VOA常速英语2008年-Nigeria Vows Tighter Tobacco Controls

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
17 March 2008

A $44 billion lawsuit¹ brought by the Nigerian government against three tobacco companies has resumed at the Abuja federal court. The federal government is seeking damages for what is says were public health costs for treating smoking-related diseases. Gilbert da Costa has more for VOA in this report from Abuja.

 

As the court case got back underway, prosecutors³ told the court they were yet to serve legal papers on one of the defendants⁴, Switzerland-based Philip Morris International.

 

The court subsequently granted a request by prosecutors to file notice of the case in newspapers in Switzerland before the next trial date in May.

 

Lead prosecutor² Maryam Uwais says Nigeria plans to introduce stringent⁵ laws to protect children from exposure to cigarettes and a life of tobacco addiction⁶. She insists tobacco companies should take responsibility for public health costs for treating smoking-related diseases.

 

"We are hoping that children will not be sold cigarettes all over the country. When children start smoking very early, by the time they realize that is it bad for them, they are already addicted," she said. "We are trying to make the tobacco companies aware of the devastating⁷ effect of their own products. If you create a mess, you have to clean it up. But they are reluctant to clean up the mess they are creating."

 

The case was inspired by U.S lawsuits⁸ in the 1990s that led to multibillion-dollar settlements with the tobacco industry.

 

The Nigerian states of Lagos, Kano and Gombe are pursuing their own lawsuits, in which they are seeking a total of $38 billion in damages.

 

Nigeria's most populous⁹ state, Lagos, says at least two people die each day from tobacco-related diseases in the state.

 

Lawyers representing British-American Tobacco Nigeria say the allegations were unsubstantiated and the litigation cannot be sustained.

 

Critics accuse the Nigerian government of seeking monetary¹⁰ compensation from the same companies that have been given tax breaks to expand their operations in the country.

1 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

2 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

3 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

4 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

5 stringent   

adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的

参考例句：

• Financiers are calling for a relaxation of these stringent measures.金融家呼吁对这些严厉的措施予以放宽。
• Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.合同中有几项条件太苛刻。

6 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

7 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

8 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

9 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

10 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。