VOA慢速英语2012 Health Report - Russian Prime Minister Calls for Ban on Smoking in Public

 

Health Report - Russian Prime Minister Calls for Ban on Smoking in Public

健康报道 - 俄罗斯总理呼吁公共场合禁烟

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health Report in Special English.

这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。

Hundreds of thousands of Russians die every year from diseases linked to smoking. The country has one of the highest smoking rates in the world. The World Health Organization estimates that forty percent of adults in Russia smoke. That is about forty-four million people. The WHO says China leads the world in tobacco smoking rates. It says Russia is second.

每年有数十万俄罗斯人死于吸烟相关的疾病。该国是全球吸烟率最高的国家之一。世界卫生组织估计40%的俄罗斯成年人吸烟，大约为4400万人。世卫组织表示，中国吸烟率位居全球第一，俄罗斯第二。

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev wants to reduce the number of smokers¹ in his country. He has proposed a ban on smoking in public places by twenty-fifteen, and a ban on all tobacco advertising². And he wants to increase the country’s very low cigarette taxes -- in Russia, a pack of cigarettes can cost between one and two dollars.

俄罗斯总理梅德韦杰夫希望降低该国烟民数量。他提出2015年前禁止在公共场合吸烟，并禁止所有烟草广告。他还希望提高该国非常低的烟草税。在俄罗斯，一包香烟的成本在1到2美元之间。

Mr. Medvedev appeared in an Internet video about the issue. He said Russians must stop smoking. He said about ninety percent of Russian smokers begin smoking before they reach the age of twenty. He said smoking kills about four hundred thousand people in Russia each year. He likened the loss of life to a large city disappearing from the country’s map.

梅德韦杰夫在一则关于此问题的互联网视频中露面。他说俄罗斯人必须停止吸烟，大约90%俄罗斯烟民在20岁以前开始吸烟，俄罗斯每年大约有40万人死于吸烟。他将这一生命的损失比作一个大城市从俄罗斯地图上消失。

In the video, Mr. Medvedev also warned about the way smoking kills. He described long and painful deaths from cancer or emphysema, as well as sudden deaths from heart attack and stroke.

在视频中，梅德韦杰夫还对吸烟的致死方式提出了警告。他描述了癌症和肺气肿漫长而痛苦的死亡，以及心脏病发作和中风的突然死亡。

The number of Russian women who smoke has increased sharply in the past twenty years. In nineteen ninety-two about seven percent of Russian women smoked. Twenty-two percent do now.

过去二十年俄罗斯妇女吸烟人数大幅上升。1992年大约7%的俄罗斯妇女吸烟，现在到了22%。

Vladimir lives in Moscow. He supports the prime minister’s proposals to ban smoking in public.

弗拉基米尔（Vladimir）住在莫斯科。他支持总理在公共场合禁烟的提议。

Vladimir says he does not smoke and does not approve of people smoking in public places. However, many Russians say they will continue to smoke even if there is a ban. They say laws against smoking violate their right to make their own decisions about their health.

弗拉基米尔说，他不吸烟，也不赞成他人在公共场合吸烟。然而，许多俄罗斯人表示，即使有禁令他们也将继续吸烟。他们说，禁烟法侵犯了他们的健康自主权。

Prime Minister Medvedev says a bill putting the ban in place should be approved quickly.

梅德韦杰夫总理表示，应该迅速批准推出这一禁令的法案。

Mr. Medvedev says “I will be direct -- this document is important for every Russian.” A Russian health ministry³ official told the Interfax news agency that the government wants to cut the smoking rate in half.

梅德韦杰夫说：“我会直截了当，这个文件对每个俄罗斯人都很重要。”一位俄罗斯卫生部官员告诉国际文传通讯社，俄罗斯政府要把吸烟率降低一半。

The upper and lower houses of parliament must consider the bill. Many experts say the government does not have enforcement power even if lawmakers pass the measure.

俄罗斯议会上院和下院必须对该法案加以考虑。许多专家表示，即使立法者通过这一措施，政府也没有执行权力。

1 smokers   

吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。

2 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。