中國擬明令禁止公務宴請食用魚翅

Shark's fin soup, a traditional Chinese delicacy-but one reviled in much of the West-won't be on the menu at official Chinese banquets in the coming years, according to state media.

中國國有媒體報道，在未來數年內，魚翅這種傳統中國美食──但在西方，吃魚翅的行爲則廣受詬病──將從公務宴請的菜單中消失。

This week, Xinhua reported that within one to three years, the country's State Council plans to release guidelines banning shark's fin from being served at official receptions.

新華社(Xinhua News Agency)本週報道說，國務院計劃在三年內發文規定公務接待不得食用魚翅。

Gelatinous, mildly flavored shark's fin soup is a popular symbol of wealth and prestige across much ofChina, but activists say the country's appetite for its chief ingredient helps fuel a global trade that kills some 73 million sharks a year, with 95% of all fins being consumed within China. As the country's middle class has boomed, so has the ability of more ordinary Chinese to afford the dish, spurring demand for shark's fin around the world.

在中國大部分地區，食用味道清淡、外觀呈膠狀的魚翅湯是財富和地位的象徵，但是環保人士說，吃魚翅助推了全球魚翅貿易，導致每年大約7,300萬條鯊魚被屠殺，而其中95%的魚翅是在中國被食用的。隨着中國中產階級規模的壯大，越來越多的普通人也吃得起這道美食了，導致對世界範圍內的魚翅需求進一步擴大。

Animal-protection groups around the world hailed the State Council's news, with the Humane Society International saying it marked a "watershed moment for the global movement to protect sharks and pushes China onto the world's stage as an emerging leader in shark conservation."

全球動物保護組織都對中國國務院的這個決定表示歡迎。國際人道協會(Humane Society International)說，這是全球保護鯊魚行動的一個具有分水嶺意義的事件，中國將成爲世界舞臺上鯊魚保護行動的新領導者。

Official Chinese banquets have come under greater scrutiny in recent years amid public anger at excessive government spending on such events. Earlier this year, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao announced plans to ban the use of public funds to buy "high-end" alcohol and cigarettes-a move that prompted the stock of popular, pricey Moutai liquor to take a brief nosedive.

由於公衆對政府三公消費過度開支日益不滿，最近幾年，中國的公款宴請受到了更加嚴格的審視。今年早些時候，中國總理溫家寶稱計劃禁止使用公款購買香菸和高檔酒，此消息一出，價格昂貴卻廣受歡迎的茅臺酒的庫存應聲大降。

Though China's latest move on shark's fin was widely praised, its proposed timeline for implementation has been criticized. "To ban one shark's fin requires three years-what a laughable government," wrote one Shanghai-based user on Sina Weibo,China's Twitter-like microblogging service.

儘管中國這次有關魚翅的舉措獲得了普遍好評，但相關的時間安排卻引來了非議。一名上海網友在新浪微博上寫道：禁一個魚翅就要花三年，可笑的政府。

"In three years, sharks will nearly be extinct," wrote another user, also based in Shanghai.

上海的另一名網友說，估計三年後鯊魚也快滅絕了。

Still, other activists praised the move, and said it could push other governments in the region to back similar measures. In the southern Chinese territory of Hong Kong-which processes at least half of the global shark-fin trade, according to the World Wildlife Fund-activists said China's latest announcement was an embarrassment to the former British colony, which returned to mainland control in 1997 but continues to operate with independent economic, political and legal systems.

儘管如此，另外的一些活動人士則讚揚了中國政府的這個舉措，並表示這將推動該地區的其他政府支持類似的措施。根據世界自然基金會(World Wildlife Fund)的數據，世界上至少一半的魚翅貿易是在香港進行的。活動人士說，中國最近的表態讓香港無地自容。香港曾是英國的殖民地，1997年迴歸中國，但是仍然保留着獨立的經濟、政治和法律制度。

In Hong Kong, shark's fin are often found drying on the sidewalk, scattered in odorous clouds across the western part of the island. Apart from traditional soup, shark's fin-which can cost up to $400 a pound-are also served as garnishes in other dishes, from dessert to dim sum.

人們在香港經常可以看到在路邊風乾的魚翅，在香港島的西部滿地都是，散發出難聞的味道。魚翅的價格最高可達每磅400美元，除了傳統的魚翅湯，魚翅還可以作爲其他菜的輔料，比如飯後甜點和點心。

According to the WWF, the city processes some 10,000 tons a year, much of it bound forChina. Activists say the government has done little to clamp down on the overall trade or encourage reduced consumption. The Hong Kong government hasn't banned shark's fin from official banquets, says Tracy Tsang of the WWF, and "repeatedly dodged the question" whenever activists raise the issue.

根據世界自然基金會的數據，香港每年大約加工1萬噸魚翅，其中大多數最終流入了中國內地。活動人士說，港府在打擊魚翅貿易以及鼓勵減少食用魚翅方面毫無作爲。世界自然基金會的Tracy Tsang說，香港政府沒有禁止在公務宴請中食用魚翅，而且還在活動人士提出這個問題時屢次加以迴避。

The trade is legal in Hong Kong, though sale of shark's fin has been banned elsewhere, including in California and various cities in Canada.

在香港，魚翅貿易是合法的，不過魚翅的銷售在其他任何地方都是被禁止的，包括美國的加州和加拿大的許多城市。

But public backlash against shark-fin consumption is on the rise, activists say. Earlier this year, Shangri-La Asia Ltd. said it would ban shark fin from tables across its 72 hotels. A survey of 1,000 Hong Kong residents published last year found that 78% of those polled felt it was "acceptable" to strike shark'S fin soup from the menu on special occasions, including weddings.

活動人士說，公衆對吃魚翅的反對越來越強烈。今年早些時候，香格里拉（亞洲）有限公司(Shangri-La Asia Ltd.)宣佈，旗下72家酒店將停止供應魚翅。去年公佈的對1,000名香港市民的調查發現，78%的受訪者認爲在包括婚宴在內的特殊場合取消魚翅可以接受。

A government spokeswoman saidHong Kongis committed to protecting endangered species in accordance with CITES, the global treaty on the endangered wildlife trade, and that shark's fin aren't typically served at official banquets anyway. "When organizing official entertainments, we do emphasize that the occasion should be decent, but not give an impression that it is extravagant," she said.

港府的一名發言人說，香港正致力於根據瀕危野生動植物種國際貿易公約(CITES)的要求保護瀕危物種，而且公務宴請中通常不供應魚翅。CITES是針對瀕危野生動植物貿易的全球性公約。她說，港府在組織公務宴請時，我們的確很注重讓整個場合看起來體面，但不會給人留下奢侈的印象。

Bertha Lo of the Hong Kong Shark Foundation said that Chinese officials won't miss much when shark's fin are left off the table in the future. "People always think that shark fin's soup is delicious, but that's just the chicken broth," says Ms. Lo. "Shark fin, itself, is tasteless."

香港鯊魚基金會(Hong Kong Shark Foundation)的Bertha Lo說，未來當魚翅從餐桌上消失時，中國官員不會怎麼想念魚翅的；人們都以爲魚翅湯很美味，那其實是雞湯的味道，魚翅本身什麼味道也沒有。