《中英對照讀新聞》Tax on wooden chopsticks to save China's forests 木筷課稅以拯救中國的森林

◎ 魏國金

China's new-found environmental consciousness has hit home at the heart of its culture, with the government announcing a five per cent tax on disposable wooden chopsticks. The ministry of finance said chopstick production used up China's forests at a rate of 70 million cubic feet of wood a year.

隨著中國政府宣布對免洗筷課徵5%稅捐，中國新展現的環保意識，已觸及其文化核心要害。中國財政部表示，筷子的生產使得中國森林以1年7千萬立方英尺的用木速率消耗殆盡。

Chopsticks were not the only victim of the regulations, an early fruit of the government's new five-year plan, which stresses energy conservation, efficient use of resources and an end to the environmental despoliation that has accompanied its rapid growth. Wooden floor panels and even yachts, of which there are very few in China, will also fall victim to the consumption tax.

筷子不是這些規則唯一的犧牲品。該規範是政府新5年計畫的初步成果，而該計畫著重節能、有效利用資源與終止因快速成長而伴隨的環境剝削。木質地板、甚至在中國非常少有的遊艇，也列入這項消費稅的課徵範圍。

The five-year plan is a major effort by the government to re-order China's priorities after 25 years of dramatic economic growth, and spread some of the benefits to ordinary people. It is ironic that the first target should be the simple wooden chopsticks on which the nation's householders and cheap restaurants rely.

在歷經25年戲劇化的經濟成長後，這項5年計畫是政府為重新排序中國的發展優先性，與散佈部分利益給尋常百姓所做的重大努力。諷刺的是，第一個鎖定目標竟是這個國家家家戶戶與小本餐廳所依賴的木製筷子。

新聞辭典

hit home：打中要害、觸及要害。例句︰His criticism hit home. （他的批評切中要害。）

disposable wooden chopsticks：用過即丟的木製筷子，亦即免洗筷。

despoliation： 掠奪。

householder：住戶、家長。例句︰There are fifty householders in the neighborhood.（這個居民區有50戶住戶。）