《中英對照讀新聞》India wields the axe on Her Majesty’s "laughable" laws 印度揮斧斬除女王陛下的「可笑」法令

◎顧佳欣

If you happen to unearth treasure worth even as little as 10 rupees (16 U.S. cents) in India, don’t even think of pocketing it - that’s because under a law introduced by the former British colonial rulers, it still belongs to "Her Majesty".

在印度，就算你剛好挖到價值僅10盧比（16美分）的寶藏，別肖想放到口袋—因為在前英國殖民統治者所引入的法律下，寶藏仍然屬於「女王陛下」。

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Now, however, the Treasure Trove Act of 1878 and nearly 300 other outdated laws are set to be repealed in the largest-ever cull of rules that make India one of the most puzzling places in the world to do business.

不過，現在包括1878年的寶藏法案及其他近300個過時的法律，即將遭逢史上最大規模的法律廢除，因為它們讓印度成為世界經商最令人困惑的地區之一。

New Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hoping that less regulation and faster decision-making will lift India from its ranking of 134 out of 189 countries on the World Bank’s ease of doing business table into the top 50 and attract investors.

新任總理莫迪正期望以更鬆的管制與更快的決策，將印度從世界銀行最易經商排行榜189國中的第134位，提升進入前50大並吸引投資人。

On the chopping block along with the Treasure Trove Act is an 1838 law that says property in an area of the former imperial capital of Calcutta can only be sold to the East India Company, which laid the foundations of the British Empire but ceased to exist more than 150 years ago. (Reuters)

與寶藏法案同樣被端上砧板的還有一項1838年的法律，指前帝都加爾各答地區的資產只能由東印度公司專售，東印度公司由大英帝國建立，但150年前即不復存在。（路透）

新聞辭典

unearth：動詞，（從地下）挖出、發掘、找到、發現。例句：They unearthed an old document to solve the mystery of this murder case.（他們找到了一份舊文件，以解開謀殺案的謎團。）

repeal：動詞，廢除（法令）、撤銷、取消，也可作名詞。例句：The society urges to repeal the year-end bonus of retired civil servants.（社會疾呼廢除退休公務員的年終慰問金。）

cease：動詞，停止、中止。例句：The president ordered to cease fire.（總統下令停火。）