《中英對照讀新聞》Germany to ban smoking in public places from 2007 德國公共場所2007年開始禁菸
◎胡立宗
Germans may soon have to stub out their cigarettes before entering hospitals or city halls, the nation、s consumer affairs minister said recently, telling a Berlin weekly the government planned to ban smoking in public places starting next year.
德國人可能很快就得在進入醫院或市政廳前掐熄香菸,德國消費事務部長近日說,告訴柏林一家週刊,政府計畫從明年開始,禁止在公共場所抽菸。
Horst Seehofer told the Tagesspiegel am Sonntag the government would discuss a nationwide smoking ban in public places after it convenes following the summer break.
赫斯特.季霍夫告訴「週日每日鏡報」,政府在暑期休假之後復會,將會討論一項全國性的公共場所禁菸令。
"I am counting on having a ban in effect at some point in the course of 2007," Seehofer said.
「我預期在2007年中的某個時間點,這項禁令可以生效,」季霍夫說。
Germany is one of a dwindling number of European Union countries that does not have a nationwide smoking ban in either public spaces or bars and restaurants.
歐盟各國之中,尚未對公共設施或酒吧及餐廳下達全國性禁菸令的國家愈來愈少,德國就是這少數的幾個國家之一。
Seehofer complained that it was not acceptable that people can just light up in nursing homes, hospitals and other municipal buildings, calling a smoking ban "common sense, and necessary."
季霍夫抱怨,人們可以隨意在療養院、醫院及其他市立建築中點菸,實在讓人無法接受,他說禁菸令是「常識而且有其必要」。
新聞辭典
stub:動詞,掐熄(+out);名詞,菸蒂、存根。He forgot to stub out his cigarette before entering the opera house.(他忘記在進入歌劇院之前掐熄香菸。)
dwindling:正在減少的;動詞原形為dwindle,減少。Taiwan、s population is expected to dwindle after 2050. (台灣的總人口預計在2050年後開始減少。)