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(生活) 馬拉威考慮重罰公開放屁行為

(Life) Malawians Face Farting Felony

究竟要不要禁止人民公開放屁的新法已經搞得馬拉威政府一個頭兩個大。

Trouble is brewing in Malawi over a new law and whether or not it prohibits people from breaking wind in public.

然而信不信由你，各持己見的雙方都是非洲最高等級的高階官員。

Believe it or not, the parties on either side of the row are two of the African nation’s most high-ranking justice officials.

司法部長喬治查彭達表示應該立法並將公開放屁列為犯罪行為，另一方面，副檢察長安東尼卡曼迦則強烈反對難聞的空氣就是汙染空氣的說法。

Justice Minister George Chaponda says the legislation criminalizes public flatulence, while Solicitor General Anthony Kamanga is arguing that the prohibition against “fouling the air” refers to pollution.

這兩人公開辯護自己的觀點，查彭達表示這項禁令將有助於推廣「公共禮儀」。

Both men have publically defended their point of view, with Chaponda saying that such a ban would promote “public decency.”

他甚至在電台裡傳遞這個訊息：「如果你想放屁，那就去廁所吧！」

He even appeared on a local radio station to deliver the message: “Just go to the toilet when you feel like farting.”

對此難以置信的卡曼迦則表示「除了我以外，還有哪一個理性或是明智的人可以理解將公開放屁列為犯罪行為的法律規條。」

An incredulous Kamanga has countered: “How any reasonable or sensible person can construe the provision to criminalizing farting in public is beyond me.”

這項法律目前飽受質疑，因為馬拉威地方法院的議案表示：「凡是汙染空氣，例如危害在公共場所或是普通住宅，或是社區商店裡，或是行人走道上的人的健康就已經犯法了。」

The law in question, Malawi’s Local Courts Bill, states: “Any person who vitiates the atmosphere in any place so as to make it noxious to the public to the health of persons in general dwelling or carrying on business in the neighborhood or passing along a public way shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.”

待我們看看馬拉威法院對此會有什麼解釋。

We’ll have to wait and see which interpretation is followed in Malawi’s law courts.