《中英對照讀新聞》Stay married and save the planet - Aussie lawmaker 澳洲國會議員：維持婚姻能拯救地球
◎羅彥傑




Staying married is better for the planet because divorce leads the newly single to live more wasteful lifestyles, an Australian lawmaker said Tuesday.

維持婚姻對地球較好，因為離婚會導致剛單身者過著更浪費的生活方式，一名澳洲國會議員週二說。


Senator Steve Fielding told a Senate hearing in the Australian capital Canberra that divorce only made climate change worse.

參議員史提夫．菲丁在澳洲首都坎培拉的參議院公聽會上表示，離婚只會造成氣候變遷更加惡化。


When couples separated, they needed more rooms, more electricity and more water. This increased their carbon footprint, Australian Associated Press （AAP） quoted Fielding as telling the hearing on environmental issues.

當夫妻離異時，他們需要更多房間、更多電力與更多的水。這增加了他們的碳足跡，澳聯社引述菲丁在公聽會上針對環境議題的發言。


Such a "resource-inefficient lifestyle" meant it would be better for the planet if couples stayed married, he said.

這樣一種「資源欠缺效率的生活方式」，意味如果夫妻保持已婚狀態較有益於這個星球，他說。


During the hearing, the senator read out quotes from a U.S. report that advocated his stance.

在公聽會期間，這名參議員大聲念出引述自一份美國報告的內容，宣揚其立場。


Fielding, who leads the independent Family First party, grew up in a family of 16 children and has been married for 22 years, his website says.

領導獨立的「家庭第一黨」的菲丁，成長於一個有16名小孩的家庭，而且結婚22年，他的網站指出。


新聞辭典


carbon footprint：名詞，碳足跡，指一個人、家庭、組織或國家所排放的溫室氣體（主要是二氧化碳）數量，也是溫室氣體排放量的通用測量標準。例句：Calculate your carbon footprint, start reducing it and saving money.（計算你的碳足跡，開始減量來省錢。）


read out：片語，朗聲讀出。The referee read out the football results.（裁判大聲念出足球賽的比賽結果。）


grow up：片語，成長。例句：She grew up to be a lovely woman.（她長大後成為一位亭亭玉立的女子。）