struck many observers as a bit of an overreaction.

　　亞拉巴馬州的移民很少，非法移民更少。相比于全美外國出生人口12.5%的比重，該州只有大約3%，但其中很多是非法移民。因此，七月份當亞拉巴馬通過了全國最嚴格的反移民法，很多觀察人士大為驚訝，認為此舉有點反應過度。

　　Frustrated by long federal inaction, several states have taken immigration into their own handsin recent years. The Alabama law imitates those in some respects. Like Arizonas, it allows policeto ask people about their immigration status when questioning or arresting them. As inneighbouring Georgia, the penalties for employers who hire undocumented workers will bestiffened. But the Alabama law goes much further than either. It bars people from giving lifts intheir cars to undocumented immigrants, or doing them various other favours. Because of poorphrasing, it might even keep some legal migrants out of state universities. It also requiresschools to determine the legal status of pupils parents. That is startling; it coulddiscourage parents from enrolling their American-born children.

　　由于聯邦政府長時間在移民問題上的不作為，一些州近些年來已經把移民事宜握在了自己的手里。亞拉巴馬州的移民法在某些方面模仿了其他州的做法。和亞利桑那州一樣，該州法律將允許警察詢問或逮捕人時可以詢問其移民地位。與臨州佐治亞類似，新法將加強對雇傭未注冊工人的雇主懲罰。但是亞拉巴馬的移民法比兩者都更進一步。它禁止人們在路上搭乘未注冊移民，或者為其提供任何幫助。由于措辭含糊，甚至它還可能阻止部分合法移民進入州立大學。它還要求學校確認學生父母的合法地位。這個規定令人驚詫，它可能會打擊父母讓其在美國出生的孩子入學的積極性。

　　One of the primary complaints about the new law is pragmatic: if you are going to have illegalimmigrants, it would be best if they were not undereducated, vulnerable, and afraid of thecops. I would like people to come forward and report serious crimes, says Mary Bauer, thelegal director for the Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Centre . I think thatsin my interest.

　　對新法最主要的擔憂是實用主義的：既然你有非法移民，如果他們都受過良好教育、面對生活不脆弱、面對警察不害怕就最好不過了。我希望人們上我這來報告嚴重罪行。 位于蒙哥馬利的南方貧窮法律中心的法務總監Mary Bauer)說，我們就是干這個的。

　　The other main issue is that parts of the law, atleast, may be unconstitutional. Earlier this month theSPLC, along with several other civil-rights groups,filed a lawsuit. One plaintiff, Matt Webster, isadopting two undocumented boys. Federal law allowsthat, but the children do not gain legal status untilseveral years after the adoption is completed. In themeantime, if the law takes effect on September 1stas scheduled, Mr Webster would not be allowed todrive his children to school.

　　還有一個主要問題是該法的至少部分內容和憲法不一致。本月初南方貧窮法律中心與其他幾家人權團體聯合發起了一場訴訟。原告之一Matt Webster收養了兩名未注冊男孩。這符合聯邦法律規定，但兩男孩直到收養完成后好幾年之后才獲得合法地位。同時，如果新移民法按計劃于9月1日生效，Webster將不被允許將他的孩子送入學校。

　　In a speech this week Mike Hubbard, the speaker of the Alabama House and a sponsor of thebill, said that he understands that parts of the law may be struck down. That is what hashappened to such laws in other states. In Alabama, it might even be tacitly welcome. There wasno pressing public need for such a law, given how few immigrants are in the state, but somesaw it as good politics. Once the bill was written, Republicans, who control both chambers ofthe state legislature and hold all the statewide offices, could hardly vote against it withoutlooking like liberals. A setback from the courts would save Alabama the cost and trouble of fullimplementation, without embarrassing anyone. In fact, Republicans could claim to be victimsof federal meddling.

　　該法案的支持者、亞拉巴馬州議院議長Mike Hubbard在本周的一次演講中，對該法部分規定可能會作廢表示理解。這種現象也發生在其他州的相關法律中。在亞拉巴馬州，新法甚至可能會受人們心照不宣的歡迎。公眾對該法沒有迫切的需求，因為該州移民甚少，但一些人認為這是好政治。一旦該法案被通過，共和黨即使支配參眾兩院并掌握全國州所有公務員職位，但如果不采取自由派眼光或將很難通過投票將其廢除。一樁新法在法庭受挫的案件或許可以為亞拉巴馬省下由于完全實施該法產生的不少成本以及麻煩，并且不會讓任何人難堪。實際上，共和黨或許要成為聯邦干擾的受害者。

　　Et in Alabama ego 外星人在亞拉巴馬星球

　　The state has come up with Americas harshestimmigration law該州實行美國最嚴移民法

　　THERE are few immigrants in Alabama, and evenfewer who are there illegally. Roughly 3% of thestates population is foreign-born, compared with12.5% nationwide, and many of those people arelegal immigrants. So in June, when Alabama passed the nations most draconian anti-immigration law, it struck many observers as a bit of an overreaction.

　　亞拉巴馬州的移民很少，非法移民更少。相比于全美外國出生人口12.5%的比重，該州只有大約3%，但其中很多是非法移民。因此，七月份當亞拉巴馬通過了全國最嚴格的反移民法，很多觀察人士大為驚訝，認為此舉有點反應過度。

　　Frustrated by long federal inaction, several states have taken immigration into their own handsin recent years. The Alabama law imitates those in some respects. Like Arizonas, it allows policeto ask people about their immigration status when questioning or arresting them. As inneighbouring Georgia, the penalties for employers who hire undocumented workers will bestiffened. But the Alabama law goes much further than either. It bars people from giving lifts intheir cars to undocumented immigrants, or doing them various other favours. Because of poorphrasing, it might even keep some legal migrants out of state universities. It also requiresschools to determine the legal status of pupils parents. That is startling; it coulddiscourage parents from enrolling their American-born children.

　　由于聯邦政府長時間在移民問題上的不作為，一些州近些年來已經把移民事宜握在了自己的手里。亞拉巴馬州的移民法在某些方面模仿了其他州的做法。和亞利桑那州一樣，該州法律將允許警察詢問或逮捕人時可以詢問其移民地位。與臨州佐治亞類似，新法將加強對雇傭未注冊工人的雇主懲罰。但是亞拉巴馬的移民法比兩者都更進一步。它禁止人們在路上搭乘未注冊移民，或者為其提供任何幫助。由于措辭含糊，甚至它還可能阻止部分合法移民進入州立大學。它還要求學校確認學生父母的合法地位。這個規定令人驚詫，它可能會打擊父母讓其在美國出生的孩子入學的積極性。

　　One of the primary complaints about the new law is pragmatic: if you are going to have illegalimmigrants, it would be best if they were not undereducated, vulnerable, and afraid of thecops. I would like people to come forward and report serious crimes, says Mary Bauer, thelegal director for the Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Centre . I think thatsin my interest.

　　對新法最主要的擔憂是實用主義的：既然你有非法移民，如果他們都受過良好教育、面對生活不脆弱、面對警察不害怕就最好不過了。我希望人們上我這來報告嚴重罪行。 位于蒙哥馬利的南方貧窮法律中心的法務總監Mary Bauer)說，我們就是干這個的。

　　The other main issue is that parts of the law, atleast, may be unconstitutional. Earlier this month theSPLC, along with several other civil-rights groups,filed a lawsuit. One plaintiff, Matt Webster, isadopting two undocumented boys. Federal law allowsthat, but the children do not gain legal status untilseveral years after the adoption is completed. In themeantime, if the law takes effect on September 1stas scheduled, Mr Webster would not be allowed todrive his children to school.

　　還有一個主要問題是該法的至少部分內容和憲法不一致。本月初南方貧窮法律中心與其他幾家人權團體聯合發起了一場訴訟。原告之一Matt Webster收養了兩名未注冊男孩。這符合聯邦法律規定，但兩男孩直到收養完成后好幾年之后才獲得合法地位。同時，如果新移民法按計劃于9月1日生效，Webster將不被允許將他的孩子送入學校。

　　In a speech this week Mike Hubbard, the speaker of the Alabama House and a sponsor of thebill, said that he understands that parts of the law may be struck down. That is what hashappened to such laws in other states. In Alabama, it might even be tacitly welcome. There wasno pressing public need for such a law, given how few immigrants are in the state, but somesaw it as good politics. Once the bill was written, Republicans, who control both chambers ofthe state legislature and hold all the statewide offices, could hardly vote against it withoutlooking like liberals. A setback from the courts would save Alabama the cost and trouble of fullimplementation, without embarrassing anyone. In fact, Republicans could claim to be victimsof federal meddling.

　　該法案的支持者、亞拉巴馬州議院議長Mike Hubbard在本周的一次演講中，對該法部分規定可能會作廢表示理解。這種現象也發生在其他州的相關法律中。在亞拉巴馬州，新法甚至可能會受人們心照不宣的歡迎。公眾對該法沒有迫切的需求，因為該州移民甚少，但一些人認為這是好政治。一旦該法案被通過，共和黨即使支配參眾兩院并掌握全國州所有公務員職位，但如果不采取自由派眼光或將很難通過投票將其廢除。一樁新法在法庭受挫的案件或許可以為亞拉巴馬省下由于完全實施該法產生的不少成本以及麻煩，并且不會讓任何人難堪。實際上，共和黨或許要成為聯邦干擾的受害者。