《中英對照讀新聞》7-month-old baby gets the boot from local assembly session－7個月大的嬰兒被趕出地方立法機構的會議

◎張沛元

While politicians often follow in the footsteps of a parent and start their careers young, the presence of a 7-month-old boy in an assembly session here caused quite a stir.

儘管（日本）政治人物通常克紹箕裘，而且很年輕就踏入政壇，7個月大的男嬰現身此間立法機關的會議，還是引發一陣騷動。

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The tot in question was brought to a Kumamoto municipal assembly plenary session in the arms of his mother, assembly member Yuka Ogata, but was quickly removed.

被提及的這個孩子，被他的母親、市議員緒方夕佳抱在懷裡，帶到（熊本縣）熊本市議會全會上，但很快就被請出場。

"I wanted to highlight the difficulties facing women who are trying to juggle their careers and raise children," Ogata, 42, said after the session.

「我要藉此凸顯女性竭力兼顧事業與育兒所面臨的困境，」42歲的緒方會後表示。

The assembly’s rules do not have a clause prohibiting members from attending a meeting with an infant, according to the secretariat.

根據議會事務局的說法，議會規則並無禁止議員帶嬰兒出席會議的條文。

But the assembly refused to allow the baby to attend, regarding the infant as a visitor, and applying a rule that visitors must sit in the gallery.

但議會將這名嬰兒視為訪客，適用訪客必須坐在旁聽席的規定，拒絕該嬰兒出席。

Ogata was elected to the assembly in April 2015. She also has a 4-year-old daughter.

緒方在2015年4月當選熊本市議員，她還有一名4歲的女兒。

《新聞辭典》

get the boot：慣用語，被開除；被甩；被踢出組織機構；被趕回家。例句：He got the boot from his girlfriend.（他被女友甩了。）

follow in （one’s） footsteps：慣用語，追隨某人腳步（通常是家庭成員）。例句：He plans to follow in his father’s footsteps and joining the army.（他打算克紹箕裘，效法父親從軍。）

cause （quite） a stir：慣用語，引發騷動。