新奇事件簿 英国大学新规定—不得鼓掌（在线收听）

A university in the UK has voted to replace hand clapping with 'jazz-hand waving'. The University of Manchester Students' Union voted in favor of replacing clapping with 'jazz hands' to respect people who can be negatively affected by loud noise. The jazz hands action is the British Sign Language's form of clapping. It is simply the practice of waving one's hands in the air. Students' Union spokeswoman Sara Khan said the vote was taken out of respect for many people who are affected by loud noise, which includes clapping and cheering. She said many people with conditions like autism, sensory issues and deafness tend to avoid public events because of loud clapping and cheering.

英国一所大学投票决定用‘爵士挥舞手势’代替鼓掌。曼彻斯特大学学生会投票支持用‘爵士手势’代替鼓掌以尊重那些受到吵闹噪音影响的人。爵士手势在英国手语的鼓掌手势。就是在空中挥舞着你的手。学生会发言人萨拉·卡恩表示投票是出于对那些受吵闹噪音影响的人的尊重，这些噪音包括鼓掌和欢呼。她说很多患有孤独症、感官问题和听力不佳的人会避开这种公共场合，因其吵闹的鼓掌和欢呼声。

The vote has sparked a lot of criticism online. British broadcaster Piers Morgan tweeted that, "Britain is losing its mind". The debate even reached as far as the USA, where former Florida governor Jeb Bush tweeted: "Not cool, University of Manchester. Not Cool." Representatives of the Students' Union hit back, saying they represent the majority of students' views at the university. The Union said: "The policy was passed to encourage the use of British Sign Language clapping during our democratic events to make those events more accessible and inclusive for all." It added: "We are not banning audible clapping. We understand that some people may be more comfortable to continue using it."

投票在网上引起了批评。英国播报员皮尔斯·摩根在推特上写到，“英国疯了。”这场争论甚至传播到了美国，前佛罗里达州州长杰布·布什发推特称：”曼彻斯特大学这样可不行。一点都不酷。”学生会代表予以回击称，他们代表大学大部分学生的观点。学生会表示：“政策的通过是为了鼓励大家在国内盛事期间使用英国手语鼓掌手势让那些盛事更加包容，让所有人都能参与其中。”其还称：”我们不会禁止听得见声音的鼓掌。我们理解对一些人而言鼓掌让他们更舒适。”