Drinking rules

　　酒品銷售條例

　　ALMOST 80 years after the repeal ofProhibition, the sale of wine and spirits remains partly or wholly in government hands in a thirdof Americas states. But in these tough times economic considerations are starting to outweighmoral concerns. On November 8th Washingtons voters approved plans to privatise the states328 liquor outlets and open the business to warehouse stores and supermarkets. Budgetplanners think the change could bring in an extra $80m a year from licence fees. The victory forthe Yes campaignsecured with $22.5m from Costco, a warehouse-store chain, the recordfor a donation to a Washington ballot initiativereduces the number of controlled states to17, following similar moves by West Virginia and Iowa years ago. Other states consideringopening the spigots include North Carolina, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

　　在禁酒法案廢止近80年后，美國有三分之一州的白酒或葡萄酒銷售權(quán)部分或者完全的掌握政府手中。但是在經(jīng)濟(jì)困難時(shí)期對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)的考量超過了道德約束。11月8日，華盛頓進(jìn)行投票，計(jì)劃將全國328個(gè)白酒分銷機(jī)構(gòu)私有化，同時(shí)不再限制大商場及超市的白酒銷售。預(yù)算案的制定者認(rèn)為此舉將帶來八千萬美元的額外許可費(fèi)收益。美國批發(fā)巨頭 COSTCO投入2250萬美元用于推動(dòng)解除酒類銷售限制的運(yùn)動(dòng)，它的勝利使得美國對(duì)酒品銷售實(shí)行控制的州減少到17個(gè)，此前幾年弗吉尼亞州和愛荷華州均取消了對(duì)酒類銷售的限制。

　　Opponents will not give up without a fight. They wield studies that point to increases inconsumption and car accidents after laws are loosened. But nowhere is liberalisation resistedmore staunchly than in Mormon-dominated Utah, where even strong beer has to be soldthrough publicly owned stores. Its restrictive distribution system is under the spotlight thanksto an ongoing bid-rigging scandal at the state-run alcohol monopoly. But the forces arrayedagainst reform are strong, including the speaker of the state Senate and anti-drink-drivingpressure groups. The odds of privatisation are a small fraction of those of seeing a Mormonin the White House, sighs one lawmaker.

　　反對(duì)者們?cè)谧鲎詈蟮亩窢幹笆墙^不會(huì)輕易放棄的。他們揮舞著調(diào)查報(bào)告稱由于法律對(duì)酒類銷售的放寬使其銷售節(jié)節(jié)攀升并間接導(dǎo)致酒后駕車事故的不斷增多。在酒類銷售限制方面沒有哪個(gè)州可以跟猶他州相比，在猶他州即使烈性啤酒也只能在公營商店才能買得到。猶他州白酒專營丑聞的曝光使得其嚴(yán)格的白酒銷售網(wǎng)絡(luò)得以被公開。但是放寬酒類銷售的改革還面臨著諸多的壓力，比如來自國會(huì)議員的反對(duì)和酒駕團(tuán)體的抗議。問題的棘手之處在于白宮里的一小撮反對(duì)飲酒的摩門教徒。

　　Worse, Utahs famously tough and complicated rules on the way drinks are stored and servedin bars and restaurants have been growing more restrictive, not less so. The shackles hadloosened a bit during the governorship of Jon Huntsman, whose administration worried thatjokes about being slower than Salt Lake City on a Saturday night were a turn-off to party-minded skiers . Bars no longer had to setthemselves up as private clubs that charged would-be drinkers membership fees, for instance.After Mr Huntsman left to become Barack Obamas ambassador to China, however, thereactionaries regained the initiative.

　　更加糟糕的是，猶他州在酒類存儲(chǔ)和銷售路徑方面的嚴(yán)格限制非但沒有放松反而變得更加苛刻。在JONHUNTSMAN任猶他州州長期間對(duì)酒類銷售的限制曾有所放松，因?yàn)樗麚?dān)心他的官員們害怕那些關(guān)于周六晚上比鹽湖城還遲鈍的笑話會(huì)讓想要狂歡的滑雪游客避開猶他。至少從現(xiàn)在看，酒吧不用像私人俱樂部那樣向可能的飲酒者收取會(huì)費(fèi)。后來亨斯頓進(jìn)入奧巴馬政府并去了中國任駐華大使，反對(duì)酒類銷售的人又開始活躍起來。

　　Under one new law, restaurants opened after January 2010, even those that serve nothingmore potent than beer, have to erect a barrier along the length of the bar that shields under-age punters from the sight of drinks being stored or poured. These walls, often made offrosted glass, are known locally as Zion curtains. These establishments beer sales cannotexceed 30% of their total revenue. The same law bans all-day discounts on drinks, introducedby many bars in recent years to get around the ban on happy hours. Doubles have long beenillegal. Licensed restaurants must use ID scanners on customers who look younger than 35.

　　根據(jù)新的法律規(guī)定，2010年1月以后開始營業(yè)的餐館飯店，無論提供何種飲料哪怕只是啤酒都必須沿酒吧前臺(tái)設(shè)置隔擋，避免未到法定飲酒年齡的年輕人看到酒類的儲(chǔ)藏及傾倒。這種橫檔通常都用磨砂玻璃制成，被當(dāng)?shù)厝朔Q為錫安山之幕。這種酒的的銷售不能超過其年銷售總額的30%。法律還規(guī)定，禁止對(duì)酒類飲料全天打折，以前酒吧飯店常采用這種打折手法繞過法律的限制在節(jié)假日促銷酒類。

　　Bars and restaurants are regularly tripped up by a strict quota system for new licences, whichis based on Utahs population growth. A number of places that had been awarded permits forall types of alcohol had them taken away in October because the increase in headcount wasbelow projections. These can now serve only beer that is 3.2% or less alcohol. To cap it all,pubs and eateries have to pay the same 80-90% markup for their booze as consumers do inthe state-run stores. With so many hoops to jump through and extra costs to absorb, it is nowonder that some chains are slowing their expansion in the state or choosing to focuselsewhere. As the souvenir shot glasses say: Eat, drink and be merrytomorrow you may bein Utah.

　　酒吧和飯店經(jīng)常被嚴(yán)格的配額制度所限制，隨著猶他州人口數(shù)量的不斷增長他們不得不重新申請(qǐng)領(lǐng)的經(jīng)銷許可證。十月份將有很多地方的酒類經(jīng)營許可證將會(huì)被收回，因?yàn)槿丝谠鲩L量低于許可證的頒發(fā)量。這些地方后現(xiàn)在只能出售度數(shù)不高于3.2的酒，白酒甚至更低。最糟的是，這些酒吧和餐廳必須和在國營商店里購買酒類的消費(fèi)者一樣支付比原價(jià)高80%到90%的金額。有這么多的 火圈要鉆，有這么多的額外支出需要去支付，難怪酒類運(yùn)營商紛紛放慢了他們?cè)讵q他州擴(kuò)展的步伐轉(zhuǎn)而投資其他地區(qū)。就像是一個(gè)紀(jì)念杯子上鐫刻的文字一樣 盡情吃喝， 開懷暢飲吧明天到了猶他州，就沒機(jī)會(huì)了

　　Drinking rules

　　酒品銷售條例

　　ALMOST 80 years after the repeal ofProhibition, the sale of wine and spirits remains partly or wholly in government hands in a thirdof Americas states. But in these tough times economic considerations are starting to outweighmoral concerns. On November 8th Washingtons voters approved plans to privatise the states328 liquor outlets and open the business to warehouse stores and supermarkets. Budgetplanners think the change could bring in an extra $80m a year from licence fees. The victory forthe Yes campaignsecured with $22.5m from Costco, a warehouse-store chain, the recordfor a donation to a Washington ballot initiativereduces the number of controlled states to17, following similar moves by West Virginia and Iowa years ago. Other states consideringopening the spigots include North Carolina, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

　　在禁酒法案廢止近80年后，美國有三分之一州的白酒或葡萄酒銷售權(quán)部分或者完全的掌握政府手中。但是在經(jīng)濟(jì)困難時(shí)期對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)的考量超過了道德約束。11月8日，華盛頓進(jìn)行投票，計(jì)劃將全國328個(gè)白酒分銷機(jī)構(gòu)私有化，同時(shí)不再限制大商場及超市的白酒銷售。預(yù)算案的制定者認(rèn)為此舉將帶來八千萬美元的額外許可費(fèi)收益。美國批發(fā)巨頭 COSTCO投入2250萬美元用于推動(dòng)解除酒類銷售限制的運(yùn)動(dòng)，它的勝利使得美國對(duì)酒品銷售實(shí)行控制的州減少到17個(gè)，此前幾年弗吉尼亞州和愛荷華州均取消了對(duì)酒類銷售的限制。

　　Opponents will not give up without a fight. They wield studies that point to increases inconsumption and car accidents after laws are loosened. But nowhere is liberalisation resistedmore staunchly than in Mormon-dominated Utah, where even strong beer has to be soldthrough publicly owned stores. Its restrictive distribution system is under the spotlight thanksto an ongoing bid-rigging scandal at the state-run alcohol monopoly. But the forces arrayedagainst reform are strong, including the speaker of the state Senate and anti-drink-drivingpressure groups. The odds of privatisation are a small fraction of those of seeing a Mormonin the White House, sighs one lawmaker.

　　反對(duì)者們?cè)谧鲎詈蟮亩窢幹笆墙^不會(huì)輕易放棄的。他們揮舞著調(diào)查報(bào)告稱由于法律對(duì)酒類銷售的放寬使其銷售節(jié)節(jié)攀升并間接導(dǎo)致酒后駕車事故的不斷增多。在酒類銷售限制方面沒有哪個(gè)州可以跟猶他州相比，在猶他州即使烈性啤酒也只能在公營商店才能買得到。猶他州白酒專營丑聞的曝光使得其嚴(yán)格的白酒銷售網(wǎng)絡(luò)得以被公開。但是放寬酒類銷售的改革還面臨著諸多的壓力，比如來自國會(huì)議員的反對(duì)和酒駕團(tuán)體的抗議。問題的棘手之處在于白宮里的一小撮反對(duì)飲酒的摩門教徒。

　　Worse, Utahs famously tough and complicated rules on the way drinks are stored and servedin bars and restaurants have been growing more restrictive, not less so. The shackles hadloosened a bit during the governorship of Jon Huntsman, whose administration worried thatjokes about being slower than Salt Lake City on a Saturday night were a turn-off to party-minded skiers . Bars no longer had to setthemselves up as private clubs that charged would-be drinkers membership fees, for instance.After Mr Huntsman left to become Barack Obamas ambassador to China, however, thereactionaries regained the initiative.

　　更加糟糕的是，猶他州在酒類存儲(chǔ)和銷售路徑方面的嚴(yán)格限制非但沒有放松反而變得更加苛刻。在JONHUNTSMAN任猶他州州長期間對(duì)酒類銷售的限制曾有所放松，因?yàn)樗麚?dān)心他的官員們害怕那些關(guān)于周六晚上比鹽湖城還遲鈍的笑話會(huì)讓想要狂歡的滑雪游客避開猶他。至少從現(xiàn)在看，酒吧不用像私人俱樂部那樣向可能的飲酒者收取會(huì)費(fèi)。后來亨斯頓進(jìn)入奧巴馬政府并去了中國任駐華大使，反對(duì)酒類銷售的人又開始活躍起來。

　　Under one new law, restaurants opened after January 2010, even those that serve nothingmore potent than beer, have to erect a barrier along the length of the bar that shields under-age punters from the sight of drinks being stored or poured. These walls, often made offrosted glass, are known locally as Zion curtains. These establishments beer sales cannotexceed 30% of their total revenue. The same law bans all-day discounts on drinks, introducedby many bars in recent years to get around the ban on happy hours. Doubles have long beenillegal. Licensed restaurants must use ID scanners on customers who look younger than 35.

　　根據(jù)新的法律規(guī)定，2010年1月以后開始營業(yè)的餐館飯店，無論提供何種飲料哪怕只是啤酒都必須沿酒吧前臺(tái)設(shè)置隔擋，避免未到法定飲酒年齡的年輕人看到酒類的儲(chǔ)藏及傾倒。這種橫檔通常都用磨砂玻璃制成，被當(dāng)?shù)厝朔Q為錫安山之幕。這種酒的的銷售不能超過其年銷售總額的30%。法律還規(guī)定，禁止對(duì)酒類飲料全天打折，以前酒吧飯店常采用這種打折手法繞過法律的限制在節(jié)假日促銷酒類。

　　Bars and restaurants are regularly tripped up by a strict quota system for new licences, whichis based on Utahs population growth. A number of places that had been awarded permits forall types of alcohol had them taken away in October because the increase in headcount wasbelow projections. These can now serve only beer that is 3.2% or less alcohol. To cap it all,pubs and eateries have to pay the same 80-90% markup for their booze as consumers do inthe state-run stores. With so many hoops to jump through and extra costs to absorb, it is nowonder that some chains are slowing their expansion in the state or choosing to focuselsewhere. As the souvenir shot glasses say: Eat, drink and be merrytomorrow you may bein Utah.

　　酒吧和飯店經(jīng)常被嚴(yán)格的配額制度所限制，隨著猶他州人口數(shù)量的不斷增長他們不得不重新申請(qǐng)領(lǐng)的經(jīng)銷許可證。十月份將有很多地方的酒類經(jīng)營許可證將會(huì)被收回，因?yàn)槿丝谠鲩L量低于許可證的頒發(fā)量。這些地方后現(xiàn)在只能出售度數(shù)不高于3.2的酒，白酒甚至更低。最糟的是，這些酒吧和餐廳必須和在國營商店里購買酒類的消費(fèi)者一樣支付比原價(jià)高80%到90%的金額。有這么多的 火圈要鉆，有這么多的額外支出需要去支付，難怪酒類運(yùn)營商紛紛放慢了他們?cè)讵q他州擴(kuò)展的步伐轉(zhuǎn)而投資其他地區(qū)。就像是一個(gè)紀(jì)念杯子上鐫刻的文字一樣 盡情吃喝， 開懷暢飲吧明天到了猶他州，就沒機(jī)會(huì)了