Australians may have a love of plain speaking but new laws are set to curtail some of their more colorful language with police issuing on-the-spot fines for obnoxious swearing.
The country’s second most populous state Victoria approved new legislation last week under which police will be able to slap fines of up to Aus$240 (NT$7,365) on people using offensive words or phrases.
Victorian Attorney-General Robert Clark said the penalties, similar to those issued for speeding or parking illegally, would free up police time.
Photo: Reuters
照片：路透
“This will give the police the tools they need to be able to act against this sort of obnoxious behavior on the spot, rather than having to drag offenders off to court and take up time and money in proceedings,” he said.
But even the state’s top lawyer admitted to swearing sometimes.
“Occasionally I mutter things under my breath as probably everybody does,” he told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio.
Photo: Reuters
照片：路透
“But this law is not targeted at that, it’s targeted at the sort of obnoxious, offensive behavior in public that makes life unpleasant for everybody else.”
(AFP)
澳洲人或許習慣直話直說，但新法令將限制他們說出一些較為花樣百出的言語，允許警察對說出引人反感髒話的人，可以現行犯處以罰鍰。
澳洲人口第二多的維多利亞省上週即通過新法案，警察根據此法案，將可對使用冒犯他人言詞的民眾，處以最高兩百四十元澳幣（新台幣七千三百六十五元）的罰鍰。
維多利亞檢察長羅伯特‧克拉克表示，這項類似開超速或違規停車罰單的處罰，可省去警察的時間。
他說，「這提供警察一個工具，在當下針對令人反感行為，採取制裁行動，而不是將違規者拖到法庭，並且花時間與金錢在訴訟程序上。」
但即便是省內最好的律師，也承認有時會罵髒話。
他告訴澳洲廣播公司說，「我偶爾私下小聲抱怨一些事情，可能就像其他人也會做的一般。」
他說，「不過此法律並不是針對（上述）的情形，而是鎖定在大庭廣眾做出令人反感、冒犯他人的行為，並且讓其他人在生活中感到不悅。」
（法新社／翻譯：林亞蒂）
A: Singer Jay Chou is staging four shows at the Taipei Dome starting today. B: And he’s the first singer to ever hold concerts at the venue. A: I’m curious, how big is this “big egg” exactly? B: It can accommodate nearly 40,000 people and bring various kinds of business opportunities. A: This is the new “concert economy” trend. A: 歌王周杰倫從今天起，將一連4天在大巨蛋開唱。 B: 哇，周董可是首位在大巨蛋舉辦演唱會的歌手耶！ A: 大巨蛋到底有多大啊？真好奇。 B: 每場可容納近4萬人，還能帶來各種商機呢。 A: 嗯，這就是現在最夯的「演唱會經濟」。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
Have you ever wanted to go camping but were put off by the thought of setting up a tent, sleeping on hard ground and dealing with a lack of basic amenities? If so, glamping might be the perfect solution for you. Glamping, combining the words “glamorous” and “camping,” takes the outdoor experience to a whole new level. It offers the chance to enjoy nature while still having access to comfortable accommodation and modern conveniences. Instead of pitching a tent, you’ll stay in spacious, luxurious tents that are fully furnished and equipped with real beds, electricity and even en-suite facilities.
A: I’ve been a fan of singer Jay Chou for 24 years, since his debut in 2000. B: But this time, his Taipei Dome concerts have shed light on the issue of ticket scalping. A: Isn’t the law stricter after being amended last year? B: Yeah, ticket scalping is illegal, even if you only raise the price by NT$1 when reselling. A: Why aren’t scalpers afraid of getting caught? Maybe a real-name ticketing system would be better. A: 自從周杰倫2000年出道以來，我都已經追星24年了。 B: 不過這次大巨蛋開唱，他卻引爆黃牛票問題。 A: 去年修法後，法規不是變得比較嚴格？ B: 是啊，就算加價1元轉賣也算違法！ A: 黃牛們怎麼都抓不怕？或許票券「實名制」會更有用。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
When a large group of people struggles to reach a consensus, voting is often used to help make a decision. Surprisingly, humans are not the only animals that exhibit this type of democratic tendency. Several different species of animals demonstrate similar voting behavior. One of the most notable examples of animals engaging in this activity involves African buffalo. Ecologist Herbert Prins first observed herds of African buffalo performing voting behavior in the 1990s. Groups of African buffalo would pause under the intense midday sun and rest until dusk. Prins noticed that some buffalo would periodically stand up and gaze
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