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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
World's First Anti-Tobacco Treaty Goes into Force
国际第一个反烟草条约生效
The world's first treaty aimed at cutting tobacco-related deaths has come into force. The World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control becomes legally binding1 upon countries that have ratified2 the landmark3 agreement.
The World Health Organization says it believes the Tobacco Convention, the world's first international public health treaty, could save millions of lives. The WHO says tobacco is the second leading cause of preventable deaths globally after hypertension.
The WHO estimates that nearly five million people die prematurely4 every year from tobacco-related diseases. If current smoking trends are not reversed, the WHO warns by 2020, tobacco will kill 10 million people a year, 70 percent of them in developing countries.
The coordinator5 of the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Douglas Bettcher, says the treaty is a tool that, if properly implemented7, can curb8 the global tobacco epidemic9.
Douglas Bettcher: It is an historical moment and we are very confident that this treaty is going to save lives. It has already started off a powerful process globally and we are very confident that it is going to continue to do so and it is going to prove itself as a very effective public health tool to really curb this unacceptable burden of disease and death.
In all, 167 countries have signed the treaty. But, it is legally binding only for the 57 countries that have ratified it. The treaty sets standards and guidelines for tobacco advertising10, pricing and smuggling11. It also aims to limit non-smokers' exposure to other people's smoke.
Anti-tobacco activists12 are concerned that the treaty will be weakened because powerful countries such as the United States and China have not yet ratified it. However, they point out that some of the largest tobacco growers, such as India, as well as big cigarette-producing countries, such as Britain and Turkey, have become part of the treaty.
The director of the WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative, Vera Luiza da Costa e Silva says treaty provisions aim to dissuade13 children from smoking and helping14 adults to kick the habit.
Vera Luiza da Costa e Silva: The ban of advertising so as not to promote smoking propaganda, publicity15, sponsorship and promotion16. Measures to raise taxes and prices. One of the most important measures that I can describe is the measure that addresses smuggling, which is a big cause of increasing availability of cigarettes with small prices and cigarettes of totally unknown origin.
WHO officials accuse the tobacco industry of trying to subvert17 the treaty by pressuring countries not to ratify18 it. Leading tobacco companies, such as British-American Tobacco and Philip Morris, deny these charges. They are on record as saying that they believe the treaty is important and they support it.
Lisa Schlein for VOA News, Geneva.
注释:
ratify [5rAtifai] vt. 批准
estimate [5estimeit] v. 估计
prematurely [7premE5tjuEli] adj. 过早地
coordinator [kEu5C:dineitE] n. 协调者
propaganda [7prCpE5^AndE] n. 宣传
sponsorship [5spCnsEFip] n. 赞助
promotion [prE5mEuFEn] n. 推销
subvert [sEb5vE:t] vt. 破坏
1 binding | |
有约束力的,有效的,应遵守的 | |
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2 ratified | |
v.批准,签认(合约等)( ratify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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3 landmark | |
n.陆标,划时代的事,地界标 | |
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4 prematurely | |
adv.过早地,贸然地 | |
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5 coordinator | |
n.协调人 | |
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6 implement | |
n.(pl.)工具,器具;vt.实行,实施,执行 | |
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7 implemented | |
v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 );执行;贯彻;使生效 | |
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8 curb | |
n.场外证券市场,场外交易;vt.制止,抑制 | |
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9 epidemic | |
n.流行病;盛行;adj.流行性的,流传极广的 | |
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10 advertising | |
n.广告业;广告活动 a.广告的;广告业务的 | |
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11 smuggling | |
n.走私 | |
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12 activists | |
n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 ) | |
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13 dissuade | |
v.劝阻,阻止 | |
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14 helping | |
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的 | |
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15 publicity | |
n.众所周知,闻名;宣传,广告 | |
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16 promotion | |
n.提升,晋级;促销,宣传 | |
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17 subvert | |
v.推翻;暗中破坏;搅乱 | |
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18 ratify | |
v.批准,认可,追认 | |
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