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Battery ban set to come into force 二○一二年將禁止層架式家禽飼養法

A battery farm in Rimbo, Sweden, Dec. 13, 2006. The relatively luxurious cages are equipped with a secluded nest and perches as guaranteed by Sweden since 1988. 二００六年十二月十三日，瑞典陵波一個層架式養雞場。瑞典自一九八八年起規定雞籠須設置隱蔽的窩巢及可遮蔽雞隻雙腳的棲息處，這些相當豪華的雞籠便是其一。照片：美聯社 PHOTO: AP

A European Union-wide ban on keeping laying hens in small battery cages will come into force as planned in 2012, the European Commission said on Jan. 8.

The commission pointed to a new report showing the ban will benefit animal welfare without significantly harming farmers' incomes.

"There is scientific and economic support for the ban on conventional battery cages," said EU health commissioner Markos Kyprianou. "We are maintaining the deadline of 2012." EU nations agreed in 1999 to phase out the cages by Jan. 1, 2012, after lengthy campaigning by animal rights groups who claimed that farming hens in small cages was cruel.

After the deadline, laying hens will have to be raised in the open air or barns, or be kept in cages of at least 750 cm2 per bird equipped with a nest, litter, perch and clawing board.

In a statement, the European Commission cited a report which said that the cost of switching to the so-called "enriched cages" could be less than one percent per egg. The EU's executive branch said improving conditions for hens could boost sales, as consumers are increasingly concerned about animal welfare.

Animal rights campaigners welcomed the statement.

"This is the right decision for the welfare of millions of hens kept for egg production across Europe," said Sonja Van Tichelen, director of the Eurogroup for Animals.

The Brussels-based federation of animal welfare organizations said some battery hens are currently kept in wire cages no bigger than a sheet of A4 paper.

Some leading supermarket chains in the UK announced last week they were planning to phase out sales of eggs from battery hens before the ban.(AP)

歐盟委員會於上星期二宣佈，歐盟計畫自二○一二年起全面禁止雞農使用層架式小格籠養殖蛋雞。

該委員會在一項新報告中指出，這項禁令將有利於動物福利，但不會嚴重影響雞農的收入。

「這項傳統層架式雞籠養殖蛋雞的禁令是有科學和經濟論據支持的，」歐盟衛生專員馬科斯．基普里亞努說：「我們仍維持二○一二年是最後的期限。」

在動物保護團體長期抗議，聲稱將母雞飼養在小籠子裡是非常殘忍的行為後，歐盟國家於一九九九年一致同意在二○一二年前，逐步淘汰層架式雞籠。

禁令實施後，蛋雞將必須飼養在露天開放空間或農場，或者飼養在至少七百五十平方公分大小的籠子裡，籠內有可供下蛋的巢、乾草、棲息的木樁和磨爪板。

歐盟委員會在一項正式聲明裡，引用一篇報告說明更換至「改良版雞籠」所需的花費，讓每粒蛋成本增加不到原來的百分之一。歐盟執行部門說，改善蛋雞生活環境品質可以促進銷售，因為消費者越來越關心動物福利議題。

動物保護人士對於該聲明表示歡迎。

「就歐洲各地幾百萬隻蛋雞的福利而言，這是一項正確的決定，」歐洲動物保護聯盟執行長索尼亞:凡:提契倫說。

這個總部設在布魯塞爾的動物福利團體聯盟說，有些層架式雞籠蛋雞被飼養在大小不到一張A4紙張的鐵籠裡。

英國某些大型連鎖超市上星期也宣布，他們計畫在該禁令實施前，停止販售層架式雞籠蛋雞所生產的雞蛋。

（美聯社／翻譯：楊鴻泰）

TODAY'S WORDS 今日單字 1. commission n. 委員會 (wei3 yuan2 hui4) 例: The government set up a commission to investigate human rights violations. (政府成立了委員會來調查人權違法行為。) 2. animal welfare n. phr. 動物福利 (dong4 wu4 fu2 li4) 例: People are becoming increasingly aware of animal welfare issues. (人們愈來愈注意動物福利相關議題。) 3. maintain v.t. 保持 (bao3 chi2) 例: We must check the facts if we wish to maintain our integrity. (如果我們想要保持正直，就必須明察秋毫。) 4. enriched adj. 豐富的 (feng1 fu4 de5) 例: I felt enriched by the spiritual retreat. (心靈上的靜修讓我感到很充實。)

SAY WHAT? 說說看 battery farming 層架式家禽飼養法 In battery farming, hens are crammed into cages made of wire mesh, which slope downwards so the eggs roll into a collection trough. This means that the hens may not sit down. They are frequently debeaked, as the foul living conditions cause them to become aggressive toward each other. The hens lay many eggs, as artifical light is set up to run to the length of a spring day, and medicines are rountinely added to their feed. Some hens starve as their claws grow around the wire, preventing them from accessing their food. Battery farming has also been linked to health concerns for humans. 層架式家禽飼養法中，母雞會被塞進鐵籠子裡，由於籠子向下傾斜，母雞所下的雞蛋會自己滾進收集槽裡，但這代表母雞有可能無法坐下。牠們的喙也常常被剪斷，因為惡劣的生存環境致使牠們相互攻擊。由於將人工光照的時間設定成春天白天的長度，並且定期地將藥物加入飼料裡，母雞得以產下更多蛋。有些母雞因為爪子環繞著鐵網生長，導致牠們無法取得食物，因而餓死。層架式家禽飼養法也會影響人類健康。

OUT LOUD 對話練習 Adam: Can you pick up some free range eggs at the store? Sally: Free range? They're more expensive! Adam: Have you tried one recently? The yolks look totally different. And if you compare them to the bog-standard eggs they taste much better. Sally: Are you sure it makes a difference? Adam: Yes. My mum cooked up the two side by side a couple of years ago. That's when I learnt to appreciate the difference. Anyway, spare a thought for the hens! 亞當：你可以幫我到商店買一些放養的雞蛋嗎？ 莎莉：放養的雞蛋？那比較貴耶！　 亞當：你最近有吃過嗎？它的蛋黃看起來完全不一樣，而且它的味道也比一般的雞蛋好吃很多。 莎莉：你真的確定有差嗎？　 亞當：確定！我媽幾年前曾經一起煮過這兩種蛋，那時我就發現它們不同之處。總之，替那些母雞想想吧！ bog-standard　普通的 If something is bog-standard it is at the very basest end of quality. For example: "The coffee in that store is nothing special. Despite the price, it's the same bog-standard stuff you get out of a can." 如果形容某樣東西「bog-standard」，表示它的品質很普通。例如：「那家店的咖啡沒什麼特別的，除了價錢外，它的品質和罐裝咖啡一樣」。

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