2015年经济学人 拳击立法 虽有风险各国还是逐渐放开职业拳击

拳击立法 虽有风险各国还是逐渐放开职业拳击

FIRST Sweden in 2007, then Cuba in 2013, and now Norway have left the small club of countries that ban professional boxing.

The centre-right coalition² in power since 2013 promised to cut taxes and red tape—and to let Norwegians indulge in pastimes its predecessors³ deemed too dangerous, including cheaper wine and spirits, jetskis and Segways.

And last month 33 years without pro¹ boxing came to an end, leaving Iceland with the Nordic region's sole boxing ban.

Health concerns lay behind the Norwegian ban. (Cuba had considered the violence—and prize money—incompatible with Marxism.)

The World Medical Association has long called for the sport to be outlawed⁴ everywhere.

But Norway's pugilists are delighted, as they can fight at home and earnings⁵ will rise.

A champ unable to throw a punch in her own country probably did more than a new government's reforming zeal⁶ to end the ban. Cecilia Braekhus (pictured), a former champion kickboxer, turned to the sport in 2003.

Undefeated in her 27 pro matches to date, in September she became the first Norwegian, and first woman, to hold all major world-title championships in her class (welterweight). In 2012 she was named Norway's sports personality of the year. A favourite of the country's sports pages and tabloid⁷ press, she freshened up boxing's battered⁸ image—and made it a symbol of the fightback against the Nordic nanny state.

1 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

5 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

6 zeal   

n.热心，热情，热忱

参考例句：

• Revolutionary zeal caught them up,and they joined the army.革命热情激励他们，于是他们从军了。
• They worked with great zeal to finish the project.他们热情高涨地工作，以期完成这个项目。

7 tabloid   

adj.轰动性的，庸俗的；n.小报，文摘

参考例句：

• He launched into a verbal assault on tabloid journalism.他口头对小报新闻进行了抨击。
• He believes that the tabloid press has behaved disgracefully.他认为小报媒体的行为不太光彩。

8 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。