VOA慢速英语:WHO Anti-Smoking Guidelines Could Prevent 13 Million Deaths in China

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40年间，如果中国有强力的反吸烟措施，超过1300万人的死亡可以被避免。但该研究报告的作者称，中国并没有采取诸多措施来控制烟草的使用。这项研究结果发表在《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.
中国在2003年签署了世界卫生组织烟草控制国际条约，但许多世卫组织帮助人们戒烟的理念并未落实到位。专家称，遵循这些理念可以在2050年前将吸烟减少40%。如果没有强力的反吸烟措施，在这一时间段，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 Levy works at Georgetown University's Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington D.C. He says China has one-third of the world's cigarette smokers. More than half of the men in China smoke.
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，中国拥有全球三分之一的烟民。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.
Levy先生称，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 prestige initially to smoking," Mr Levy said.
Levy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方案。它称应该提高烟草税。

Experts say a 75 percent increase in cigarette taxes could save about 3.5 million lives, they say an end to cigarette advertising could save 2 million lives.
专家表示，烟草税增加75%可以挽救大约350万人的生命。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.
在签署世卫组织协议后，中国出台了12%的烟草税，但政府并未强迫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 economics 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.
胡教授称，中国的文化和社会正在发生改变。他说，胡主席支持在公共场合禁烟。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.
胡教授称，中国最有效的反吸烟措施就是大幅增加烟草税，但他预期这不会很快发生。