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我是Eva??
一個認真學英語的美少女??
The Economist 經濟學人精讀 [35]
選自 December 23 2017 Leaders 社論版塊
Safer smoking
Baccy to the future
America is taking the right approach to lower-risk smoking products
Smoking is a scourge. It is the leading preventable cause of cancer and kills over 7m people annually, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. In America, where it is linked to one death in five, it is estimated to cost more than $300bn a year in medical bills and lost productivity.Big Tobacco is doing nothing illegal by producing and marketing cigarettes. But the industry has an inglorious history of lying about the effects of cigarettes on human health. Al- though rates of smoking in much of the rich world are declining, tobacco firms fight measures, such as restrictions on advertising, that are designed to clamp down on cigarette use in emerging markets. No wonder people are cynical when they hear tobacco bosses evangelise about the benefits of new, lower-risk products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (see page 85). Even so, regulators weighing up how to treat safer alternatives to cigarettes are often too harsh.
The goal of policymakers ought to be harm-reduction. Too often, however, the focus is not on “reduction”, just on “harm”. E-cigarettes let users inhale nicotine without the toxicity that comes from burning tobacco. It seems clear that e-cigarettes are much less harmful than the ordinary sort; 95% less so, according to Public Health England, a government agency. There is scant evidence that they are a gateway drug that encourages non-smokers to start puffing and eventually to move on to more dangerous products. Britain’s Royal College of Physicians thinks they could help prevent deaths.
Plenty of regulators take a different tack. Brazil, Singapore and Thailand, among others, have banned e-cigarettes outright. In October New York became the 11th American state to ban e-cigarettes from workplaces, bars and restaurants. France has also imposed such a ban, “to protect the public”. The World Health Organisation’s anti-tobacco group in 2016 suggested that countries prohibit or restrict the use of e-cigarettes.
Heat, not light
These decisions are based on gaps in the evidence proving that the products are safe over long periods. Such concerns are not to be dismissed: more independent research into their effectsis needed. But a full auditing of their impact on health requires studies that will take many years. The damage from conventional cigarettes is happening now. It is perverse to ban a less harmful product like an e-cigarette from a market that allows the more dangerous version to be sold on every street. It is scarcely more sensible to treat every product as equally unhealthy when one is known to be lethal, and others are likely to be less harmful.
The same broad logic ought to apply to heat-not-burn (HNB) products, Big Tobacco’s latest wheeze. Conventional products involve the combustion of tobacco at very high temperatures, which produces many of the toxic substances in cigarette smoke. But because HNB products warm the tobacco rather than burn it, they are likely to harm smokers less than cigarettes do. An advisory body to the British government con-cluded this month that two HNB products already on the market in Britain, although unhealthy, contained between 50% and 90% fewer harmful or potentially harmful substances than cigarettes. They may also be better at converting hardcore smokers than e-cigarettes, since they look, feel and taste more like the real thing. HNB products should be treated more cautiously than e-cigarettes because they are less well under- stood and because they do contain tobacco, with its cargo of carcinogens. But they should be allowed on the market, and they should also be taxed less heavily than normal cigarettes.
It would be ideal if people did not smoke at all. But plenty choose to do so, despite the effect on their health. The right approach is to nudge them towards products that cause the least damage. America’s Food and Drug Administration is aiming for a sensible combination of stick and carrot. It is trying to make conventional cigarettes less addictive by forcing tobacco companies to cut nicotine levels. At the same time it is providing firms with a path to market for lower-risk smokes, the effects of which it will continue to review. It may give approval to Philip Morris to start selling IQOS, its HNB product, in early 2018. That will gall Big Tobacco’s many critics. But it is foolish and puritanical to withhold alternatives that could help save lives which would otherwise be lost.
20171224? 738 words
The Economist 經濟學人精讀 [35]
選自 December 23 2017 Leaders 社論版塊
Safer smoking[更安全的吸煙]
Baccy to the future[未來的煙草]
#Eva??說#
全球每年因吸煙死亡的人數達7百多萬，因此監管者仍對各類香煙進入新興市場嚴格監管。已有像電子煙，熱不燒香煙等香煙替代品出現，已經有研究表示電子香煙對吸煙危害的減少是顯著的，但是熱不燒香煙的的影響還沒有足夠的證據證明。監管者的目標主要是減少吸煙帶來的傷害，然而，有太多監管者把目標只放在了傷害上，而忽視了減少。比如禁止吸用電子煙，熱不燒香煙或其他香煙替代品，而不限制傳統香煙的吸用，這樣的做法沒有考慮到任何香煙替代品與傳統香煙的不同，對于實質性的減少吸煙帶來的危害是見效甚微的。美國政府在香煙限制上的做法值得肯定，一方面嘗試迫使煙草工廠減少尼古丁的含量以減少對傳統香煙的成癮問題，另一方面，同意香煙替代品（如熱不燒香煙）在市場上售賣。
#以上，個人總結和理解，歡迎批評指正，歡迎留言討論#
#有輸出才有進步#
看完這篇記住了了一個很形象的詞“stick and carrot”胡蘿卜和大棒，意思是軟硬兼施。
America is taking the right approach to lower-risk smoking products[美國對低風險吸煙產品正在采取正確的措施]
Smoking is a scourge[禍害][吸煙是一個禍害]. It is the leading preventable cause of cancer and kills over 7m people annually, mostly in low- and middle-income countries[吸煙是主要的可預防的致癌因素，每年使7百萬多人致死，這些人大多是來自中低收入國家]. In America, where it is linked to one death in five, it is estimated to cost more than $300bn a year in medical bills and lost productivity[在美國，每五個死亡的人中有一個與吸煙有關，據估計，每年在醫療費和生產力損失方面的花費超過三千億美元].Big Tobacco[指大型煙草公司] is doing nothing illegal by producing and marketing cigarettes[Big Tobacco在香煙生產和營銷方面沒有做任何違法的事]. But the industry has an inglorious[不光彩的] history of lying about the effects of cigarettes on human health[但是，這個行業有著不光彩的歷史，他們對香煙對人類健康的影響撒謊]. Although rates of smoking in much of the rich world are declining, tobacco firms fight measures, such as restrictions on advertising, that are designed to clamp down on[限制] cigarette use in emerging markets[盡管吸煙率在大多數富人中有所下降，煙草公司正在與限制煙草進入新興市場的政策作斗爭，比如限制煙草做廣告]. No wonder people are cynical[嗤之以鼻的] when they hear tobacco bosses evangelise[宣揚] about the benefits of new, lower-risk products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products[難怪當人們聽到煙草公司的老板們大肆宣揚像電子煙和熱煙這樣的新型低風險的產品時，對之嗤之以鼻]. Even so, regulators weighing up[就…權衡] how to treat safer alternatives to cigarettes are often too harsh[盡管這樣，監管者在權衡怎樣對待新的香煙替代品時通常也非常嚴厲].
The goal of policymakers ought to be harm-reduction[監管者的目標應該是減少傷害]. Too often, however, the focus is not on “reduction”, just on “harm”[然而，有太多時候目標沒有落在“減少”上，而只落在“傷害”上]. E-cigarettes let users inhale nicotine without the toxicity that comes from burning tobacco[電子香煙可以讓吸煙者吸入不含煙草燃燒產生的有毒物質的尼古丁]. It seems clear that e-cigarettes are much less harmful than the ordinary sort[電子香煙看上去顯然比普通香煙傷害更少]; 95% less so, according to Public Health England, a government agency[根據英國公共衛生的一個政府機構，減少95%的傷害]. There is scant[少量的，不足的] evidence that they are a gateway drug[誘導性毒品] that encourages non-smokers to start puffing[吸煙] and eventually to move on to more dangerous products[證明電子煙是誘導性毒品，鼓勵不吸煙者開始吸煙，并最終上手更危險的產品的證據不足]. Britain’s Royal College of Physicians thinks they could help prevent deaths[英國皇家醫師學院認為電子煙可以幫助預防死亡].
Plenty of regulators take a different tack[其他的監管者采取不同的方法]. Brazil, Singapore and Thailand, among others, have banned e-cigarettes outright[徹底][其中，巴西，新加坡，泰國徹底禁止電子煙]. In October New York became the 11th American state to ban e-cigarettes from workplaces, bars and restaurants[在10月，紐約州成為了美國第11個在工作場所，酒吧和飯店禁止電子煙]. France has also imposed[推行，強制施行] such a ban, “to protect the public”[法國也強制施行了這樣的禁令來“保護公眾”]. The World Health Organisation’s anti-tobacco group in 2016 suggested that countries prohibit or restrict the use of e-cigarettes[2016年，世界衛生組織禁煙小組就曾建議禁止或限制電子煙的使用].
Heat, not light 加熱，但是不點燃
These decisions are based on gaps in the evidence proving that the products are safe over long periods[這些決定是基于缺乏證據證明電子煙長期的安全性]. Such concerns are not to be dismissed[對…不予理會][對這樣的擔憂不應該置之不理]: more independent research into their effectsis needed[需要更多的獨立研究去了解電子煙的影響]. But a full auditing of their impact on health requires studies that will take many years[但是，對于電子煙對健康影響全面審查需要花費很多年]. The damage from conventional cigarettes is happening now[傳統香煙的危害正在發生]. It is perverse[有悖常理的] to ban a less harmful product like an e-cigarette from a market that allows the more dangerous version to be sold on every street[在一個允許更為危險的香煙在大街上售賣的市場中，禁止傷害更小的例如像電子煙一樣的產品是有悖常理的]. It is scarcely[幾乎不] more sensible[明智的] to treat every product as equally unhealthy when one is known to be lethal[致命的], and others are likely to be less harmful[當知道一個產品是致命的，另一個是有可能是傷害更少的，把這些產品當作是同等的不健康的想法是更加不明智的].
The same broad logic ought to apply to heat-not-burn[熱不燒（香煙）] (HNB) products, Big Tobacco’s latest wheeze[（尤指為獲利而想出的）巧計，計謀][同樣的廣義邏輯應該應用于熱不燒產品，一個大型煙草公司最近推出的新產品]. Conventional products involve the combustion[燃燒] of tobacco at very high temperatures, which produces many of the toxic substances in cigarette smoke[傳統的香煙在使用時是煙草高溫燃燒，燃燒產生煙中有大量的有毒物質]. But because HNB products warm the tobacco rather than burn it, they are likely to harm smokers less than cigarettes do[但是，由于熱不燒香煙加熱煙草而不是燃燒煙草，因此對吸煙者的傷害可能比香煙少]. An advisory body[咨詢機構] to the British government concluded this month that two HNB products already on the market in Britain, although unhealthy, contained between 50% and 90% fewer harmful or potentially harmful substances than cigarettes[一個咨詢機構向英國政府總結說，這個月已經有兩中熱不燒產品出現在英國市場，盡管不健康，盡管比香煙含有50%-90%更少的或潛在的有害物質]. They may also be better at converting hardcore smokers[鐵桿煙民] than e-cigarettes, since they look, feel and taste more like the real thing[真貨][熱不燒比電子香煙對擅長轉換鐵桿煙民，因為他們看起來，感覺起來，嘗起來都更想是真的香煙]. HNB products should be treated more cautiously than e-cigarettes because they are less well understood and because they do contain tobacco, with its cargo[貨物] of carcinogens[致癌物][對待熱不燒產品應該更加謹慎，因為他們被了解的更少，也因為他們確實還又煙草，煙草是致癌物貨倉]. But they should be allowed on the market, and they should also be taxed less heavily than normal cigarettes[但是，它們應該被允許進入市場，同時也應該比常規香煙征收更少的稅].
It would be ideal if people did not smoke at all[最理想的情況是如果人們不吸煙]. But plenty choose to do so, despite the effect on their health[但是，有很多人選擇吸煙，盡管對他們的健康有影響]. The right approach is to nudge[輕推] them towards products that cause the least damage[正確的方法是把他們推向傷害最小的產品]. America’s Food and Drug Administration is aiming for a sensible combination of stick and carrot[胡蘿卜加大棒，軟硬兼施][美國食品藥物管理局正以軟硬兼施的名字組合為目標]. It is trying to make conventional cigarettes less addictive by forcing tobacco companies to cut nicotine levels[它嘗試迫使煙草工廠減少尼古丁的含量來減少對傳統香煙的成癮]. At the same time it is providing firms with a path to market for lower-risk smokes, the effects of which it will continue to review[同時，它為煙草公司提供了一條進入低風險吸煙市場的途徑，低風險吸煙的影響還有待核實]. It may give approval to Philip Morris to start selling IQOS, its HNB product, in early 2018[這可能同意Philip Morris在2018年初開始售賣IQOS，也就是熱不燒產品]. That will gall[激怒] Big Tobacco’s many critics[這將激怒大型煙草公司的眾多批評家]. But it is foolish and puritanical[非常拘謹的] to withhold alternatives that could help save lives which would otherwise be lost[但是，如果拒絕可以挽救生命的替代商品，就可能會讓人喪命，是非常不明智和拘謹的做法].
【scourge】/sk??d?/
something or someone that causes great suffering or a lot of trouble
禍害，禍根；麻煩制造者
the scourge of war/poverty/drugs
戰爭之苦
Pop-up ads have been described as the scourge of the Internet.
【inglorious】/?n?ɡl??r.i.?s/
that?people?should be?ashamed?of because it is not?fair?or?honest
不光彩的，可恥的
That?country?has a?long, inglorious?record?of?dealing?harshly with?political?prisoners.
那個國家因為長期虐待政治犯而留下不光彩的記錄。
【clamp down on】
to take?strong?action?to?stop?or?limit?a?harmful?or?unwanted?activity
取締；嚴禁；強行限制；壓制
The?government?is?clamping?down on teenage?drinking.
政府嚴禁青少年飲酒。
【cynical】/?s?n.?.k?l/
believing?that?people?are only?interested?in themselves and are notsincere
憤世嫉俗的；懷疑人之真誠的；認為人皆自私的
She has a?pretty?cynical?view?of men.
她對男人的態度太過偏激。
I've always been?deeply?cynical?about?politicians.
我對政客們總是嗤之以鼻。
【evangelise】/??v?n.d??.la?z/
to?talk?about how good you?think?something is
鼓吹，宣揚；大肆稱許
I?wish?she would?stop?evangelizing about the?virtues?of?free?market?economics.
我希望她不要再鼓吹利伯維爾場經濟的好處了。
【weight sth up】
to?think?carefully?about the?advantages?or?disadvantages?of asituation?before making a?decision
就…仔細考慮（利弊）；就…權衡
I'm?weighing?up my?options?before I?decide?to?apply?for the?job.
我在權衡自己的選擇，然后再決定是否要申請那份工作。
【scant】/sk?nt/
very little and not enough
少量的；不足的；貧乏的
He?pays?scant?attention?to the?needs?of his?children.
他很少關注自己孩子的需求。
scant?regard?for the?truth
不顧事實
【puff】
to?smoke?tobacco
吸（煙），抽（煙）
She was puffing?on?a?cigarette?at the?time.
她當時正在吸煙。
He?sat?there, puffing?away at?a?cigarette.
他坐在那里，抽著煙。
【outright】
completely?or?immediately
徹底，完全；立刻；當場
I?think?cigarette?advertising?should be?banned?outright.
我認為應該全面禁止香煙廣告。
The?driver?and all three?passengers?were?killed?outright.
司機和車上全部3名乘客當場死亡。
【impose】
to?officially?force?a?rule,?tax,?punishment, etc. to be?obeyed?orreceived
推行；強制實行
Very high?taxes?have?recently?been imposed?on?cigarettes.
最近對香煙開征很高的稅。
Judges are imposing?increasingly?heavy?fines?for?minor?driving?offences.
法官們對輕微的違章駕駛開始處以越來越重的罰款。
The?council?has imposed a?ban?on?alcohol?in the?city?parks.
市政會禁止在城市公園中飲酒。
【dismiss】
to?decide?that something or someone is not?important?and notworth?considering
對…不予理會，摒棄，（從頭腦中）去除
I?think?he'd dismissed me?as?an?idiot?within five?minutes?of?meeting?me.
我認為他和我見面5分鐘后就把我歸入了傻瓜之列。
Let's not just dismiss the?idea?before we've?even?thought?about it.
我們還是別不假思索就把這種想法排除在外。
Just dismiss those?thoughts?from?your?mind?- they're?crazy?and not?worth?thinkingabout.
別去管那些想法了——那些想法太離譜，不值得考慮。
【perverse】
strange?and not what most?people?would?expect?or?enjoy
有悖常理的；任性的
Jack was being perverse and?refusing?to?agree?with anything we said.
杰克一意孤行，我們說什么他都反對。
She took a perverse?pleasure?in?hearing?that her?sister?was getting?divorced.
有悖常理的是，她聽說她妹妹要離婚時竟幸災樂禍。
【scarcely】
almost?not
勉強；幾乎不
I was scarcely?able?to?move?my?arm?after the?accident.
那場事故以后，我的手臂幾乎不能動了。
I?could?scarcely?believe?it when she said she?wanted?to?marry?me.
當她說想要跟我結婚時，我簡直不能相信。
【lethal】
able?to?cause?or?causing?death;?extremely?dangerous
致命的；極其危險的
Three?minutes?after the?fire?started, the?house?was?full?of lethal?fumes.
起火3分鐘后，房子里充滿了致命的毒氣。
In the?car?the?police?found?guns,?knives, and other lethal?weapons?(=?weapons?that can?kill).
警察在車里找到了槍支、刀具及其他一些兇器。
A 59-year-old man was?executed?by lethal?injection?(= by having a?poisonoussubstance?put into his?body)?this?morning.
今晨一位59歲的男性罪犯被執行注射死刑。
informal?That?combination?of tiredness and?alcohol?is lethal?(= has a very?bad?effect).
身體的疲勞加上酒精的作用會產生非常嚴重的后果。
【sensible】
based?on or?acting?on good?judgment?and?practical?ideas?or understanding
理智的；明智的
a sensible?answer/approach/compromise/option
明智的回答／方法／和解／選擇
a sensible?person
理智的人
I?think?the sensible thing to do is?call?and?ask?for?directions.
我覺得你去之前最好先打電話問好路。
It?would be sensible?to?take an?umbrella.
帶把傘是明智的。
【wheeze】
uk?old-fashioned?informal
a?clever?and often?unusual?idea?or?plan,especially?one that is?intended?to?achieve?a?profit?or some other advantage
（尤指為獲利而想出的）巧計，計謀
As a?part?of?their?latest?marketing?wheeze they're giving away?tickets?for the?concert.
So the?public?actually?pay?to?feed?the?animals?in the?zoo? That?seems?like a?good wheeze.
那么人們實際上是花錢來喂動物園里的動物？這聽起來像個好主意。
I've?had?a wheeze - why don't we put both?kids?in the?small?room?and that will?leavethe back?room?free.
我有個主意——為什么不把兩個孩子放在那間小一點的屋子里，這樣后邊的屋子就可以空出來了。
【the real thing】
the?original,?best, or most?typical?example?of something
真貨；最好的東西；典型的東西
It's a?synthetic?material?that?looks?like the?real?thing.
這是一種人造材料，看上去像天然的。
【nudge】
to?push?something or someone?gently,?especially?to?push?someone with?your?elbow?(= the?middle?part?of?your?arm?where it?bends)?to attract?the person's?attention
（尤指用肘部）輕推，輕觸
The?children?were?giggling?and nudging each other.
孩子們咯咯地笑著，互相推來推去。
He nudged the?cat?off the?sofa?so that he could?sit?down.
他把貓輕輕推下沙發，這樣自己可以坐下來。
【stick and carrot】
a?system?in which you are?rewarded?for some?actions?and?threatened with?punishment?for?others
胡蘿卜加大棒（政策）；軟硬兼施，恩威并重
Sometimes I just have to?resort?to the carrot and?stick?approach?with my?children.
有時候我只能對我的孩子們采取軟硬兼施的辦法。
【gall】
to make someone?feel?annoyed
使惱怒，激怒
I?think?it galls him to take?orders?from a?younger?and less?experienced?colleague.
我想，要他去聽命于一個比他年輕且資歷比他淺的同事，他會很惱火。
【puritanical】
believing?or?involving?the?belief?that it is?important?to?work?hard and control?yourself, and that?pleasure?is?wrong?or?unnecessary
清教主義的；宗教（或道德）上非常拘謹的
She is very puritanical about?sex.
她在性問題上非常拘謹。
He?rebelled?against his puritanical?upbringing.
他激烈反抗他所受的清教式管教。
20171224? 738 words
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