在我的祖國美國，對于酒后駕駛的懲處過于寬松。那些醉酒的人通常可以繼續開車，直到他們撞死人。大部分司機都尊重生命，細心謹慎。但是總有些人坐到汽車方向盤前，就會暴露出施惡于他人的變態心理。保護人們的唯一方法就是嚴格執行法律，并修建旨在保護行人和騎車者等弱勢出行者的馬路。

By David Blair

On December 27, 2014, cyclist Tom Palermo, a father of two young children, was run over by a drunk driver near Baltimore, Maryland. Riding on a road with a broad shoulder, far from traffic, he was left to die on the road, as the driver sped away.
2014年12月27日，兩個孩子的父親湯姆?巴勒莫在馬里蘭州巴爾的摩附近騎自行車時被一個酒駕司機開車撞倒。巴勒莫騎行的道路路肩寬，遠離來往車輛，由于肇事司機疾馳而去，巴勒莫被留在事故地點，直至死亡。

The driver, a bishop in the Episcopal church, fled to her home. But, fortunately, another bike rider was able to follow her and report her location to police. Turns out she had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit and was also texting at the time she killed Palermo.
這位肇事司機是新教圣公會的主教，她逃回家中。但幸運的是，另一位騎行者跟上了她并把她的位置報告給警察。事后證明當時她血液中的酒精含量是法定上限的三倍，而且她撞死巴勒莫的時候還在發短信。

She had been stopped by police for drunk driving four years before—again with a very high blood alcohol level and with an almost finished bottle of whisky and a marijuana pipe in the car. Amazingly, no charges were filed, she continued as a bishop, and, obviously, continued driving. If she had not been so connected and privileged, she might have gone to prison that time, and Tom Palermo would still be alive.
這位司機曾在四年前因酒駕被交警攔下，當時她血液中的酒精含量同樣很高并且車內有一瓶見底的威士忌和大麻管。但令人驚訝的是，她并未被起訴，之后她繼續擔任主教一職并且顯然，繼續開車。假如當初她沒有那么多關系與特權，或許在四年前她就會被關進監獄，而巴勒莫現在仍然活著。

For the wanton killing, she did receive a punishment of seven years, which seems too little. The court concluded that she “showed no remorse and took no responsibility for her actions.”
司機最終因故意殺人而被判處七年有期徒刑，這點懲罰似乎太輕了。而且法院認定她“毫無悔意且對于自己的行為不負責任”。

In my home country, the US, penalties for drunk driving are certainly too lax. The drunks generally keep driving until they kill someone.
在我的祖國美國，對于酒后駕駛的懲處過于寬松。那些醉酒的人通常可以繼續開車，直到他們撞死人。

In 2011, China enacted legislation that made it a criminal offense to drive with a blood alcohol level above 8 mg/100 ml. According to Xinhua, the number of drunk driving cases fell 40% in the year following the new legislation. Still, according to research by researchers at the health ministry in the Haidian district of Beijing, random breath surveys in two southern cities showed 4.5 percent of drivers with a blood alcohol level above 200 mg/100ml, far above the legal limit.
2011年，中國立法規定，駕駛過程中司機血液酒精含量高于8 mg/100 ml的情況構成刑事犯罪。根據新華社報道，新法規頒布后的一年中，酒駕人數下降40%。但根據北京市海淀區衛生局研究人員的研究，在兩座南方城市進行的隨機呼氣測醉調查中，仍有4.5%的駕駛員血液酒精含量超過200 mg/100ml，遠遠高于法定上限。

So, I was dismayed by a guideline issued in May by the Supreme People's Court that said “offenses that cause very little harm to society should not be considered crimes, and thus be exempt from the penalties set out for dangerous driving in the Criminal Law,” as reported earlier in China Daily.
而《中國日報》此前報道，中國最高人民法院今年5月頒布的相關指導性意見指出：“對社會危害不大的，不予定罪，可以免去刑事處罰?！边@還是讓我有點沮喪的。

With all due respect, I cannot understand the meaning of this. If someone shoots a gun into a crowd and happens not to hit anyone, shouldn't that be punished as reckless homicide?
恕我冒昧，我實在不能理解這條指導性意見的意義何在。好比有人在人群中開槍，但恰好沒有擊中任何人，難道他就能免于被指控過失殺人嗎？

Of course, drunk drivers are not the only killers. In April, according to China Daily, a speeding taxi in China's Henan province ran over a woman, then left the scene of the accident. A minute later, she was hit again by a speeding SUV.
當然，酒后駕駛并不是馬路上唯一的殺手。根據《中國日報》的報道，今年4月，河南省一輛超速行駛的出租車在撞倒一名婦女后逃逸。一分鐘后，這位婦女又被另一輛超速車輛碾過。

This kind of thing happens all over the world. Most drivers are careful people who have respect for human life. But, there is something about being behind the wheel of a car that brings out the inner psychopath in others.
這樣的悲劇在世界各地都有發生。大部分司機都尊重生命，細心謹慎。但是總有些人坐到汽車方向盤前，就會暴露出施惡于他人的變態心理。

The only way to protect people is by strict enforcement of the laws and by building roads designed to protect vulnerable users, such as walkers and bikers.
保護人們的唯一方法就是嚴格執行法律，并修建旨在保護行人和騎車者等弱勢出行者的馬路。

Nothing will bring back the father lost by his children, but it's past time to say enough is enough. Get these killers off the road.
沒有什么能讓孩子們失去的父親再回來，但現在是時候說出“適可而止”了。必須讓這些兇手遠離馬路。

英文來源：“CHINA DAILY”微信公眾號
翻譯：黃鈺婷
編審：丹妮 董靜
音頻編輯：焦潔

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David Blair writes for the international weekly editions of China Daily.