VOA慢速英語:Tobacco Forces Still Strong

This is the VOA Special English HEALTH REPORT.

這里是美國之音慢速英語健康報道。

This month, the Australian High Court ruled in support of a law that bars tobacco companies from putting their logos or colors on cigarette packages. The European Union is considering a similar ban. But a recent international study showed that some countries do little to control tobacco use. It found that the tobacco industry still has a strong influence on tobacco use around the world.

本月，澳大利亞高等法院裁定支持一項禁止煙草公司在香煙包裝上印刷商標(biāo)與顏色的法律(即煙草平裝法)。歐盟也正在考慮類似的禁令。但最近的一項國際研究表明，一些國家在控制煙草使用上所做甚少。研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，煙草業(yè)對全球煙草使用仍然具有很強的影響力。

Study organizers examined information about three billion tobacco users worldwide. They looked closely at tobacco use in fourteen low- and middle-income countries. They compared this information with tobacco use in two developed countries – the United States and Britain.

該研究主辦單位審查了全球約30億煙民的信息。他們認(rèn)真研究了14個中低收入國家的煙草使用情況，并將此信息與美國、英國這兩個發(fā)達(dá)國家進(jìn)行了對比。

Gary Giovino is with the University of Buffalo School of Public Health and Professions in New York State. He also was the lead researcher in the study.

Gary Giovino就職于紐約州立大學(xué)布法羅分校的公共衛(wèi)生學(xué)院，他也是這項研究的首席研究員。

GARY GIOVINO: "Tobacco contributes an enormous burden to the health care system in developed countries, and that scenario will play out in the not-too-distant future in low- and middle-income countries. It already has in many countries -- in India, for example."

他說：“煙草對發(fā)達(dá)國家的醫(yī)療體系造成了巨大的負(fù)擔(dān)，這種情況不久也會在中低收入國家也會出現(xiàn)，而且這已經(jīng)在很多國家出現(xiàn)，例如印度。”

The study found that China has three hundred million tobacco users -- more than any other country. India was second, with almost two hundred seventy-five million tobacco users. Dr. Giovino says the researchers found powerful pro-tobacco forces were active even in elementary schools.

研究發(fā)現(xiàn)中國有三億煙民，比任何國家都多。印度以近2.75億煙民位居第二。Giovino博士表示，研究人員甚至在小學(xué)中發(fā)現(xiàn)了強大的親煙草勢力。

GARY GIOVINO: "The China National Tobacco Company has supported elementary schools in China – dozens and dozens of them. And they use their support to promote propaganda about tobacco use, and they are basically telling students that genius comes from hard work and tobacco helps them to be successful. That to me is mind-boggling, that a government would tell its children to use tobacco to be successful when tobacco will addict them and shorten their lives.

他說：“中國國家煙草公司贊助了許多國內(nèi)的小學(xué)。他們利用這種贊助促進(jìn)煙草使用的宣傳，基本上他們會告訴學(xué)生，天才來自勤奮，煙草助其成功。這對我來說是令人難以置信的，政府竟然會告訴其兒童使用煙草來獲取成功，而煙草會讓他們上癮并短命。

The study showed that governments and social traditions in many countries are open to influence from pro-tobacco forces. So the Australian court decision is considered important in supporting those fighting to control tobacco use. Jonathan Lieberman directs the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer in Australia.

研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，許多國家的政府和社會傳統(tǒng)對親煙草勢力的影響保持開放姿態(tài)。所以澳大利亞法院的裁定被認(rèn)為在支持控制煙草使用的這些斗爭中極其重要。喬納森·利伯曼(Jonathan Lieberman)是澳大利亞麥凱布法律和癌癥中心負(fù)責(zé)人。

JONATHAN LIEBERMAN: "It shows to everybody that the only way to deal with the tobacco industry's claims, sabre rattling, legal threats, is to stare them down in court. It's a fantastic decision for public health in Australia and globally."

利伯曼：“這讓大家看到，應(yīng)對煙草行業(yè)的主張，張牙舞爪，法律威脅的唯一辦法就是在法庭上震懾住它。這對澳大利亞和全球公共衛(wèi)生來說是一個夢幻般的裁決。”

The study found that, unless urgent action is taken, about a billion people will die early in this century as a result of tobacco use. On average, each of them will lose fifteen years of life.

研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，除非采取緊急行動，否則本世紀(jì)該國會有大約10億人因為吸煙早逝，平均而言每人會失去15年壽命。