VOA标准英语2008年-France Institutes Smoking Ban in Restaurants

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
02 January 2008

The French government has begun enforcing the country's new smoking ban in bars, restaurants and other public places. The ban has left some French delighted and others grumbling¹. Lisa Bryant reports from Paris the ban is part of a greater European crackdown on smoking in public places.

This corner bar in northern Paris is normally packed at midday with people drinking a quick cup of coffee or a beer before heading to lunch. But it is almost empty this Wednesday, the day that France's smoking ban is first being enforced.

Asked what he thought business would be like, the bartender shrugs². He says times will be difficult, and the law will be terrible for bar and restaurant owners. Before the ban, he says, nobody complained about the smoke at the bar.

Under the new law, those caught smoking in bars, restaurants and cafes will be fined the equivalent of $93, while cafes that look the other way face a nearly $200 penalty.

Europe as a whole is cracking down on smoking, with similar bans already in place in Britain and Ireland. New anti-smoking laws also took effect in eight German states on January 1.

But many French smokers³ are outraged⁴ by the ban, and some fear that the country's famed smoke-filled cafes may become endangered. Even some non-smokers, like Carlos Fredo, a regular at the northern Paris bar, is staunchly opposed to the ban.

Fredo says he has never had a problem with smoke in the bar because there was a non-smoking area, which is also relatively⁵ new for France. He does not believe the legislation will cut down on the country's smoking habits.

But Anna Atlan, watching her children ride a merry-go-round a few blocks from the bar, disagrees.

Atlan says she has rarely gone to cafes because there was simply too much smoke. With the new law, she believes the French will smoke less. And if they smoke, at least they will be outside when they light up.

1 grumbling   

adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的

参考例句：

• She's always grumbling to me about how badly she's treated at work. 她总是向我抱怨她在工作中如何受亏待。
• We didn't hear any grumbling about the food. 我们没听到过对食物的抱怨。

2 shrugs   

n.耸肩（以表示冷淡，怀疑等）( shrug的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany shrugs off this criticism. 匈牙利总理久尔恰尼对这个批评不以为然。 来自互联网
• She shrugs expressively and takes a sip of her latte. 她表达地耸肩而且拿她的拿铁的啜饮。 来自互联网

3 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。

4 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

5 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。