日鐵路車站安裝藍燈防自殺

Tokyo train operators alarmed at a rise in station suicides have bathed the city's platforms in blue light in a bid to calm passengers.

East Japan Railway Co. has spent £100,000 fitting out all 29 stations on the capital's central train loop, the Yamanote Line, with the strong bulbs.

The operators believe they will emit a soothing glow, despite the absence of any scientific proof that the method reduces suicides.

Mizuki Takahashi, a therapist involved with the project, said: "We associate the colour with the sky and the sea.

"It has a calming effect on agitated people, or people obsessed with one particular thing, which in this case is committing suicide."

A total of 68 people threw themselves in front of trains in the 12 months until March, up from 42 in the same period the year before.

Suicide rates across the country have risen amid economic strife.

The lights will be hung at the end of each platform, a spot where people are most likely to jump to their deaths.

Shinji Hira, a psychology professor, said while the blue lights could make people pause and reflect, the railways were better off following Tokyo's underground network in installing fences on its platforms.

East Japan Railway said the funds for such a project on the Yamanote Line - used by up to eight million passengers each day - would not be available until at least 2017.

日本東京火車站自殺案例數量不斷上升，爲謹防類似事件的發生，東京地鐵運營商在沿線各站的站臺上安裝了藍色的燈，以幫助乘客平靜情緒。

東日本鐵路公司耗資10萬英鎊，在首都中心鐵路環線“山手線”的所有29個車站內安裝這種強光燈泡。

運營商認爲，這些藍色燈能夠發出一種可穩定情緒的光芒，儘管目前還沒有任何科學依據可證明這種方法可減少自殺的發生。

參與該項目的治療專家高橋水木說：“看見藍色，我們就會聯想到天空和大海。”

“藍色對於情緒激動的人或執意要做某事的人具有鎮靜的作用，具體到我們的情況就是自殺。”

在截至今年三月的一年中，東京鐵路線共發生68起臥軌自殺事件，去年同期爲42起。

在經濟危機的大背景下，日本全國的自殺率也有所上升。

這些藍燈投入使用後，將被掛在每個站臺的盡頭，這裏是自殺事件高發區域。

心理學教授平幹申智說，儘管藍燈可能會讓人們駐足反思，但火車站最好還是能效仿東京地鐵站，在站臺上修建護欄。

東日本鐵路公司說，在山手線修建護欄工程的資金最早要到2017年才能到位。山手線的日均旅客量達800萬。

Vocabulary:

fit out: to equip; supply with necessary or new equipment, clothes, etc. 配備（The kitchen is very well fitted out. 這間廚房設備齊全。）

better off: in a better or more prosperous condition 境況好起來（Since my husband was made the manager, we are better off. 自從我的丈夫被任命爲經理以來，我們的境況好轉了。）