孩子不听话别搬出警察

Many an exasperated parent has told their misbehaving child to be good or the police will put them in prison.
许多父母恼怒时都曾这样警告调皮的孩子——要听话，不然会被警察抓进监狱。

But now one police force has issued a poster urging adults not to use this common – if ever so slightly cruel – threat.
现在英国一家警署发布海报，敦促父母不要再使用这种有点残忍的威胁。

Instead Durham Constabulary wants children to be friendly with officers and go to them with their problems rather than be fearful of them.
相反，杜伦警署希望孩子们能对警察抱有友好的态度，有问题时向警察寻求帮助而不是害怕他们。

The campaign reads: ‘Parents. Please don’t tell your children that we will take them off to jail if they are bad. We want them to run to us if they are scared, not be scared of us. Thank You.’
宣传语写道：“父母们，请不要告诉你们的孩子，如果他们犯了错就会被我们抓进监狱。我们希望当他们害怕的时候能跑向我们寻求帮助，而不是害怕我们。谢谢。”

However, the poster received mixed reviews online after it was posted on Facebook. Jeff Rowse said: ‘Telling them they will go to jail if they are bad is wrong how? Surely that is the major reason for having a police force? And jails?’
但这幅海报被传上脸谱网后引发了网民的争议。杰夫·罗斯说：“告诉孩子如果他们做错事就会进监狱，这哪里错了？这难道不是设置警察机构和监狱的主要理由吗？

Paul Parry was more supportive, writing: ‘Telling a three-year-old that if he doesn’t eat his dinner the policeman will come and take him to jail isn’t true and will only serve to instil fear into that child.’
保罗·帕里则更支持海报的说法，他写道：“对一个三岁的小孩说，如果他不吃饭警察就会把他抓进监狱。这样做是错误的，只会让孩子更害怕。”

But he added: ‘The police shouldn’t be used to reinforce bad parenting.’
他补充道：“警察不应该成为不当教养的道具。”

The unnamed traffic policeman who features in the poster said: ‘I am flattered by the attention it has received but at the heart of this is a very important message.
拍摄海报的无名交警说：“因为这则海报我受到了很多关注，受宠若惊，但关键的还是海报传达的信息。”

‘Children should be taught from an early age that if they feel like are in danger and they need help they can approach an officer who will reassure them. '
“在孩子小时候就应教导他们，有困难找警察。”

'I would hate to think that parents are telling their kids that we will take them to jail if they are naughty ... we’re not that scary.’
“我很讨厌父母告诉他们的孩子如果调皮就会被警察抓进监狱……我们没那么可怕。”

Vocabulary

exasperated 恼怒的