離開
進入《中英對照讀新聞》Norway lifts more than 100-year-old ban on begging 挪威解除逾百年禁乞令
◎張其賢
Oil-rich Norway has abolished a more than 100-yearold vagrancy law recently, making it legal to beg for money in the streets. In adopting the resolution,Parliament said begging was a relatively small problem and that the old law was virtually never enforced.
石油蘊藏豐富的挪威，最近廢除一項超過一百年的無業遊民法，使得在街頭討錢成為合法。國會在採納此一決議時表示，乞討相對於其它問題而言乃是小問題，而舊的法律其實從未執行過。
The Nordic country of 4.6 million people is rich on offshore oil production that makes it the world's thirdlargest exporter after Saudi Arabia and Russia. It has also been deemed the best country in the world to live in for five straight years by the U.N. Development Program.
挪威這個擁有460萬人的北歐國家，以近海石油生產致富，這項生產使它成為僅次於沙烏地阿拉伯和俄羅斯的世界第3大石油輸出國。它也連續5年獲得「聯合國開發計畫署」評定為全球最適合居住國家。
However, beggars, ususally drug or other substance abusers, are often seen sitting on sidewalks appealing for money in Norway's largest cities. Beggars who are legal residents of Norway qualify for welfare benefits,however for many their monthly allotment does not cover their expenses.
可是，在挪威最大的幾個城市裡，經常可以看到乞丐（通常是濫用毒品或其他麻醉品的人士）坐在人行道旁要錢。行乞者如果是挪威的合法居民，就有資格領取各項社會福利金，可是對許多乞丐來說，他們每個月的社福金並不足以支應開銷。
The Parliament resolution said that "begging should be decriminalized because those who beg are often in difficult life situations." It adds that "social welfare policies, rather than criminal policies, should be used to meet the challenges associated with begging."
國會決議文說，「乞討應當不算犯法，因為行乞者多半處於困難的人生處境當中。」決議文還說，「用來因應和乞討有關之各種挑戰的措施，應當是社福政策，而不是犯罪政策。」
新聞辭典
lift ban on A：片語，解除對A的禁令。例句：Under strong pressure from U.S., Japan has lifted ban on American beef recently （在美國強大壓力下，日本最近解除美國牛肉進口禁令）。
vagrancy：名詞，無業遊民。
decriminalize：動詞，除罪化，使（某種行為）不算犯法。例句︰Sex workers ask the government to decriminalize prostitution（性工作者要求政府將嫖妓除罪化）。
