Court says California mall’s chat policy illegal 法庭裁示加州購物中心的聊天政策違法

 ◎張沛元
A Northern California appeals court has struck down a shopping mall’s policy barring people from approaching strangers to chitchat.
北加州的一個上訴法庭推翻一家購物中心的禁止民眾接近陌生人閒聊的政策。
The 3rd District Court of Appeal this week said the rules at Roseville’s Westfield Galleria violate the California Constitution’s free speech guarantee.
第3地方上訴法庭本週表示，羅斯維爾的魏斯特菲爾德購物中心的規定，違反加州州憲所保障的言論自由。
The mall prohibited people in its common areas from approaching people they didn’t know to talk unless the conversation was about business involving the mall or its tenants. The case arose after mall officials issued a citizen’s arrest of a 27-year-old pastor who tried to talk about his faith.
該購物中心禁止民眾在其公共區域內上前與他們不認識的其他人攀談，除非對話攸關該購物中心的生意或店家。本案的起因是一名27歲傳教士企圖與他人談論其信仰，結果遭到購物中心工作人員進行公民逮捕。
The appeals court says the policy effectively bars shoppers from chatting about the weather or offering directions.
上訴法庭表示，這項政策形同禁止消費者彼此間談論天氣或問路。
A spokeswoman for Westfield says the mall is considering appealing to the California Supreme Court.
魏斯特菲爾德購物中心的一名女發言人表示，該購物中心考慮上訴加州最高法院。
新聞辭典
strike something down：片語，法庭判決某規定或法律無效。例句：The higher court struck the ruling of the lower court down.（高等法院裁示地方法院的判決無效。）
prohibit someone from something：片語，禁止某人去做某事或接近某處。例句：State law prohibits children from this dangerous area while the machines are running.（州法禁止孩童在機器運轉時靠近此一危險區域。）
citizen’s arrest：名詞，公民逮捕，指公民發現罪犯可逕自將之逮捕扭送法院。例句：A group of peace campaigners have said that they were planning to attempt a citizen’s arrest of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at his book signing in London on Wednesday, which has now been cancelled.（一群和平倡議人士原本打算週三在英國前首相布雷爾的倫敦簽書會上對其進行公民逮捕，但該簽書會目前已取消。）