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進入中英對照讀新聞》California votes to bar schools from starting before 8：30am 加州投票禁止學校早上8︰30前上課
加州議會投票通過禁止初中及高中在早上8時30分前上課，以給予學生更多睡眠時間。圖為加州洛杉磯天主教聖心中學學生慶祝校友女星馬克爾嫁入英國王室。（路透檔案照）
◎陳正健
California lawmakers voted Friday to bar middle and high schools from starting before 8：30 a.m. to help give students more sleep.
加州議員週五投票，禁止初中及高中在早上8時30分前開始上課，以協助給予學生更多睡眠。
The bill, SB328, narrowly passed in both chambers. If Gov. Jerry Brown signs the bill, schools will have about three years to comply. It would not apply to rural schools and mandate changes to school day lengths.
這項「SB328」法案在州議會兩院以些微差距通過。若州長傑瑞．布朗簽署該法案，學校將有約3年時間做出調整。新法不適用於鄉間學校，也不要求學校改變全天上課時間。
Supporters suggest that later start times make kids healthier by letting them get more sleep. However, opponents say local school boards, not the state, should determine start times.
法案支持者主張，晚一點上課讓孩子有更多睡眠時間，使他們更健康。然而，反對者認為，應由地方學校董事會自行決定什麼時候開始上課，而非州政府。
Nearly 80 percent of California middle and high schools started earlier than 8：30 a.m. in 2012. According to the National Sleep Foundation, students, especially teens, aren’t getting enough sleep. The average teenager needs between eight and 10 hours of sleep.
2012年，加州有將近80％的初中及高中早上8時30分不到就開始上課。美國國家睡眠基金會指出，學生並未獲得充分睡眠，尤其是青少年。青少年平均需要8到10小時睡眠。
新聞辭典
chamber：名詞，議院，議會。例句：There are two chambers in the British parliament.（英國國會有兩個議院。）
comply：動詞，遵守，順從，履行。例句：He was jailed for refusing to comply with the court order.（他因拒絕遵守法院命令而入獄。）
mandate：動詞，要求，命令。例句：The government should have mandated that these figures be made public.（政府應該下令將這些數據公諸於世。）
