New York considers calls for smoking ban in parks, beaches 紐約考慮要求公園與海灘禁菸

◎張沛元

New Yorkers may be reduced to hiding in the bushes to smoke if new rules go through on lighting up outdoors.

倘若有關戶外抽菸的新規定過關，紐約客恐怕得躲到灌木叢裡抽菸。

Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s health commissioner, Thomas Farley, declared Monday he wants to take the war on smokers to the city’s beaches and parks.

紐約市長麥可．彭博的衛生局長，湯瑪斯．法利週一宣布他要對該市的海灘與公園的菸槍開戰。

Smoking has been illegal in offices, train stations and other indoor public places since 2003, forcing the Big Apple’s approximately one million smokers to head outdoors.

辦公室、車站與其它室內公共區域已自2003年起禁菸，迫使大蘋果的約100萬名癮君子遁往室外。

But Farley’s proposal to "expand smoke-free spaces to include city parks and public beaches" would mean there were even fewer places to light up.

但法利的「擴大禁菸空間以納入市立公園與公共海灘」的提議，意味能點菸的地方更少了。

It was not immediately clear whether the measure would need city council approval before going through. Although Bloomberg’s 2003 ban proved popular, he is criticized by many for attempting to erect a nanny state.

目前並不清楚這項措施是否需要市議會同意才能實施。儘管彭博的2003年禁菸令已被證明廣受歡迎，但他也被許多人批評意圖建立一個保母國家。

新聞辭典

call for（someone or something）：片語，需要或要求（某事或某人的服務）。例句：The job calls for someone with at least 2 years of experience in a relevant field.（這份工作需要至少有兩年相關領域的經驗。）

go through：片語，正式接受或批准。例句：We’re hoping that the proposal for the new bridge won’t go through.（我們希望那個新橋樑提案不會過關。）

nanny state：保 母國家，意指政府對於控制人民的福祉很感興趣，特別是實施廣泛的公共衛生與安全規定。例句：Outside of Singapore, few nations are willing to openly embrace Nanny State status.（在新加坡之外，很少有國家願意公開主張保母國家。）