《中英對照讀新聞》Shoppers want long Sunday hours 購物者希望星期天商店營業時間加長

◎鄭寺音

New research suggests more than half of consumers want shops to open for longer on Sundays.

新研究顯示，超過半數消費者希望商店星期日開店時間加長。

The findings come from a YouGov poll carried out for the My Sunday My Choice campaign, which wants the Sunday trading laws to be deregulated.

這項發現來自YouGov為「我的週日選擇」進行的民調。「我的週日選擇」組織希望解除週日貿易法的限制規定。

The government is currently reviewing the restrictions on trading, which let shops open for six hours on a Sunday.

政府目前正在檢討現行讓商店週日開店6小時的相關貿易限制。

Under the Sunday Trading Act 1994, large shops over 280 square metres may only open for six continual hours between 10am and 6pm on Sundays, excluding Easter Sunday, when they must remain closed.

根據1994年的週日貿易條款，超過280平方公尺的大型商店，週日只能在上午10點到下午6點之間持續營業6小時，唯獨復活節週日必須關門。

David Ramsden, chairman of Deregulate, the group behind the campaign, said： "A change to the Sunday trading law is something that consumers want."

推動此活動的組織「解除管制」的主席大衛．朗斯登說：「改變週日貿易法的規定，是消費者想要的。 」

"When Sunday opening was originally permitted in 1994 the opening hours were more than adequate. But society has changed over the past 12 years and today、s consumer lives a busier life and needs more flexibility and choice," he said.

「1994年初次核准週日開店時，規定的開店時間多過所需。 但社會過去12年間有了改變，今天的消費者生活更忙碌，需要更多的彈性與選擇 ，」他說。

But a relaxation in the current rules is opposed by the Church of England and Usdaw, the union representing shopworkers.

但放寬現行規定，遭到英國教會與商店員工工會Usdaw的反對。

新聞辭典

deregulation︰名詞，動詞為deregulate，意指「解除對…的管制」。

adequate︰足夠的、適當的。例句：He sought for an adequate solution to the problem. （他尋求解決這個問題的適當辦法。）

relaxation︰名詞，緩和、放寬。例句：There must be no relaxation in our high standards. （我們堅持高標準，絕不容許有些微放鬆。）