《中英對照讀新聞》Honolulu targets ’smartphone zombies’ with crosswalk ban 檀香山用斑馬線禁令對付「智慧手機殭屍」

◎魏國金

A ban on pedestrians looking at mobile phones or texting while crossing the street will take effect in Hawaii’s largest city in late October, as Honolulu becomes the first major U.S. city to pass legislation aimed at reducing injuries and deaths from "distracted walking."

一項針對行人邊過馬路邊看手機或打簡訊的禁令，將於10月底在夏威夷最大城市實施，檀香山也成為第一座通過目的在於降低「走路分心」導致傷亡之法案的美國主要城市。

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The ban comes as cities around the world grapple with how to protect phone-obsessed "smartphone zombies" from injuring themselves by stepping into traffic or running into stationary objects.

在全球各城市窮於處理如何保護沉迷手機的「智慧手機殭屍」，免於進入往來車輛或撞上固定物體而受傷之際，這項禁令應運而生。

Starting Oct. 25, Honolulu pedestrians can be fined between $15 and $99, depending on the number of times police catch them looking at a phone or tablet device as they cross the street, Mayor Kirk Caldwell said.

自10月25日起，檀香山的行人端視他們過馬路時，被警察抓到看手機或平板電腦的次數，可被處以15至99美元不等的罰鍰，市長卡德威爾指出。

"We hold the unfortunate distinction of being a major city with more pedestrians being hit in crosswalks, particularly our seniors, than almost any other city in the county," Caldwell said. He signed the legislation on Thursday after it was passed in a 7-2 vote by the city council earlier this month. People making calls for emergency services are exempt from the ban.

「我們擁有令人遺憾的特點，就是我們是較多行人，尤其是我們的年長者，在斑馬線上被撞的主要大城，此狀況比這個國家幾乎任何其他城市還多，」卡德威爾說。在市議會本月初以7比2票通過該法案後，他於週四簽署該法，打電話給緊急救援單位的人則豁免於該禁令。

新聞辭典

grapple with：努力解決或應付。例句：She grappled with the problem for nearly two hours before she solved it.（她費盡心力近兩小時才解決問題。）

run into：撞上。例句：The car got out of control and ran into a median island.（這輛車失控並撞上中央分隔島。）

exempt from：被免除（豁免）的。例如，goods exempt from import duty（免徵進口稅的貨物。）