Food Contamination

　　From time immemorial, food contamination has become a common phenomenon in China, ranging from poisonous milk power to the plasticizers in huge quantities of Taiwan-manufactured beverages and food exported to the mainland. The public has experienced so many crises of food contamination that only the most deadly cases would create some sensations, which soon pass into oblivion with the quick occurrence of new ones.
　　Food contamination is indisputably detrimental. The poisonous milk power has bereaved many young couples of their innocent and lovely new babes. Some contaminated foods lead to irreversible and chronic diseases. Some affected inpiduals, though without visible aftermaths, may suffer from lingering psychological trauma. However, the hazards produced by food contamination are more moral than physiological—with contamination cases cropping up here and there, the credibility of the entire society has been ruined and people find nothing and nobody to be trustworthy.
　　Technically, food contamination is caused by the introduction of illegal additives and non-edible chemical substances into the manufactured food. Morally, it results from the sheer drive for profitability by gluttonous merchants who use cheaper, and often harmful, substitutes, all at the expense of the physical welfare of the public. To address the problem, some appeal to the moral conscience of the businessmen. But the high frequency at which contamination cases have happened makes this moral appeal feeble and futile. The ultimate solution lies in law—the profit-minded businessmen would not have a penitent heart unless they are driven to bankruptcy and taken into jail!

　　【參考譯文】

　　食品污染

　　已記不得從何時起，食品污染在中國已成為一種司空見慣的現象，稍前有毒奶粉事件，稍近則有臺灣制造并輸入至大陸的大量飲料與食品中的塑化劑。民眾在經歷了如此之多的食品污染危機之后，以至于只有最為致命的個案才會激起一些漣漪，但隨著新危機的快速涌現，此前的危機很快就被人淡忘。
　　無可辯駁的是，食品污染危害極大。毒奶粉已奪走了許多年輕夫婦們的無辜、可愛的新生兒。有些遭到污染的食物，可以導致不可逆轉的慢性疾病。有些受有毒食品影響的個體，雖然并無顯著的后遺癥，也會遭受久久揮之不去的心理創傷的折磨。但是，食物污染所造成的危害與其說是生理層面上的，還不如說是道德層面上的。隨著污染個案此起彼伏，層出不窮，整個社會的誠信已被摧毀殆盡。人們發現，任何人，任何事，都不值得信賴。
　　從技術上講，食物污染是由于非法添加劑或非食用性化學物被引入到所制造的食物中。但在道德層面，它則源自利欲熏心的商人對利潤的不擇手段的追逐。他們采用成本更為低廉、且往往是有害的替代品，罔顧民眾的身體健康。為了解決這一問題，有些人訴諸于商家的道德良知。但是，食品污染事件如此高頻率的重復發生，已使這一道德訴求蒼白無力，徒勞無效。終極的解決之道只有一個，那就是法律。滿腦子想著如何賺錢的不良商家是絕不會心存懺悔的，除非將他們逼至破產的境地，或令其鋃鐺入獄！

　　【值得熟記的句式與短語】
　　1. From time immemorial已記不得從何時起，自古以來
　　2. a common phenomenon一種司空見慣的現象
　　3. poisonous milk power有毒奶粉
　　4. the most deadly cases最為致命的個案
　　5. create sensations引起轟動
　　6. pass into oblivion逐漸被忘卻
　　7. bereave of使失去
　　8. irreversible and chronic diseases不可逆轉的慢性疾病
　　9. lingering psychological trauma久久揮之不去的心理創傷
　　10. crop up here and there層出不窮
　　11. illegal additives非法添加劑
　　12. non-edible chemical substances非食用性化學物
　　13. sheer drive for profitability對利潤的不擇手段的追逐
　　14. gluttonous merchants利欲熏心的商人
　　15. at the expense of以……為代價
　　16. To address the problem為了解決這一問題
　　17. moral conscience道德良知
　　18. feeble and futile蒼白無力
　　19. The ultimate solution lies in law終極的解決之道只有一個，那就是法律。
　　20. a penitent heart心存懺悔

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