新闻英语精解【55】加拿大小数量大麻拥有合法化

Canada to Sell Medical Marijuana to Seriously Ill

【参考译文】加拿大向重病患者出售医用大麻

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada became on Wednesday the first country in the world to start selling marijuana to several hundred seriously ill people but said the pot project could be halted at any time.

【参考译文】渥太华（路透社）本周三，加拿大将向数百位重病患者出售大麻，成为世界上第一个出售大麻的国家。但是，这项大麻销售计划将可能随时停止。

【讲解】marijuana 也可以写成 marihuana，A preparation made from the dried flower clusters and leaves of the cannabis plant, usually smoked or eaten to induce euphoria. 大麻毒品由大麻属植物晒干的花簇和叶子制成的制剂，一般通过吸食来获取异常的快感。

pot这个词在美国俚语用来指Marijuana，大麻。

halt在本文中的意思是To cause to stop; arrest，使…停止；阻止。The car halted by the house.
汽车停在房屋旁边。No one can halt the advance of history.谁也阻挡不了历史的前进。另外，这个词还有蹒跚的意思， To proceed or act with uncertainty or indecision; waver.

Ottawa announced in July 2001 that some patients would be able to use marijuana provided by the government. But plans to grow official pot hit a series of snags, prompting a court in Ontario to give Ottawa until July 10 to come up with a solution.

【参考译文】渥太华2001年7月宣布，某些患者可以使用政府提供的大麻。但官方大麻种植计划遭遇意外障碍，安大略省的一法院直到7月10号才为渥太华提供了解决方案。

【讲解】hit [strike, come upon, run into] a snag触礁、碰到意外的障碍、遇到意外困难。
snag，An unforeseen or hidden obstacle.暗桩没有预料到的，隐藏着的障碍。

come up with，想出（计划、回答）；作出（反应）；产生。He couldn't come up with an answer.
他答不上来。He couldn't come up with an appropriate answer just at the time.那时他想不出一个合适的答案。

Federal officials said more research into the claimed benefits of medical pot was needed and they would therefore appeal the court ruling, a decision that angered critics. "Although this interim policy can be amended or suspended at any time, it is anticipated that it will remain in effect until...(Ottawa's) roles and responsibilities with respect to a supply of marijuana for medical purposes have been clarified by the courts," the health ministry said in a statement.

【参考译文】联邦官员表示有关大麻有益于治疗的主张还有待于进一步调查研究，因此他们请求法庭裁决，这一决定激怒了一些批评家。" 卫生部在一声明中表示，尽管这个临时政策随时可能进行修正或者被中止，但是在法庭阐明渥太华为医学用途而提供大麻的任务和责任之前，我们希望保留这项政策。

【讲解】appeal， earnest or urgent request, entreaty, or supplication.
呼吁，恳求、热切或急切的要求、请求或恳求。The government is appealing to everyone to save water. 政府呼吁每个人节约用水。
The victims' families of the murder have appealed to the Supreme Court to have a definitive answer.谋杀案的被害家属已经请求最高法院作确切的答复。

interim，Belonging to, serving during, or taking place during an intermediate interval of time; temporary，临时的属于时间间隔的，间隔起作用或发生的：an interim agreement.一项临时协议。

amend ，To alter (a legislative measure, for example) formally by adding, deleting, or rephrasing.
修正，修订：通过增加、删减或重新措词来正式修改（如一种立法措施）。to amend a document
修改一个文件。

with respect to，关于, 至于。with respect to the recent flood ，至于最近的洪水。

U.S. authorities have strongly criticized Canadian plans to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, arguing it could result in highly potent pot flooding across the border.

【参考译文】美国当局强烈批评加拿大使大麻小数量拥有合法化的计划，认为这可能导致大量大麻的边境流动。

【讲解】decriminalize，To reduce or abolish criminal penalties for，减小或废除…的刑事惩罚：
decriminalize the use of marijuana.使大麻的使用合法化。