《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。）