VOA慢速英语2016 印度烟草行业抗议吸烟警示图片

AS IT IS 2016-05-16 India Tobacco Industry Protests 1 Picture Warnings 印度烟草行业抗议吸烟警示图片

The tobacco industry in India is fighting a new government rule for cigarette containers, or packages. The new rule requires cigarette makers 2 to print large warnings that include images, on cigarette packages.

印度烟草行业最近对政府一项新规定表示不满，新规定中要求所有香烟制造商都要在香烟盒子上印大幅禁烟图标。

Those in the tobacco industry say the measure will hurt the business of more than 45 million farmers. They also say it will lead to an increase in the sale of illegal cigarettes.

烟草行业表示：此举将会损害4500多万农民利益，也会导致非法香烟销量增加

Health officials say tobacco causes about 1 million deaths a year in India.

健康部门表示：每年，印度吸烟致死人数超过100万

The government has ordered manufacturers 3 to cover 85 percent of the front and back of cigarette packages with images -- such as diseased lungs. The images are designed to discourage smoking.

政府要求生产商在香烟包装盒的正反面85%面积都印上类似“烟肺”一类的图片，用来鼓励人们戒烟

Current Indian law requires warnings on 40 percent of just the front of the packages.

印度现行法律要求吸烟有害警示面积要占到包装盒正面的40%

Earlier this week, India's Supreme 4 Court ruled against a request to stop the new rule from going into effect. The government announced the new rule on April 1.

本周，印度最高法院驳回了废除新规定的请求。政府于4月1日颁布的新规定

The court ordered tobacco companies to obey the new rule.

最高法院要求烟草公司遵守政府新法规

However, the court also directed a lower court to hear more than 25 petitions 6 from big tobacco companies. These petitions are in different courts and dispute 7 the new guidelines 8.

但是，最高法院指示下级法院至少听取来自大型烟草公司25条上诉。这些上诉分别由不同法院受理，批评新法律不合理

One point-of-view: Tobacco industry

烟草行业怎么说：

Representatives from the tobacco industry feel hopeful about the petitions in the fight over the rule. The Tobacco Institute of India represents large tobacco companies, such as ITC and Godfrey Philips. The group placed large advertisements in newspapers the day after the court ruled.

来自烟草公司的代表对于达成上诉中的请求充满希望。印度几个最大的烟草公司，例如ITC和Godfrey Philips组成了烟草机构。在最高法院宣布判决结果之后第二天，这几家公司就在报纸上登出了大幅广告

The advertisements note that the United States does not require such picture warnings. The ads also state that current warnings, such as the words "Smoking Kills," are enough to discourage people from smoking.

广告中强调：美国从来没有要求香烟公司在烟盒上印警告图片，还说现有的包装警告上写的“吸烟致人死亡”已经足够抑制人们吸烟的欲望了。

The Institute says that the more severe warnings will lead to an increase in the sale of illegal cigarettes. These illegal cigarettes come from countries that do not have such severe rules about warning labels.

该机构表示：增加更多严厉的警告只会导致非法香烟销量激增。因为这些非法香烟来自其他国家，上面往往没有类似的禁烟标识

Tens of thousands of tobacco sellers 9 and farmers are also protesting 10 the new rules. They say they are worried about the effects the new warnings will have on tobacco sales.

数万烟草经销商和种植户也反对新规定。他们担心新规定会影响烟草的销量

Chengal Reddy is head of the Federation 11 of Farmers Association 12 in India. He told VOA that farmers are not opposed to reducing tobacco crops. However, Reddy says, farmers need something else to plant.

Chengal Reddy是联邦农民协会的会长。他告诉VOA：农民其实不反对烟草减产，但是前提是他们要有别的东西可以种

"As a farmer, I am not in a position to do research and go into policy issues. It is the responsibility of the government. When they say a crop is bad, they should show me alternatives. That is their responsibility.”

“作为农民，我没有做研究和制定政策的权利和义务。这些都是政府的责任。他们说种烟草不好，那就给我找个可替代作物让我种植呀。因为这是他们的义务”

India is among the world's top tobacco producers. Tobacco plants grow well throughout several states in India. Farmers are threatening to increase their protests.

印度是世界上最大的烟草生产国。印度几个省份烟草种植业都发展很好。现在农民有了危机感，抗议的更加起劲了

Another point-of-view: Health advocates

健康人士怎么说：

Health advocates in India say they are happy with the ruling. They have long pushed for stronger warnings on packaging.

印度健康人士表示看到新规定实施自己感到很高兴。长期以来，他们希望香烟包装盒上警告字样更加抢眼点

Half of the population in India is under the age of 25. And many people cannot read. As a result, health advocates believe the images may work better than words of warning.

印度有一半以上人小于25岁而且许多人不认字。因此，健康人士认为包装盒上印禁烟图片比印禁烟文字要有效的多

Discouraging the use of tobacco

戒烟

India has taken many steps to discourage the use of tobacco. Last year India raised taxes on tobacco products. And in April, the Indian capital New Delhi banned the sale of chewable tobacco. Chewable tobacco can cause mouth cancer. India has banned advertisements of tobacco products. It also banned smoking in public although that law is not enforced 13.

印度已经采取和许多行动鼓励戒烟。去年，印度抬高烟草税。4月，印度首都新德里开始禁止销售可嚼烟草。因为可嚼烟草会导致口腔癌。印度还禁止烟草公司打广告。印度禁止在公共场合吸烟，但是没有强制执行

A World Health Organization study says tobacco-related diseases 14 cost India about $22 billion in 2011.

世卫组织研究表明：2011年，印度在与吸烟有关疾病上花费了大约220亿美元。

Words in This Story

discourage -– v. to try to make people not want to do (something)

petition 5 -– n. a formal written request made to an official person or organization

advertisement -– n. something that is shown or presented to the public to help sell a product or to make an announcement

alternative ---– n. something that can be chosen instead of something else : a choice or option

advocate -– n. a person who works for a cause or group