VOA慢速英语2014 WHO Anti-Smoking Measures Could Prevent 13 Million Deaths in China by 2050 落实世卫组织反吸烟措施可以预防中国数百万人死亡

 

WHO Anti-Smoking Measures Could Prevent 13 Million Deaths in China by 2050 落实世卫组织反吸烟措施可以预防中国数百万人死亡

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。

A new study finds that more than 13 million deaths could be prevented in China over the next 40 years if the country had stronger anti-smoking measures. But the study's authors say China has not taken many steps to control the use of tobacco. The study was published in the British Medical Journal.

一项新的研究发现，过去四十年，如果中国有严格的反吸烟措施，超过1300万人的死亡可以被避免。但该研究的作者表示，中国并未采取诸多措施来控制烟草的使用。这项研究发表在《英国医学杂志》上。

China signed the World Health Organization's international treaty on tobacco control in 2003, but it has not put in place many of the WHO's ideas to help people stop smoking. Experts say following with ideas could cut smoking by 40 percent before the year 2050. Without stronger anti-smoking measures, they could be 50 million tobacco-related deaths in the country over that time.

2003年，中国签署了世界卫生组织烟草控制国际条约，但它并未落实许多世卫组织的理念来帮助人们戒烟。专家称，遵循这些理念可以在2050年前将吸烟减少40%。如果没有严格的反吸烟措施，在同一时间段，可能会有5000万与烟草相关的死亡。

The authors of the study used a computer program called SimSmoke to make their predictions.

该研究的作者们使用一种叫做SimSmoke的计算机程序做出了他们的预测。

David Levy¹ works at Georgetown University's Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington D.C. He says China has one-third of the world's cigarette smokers². More than half of the men in China smoke.

戴维·利维（David Levy）就职于华盛顿特区乔治敦大学的伦巴狄癌症中心。他说，中国拥有世界烟民的三分之一。中国一半以上的男子吸烟。

Mr Levy say people often begin smoking without knowing it will harm their health. He says people in some countries smoke, because it makes them feel important.

利维先生表示，人们往往在不知道吸烟会损害健康的前提下开始吸烟。他说，一些国家的人们吸烟是因为这让他们觉得自己很重要。

"Smoking, you know, once it gets established and in many of the low- and middle income countries, you know there's kind of a prestige³ initially⁴ to smoking," Mr Levy said.

利维先生说，“一旦开始吸烟，你知道，在许多中低收入国家，最初吸烟都让人获得某种景仰。”

The WHO plan calls for a ban on smoking in all public places. It also calls for countries to place health warnings on cigarette containers, and offer programs to help people stop smoking. And it says there should be higher taxes on tobacco.

世卫组织计划要求在所有公共场合禁止吸烟。它还呼吁各国在香烟包装上印制健康警示，并提供帮助人们戒烟的项目。并称应该对香烟课以重税。

Experts say a 75 percent increase in cigarette taxes could save about 3.5 million lives, they say an end to cigarette advertising⁵ could save 2 million lives.

专家表示，烟草税提高75%可以挽救大约350万人。他们说，停止烟草广告可以挽救200万人。

After signing the WHO agreement, China placed a 12 percent tax on cigarettes, but the government did not force Chinese smokers to pay the tax.

在签订世卫组织协议后，中国出台了12%的烟草税，但并未强制中国烟民缴纳这一税种。

One of the authors of the new study is Teh-we Hu. He is a professor of public policy economics⁶ at the University of California Berkeley.

Teh-we Hu是这项新研究的作者之一。他是加州大学伯克利分校的一位公共政治经济学教授。

Professor Hu says China's cultural and society are changing. He said President Hu Jintao supports an ban on smoking in public. The President also wants people to stop giving cigarettes as gifts to officials and employers.

胡教授表示，中国的文化和社会正在发生改变。他说，胡锦涛主席支持在公共场合禁烟。胡主席还希望人们停止将香烟作为礼物送给官员和雇主。

Mr Hu says the most effective anti-smoking measures in China would be a large increase in the cigarette tax, but he does not expect that to happen soon.

胡教授表示，中国最有效的反吸烟措施就是大幅提高烟草税，但他预期这不会很快发生。

1 levy   

n.征收税或其他款项，征收额

参考例句：

• They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。
• A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。

2 smokers   

吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。

3 prestige   

n.声望，威望，威信

参考例句：

• Their products enjoy ever higher prestige in the world market.他们的产品在世界市场上享有越来越高的声誉。
• He has high prestige among the masses.他在群众中威信很高。

4 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

5 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

6 economics   

n.经济学，经济情况

参考例句：

• He is studying economics,which subject is very important.他正在学习经济学，该学科是很重要的。
• One can't separate politics from economics.不能把政治与经济割裂开来。