◎A prescription to cut down on sugar　減少攝取糖份處方
　
　
1.
Earlier this month, the American 1)Academy of Pediatrics, a group of doctors that focus on children, 2)announced a plan to help 3)solve the nation's weight problem: cut out 4)soft drinks in schools.
　　
本月稍早，美國小兒科學院——由一群兒童專科醫生組成——宣布一項計畫來協助解決國內的體重問題，計畫是︰學校禁喝汽水。
　　
1) academy (n.) 學院
2) announce (v.) 宣布
3) solve (v.) 解決
4) soft drink (n.) 不含酒精的飲料
　
　
2.
About 15% of U.S. children aged 6 to 19 are 1)overweight. That's almost 9 million kids—2)triple the number of overweight kids in 1980. The doctors 3)blame poor 4)diet, including too much soda, for the rising number of overweight children. According to their findings, 56% to 85% of kids drink at least one soft drink a day. That's a lot of soda.
　
年紀六到十九歲之間的美國兒童大約有百分之十五體重過重。也就是幾乎有九百萬的過胖兒童——這個數字是一九八○年過胖兒童的三倍。醫生表示過胖兒童人數攀升的主因在於飲食習慣不良，包括汽水喝得太多。根據他們的發現，有百分之五十六到八十五的兒童每天至少喝一瓶汽水。那可喝掉不少汽水。
　　
1) overweight (a.) 超重的
2) triple (a.) 三倍的
3) blame (v.) 怪罪，責怪
4) diet (n.) 習慣的飲食
　
　
3.
Dr. Robert Murray is the 1)lead 2)author of the Academy of Pediatrics plan. “Kids don't need 3)encouragement from their school to drink more soft drinks,” he says. “A school is a place for 4)learning, so schools should offer what's best for kids’ health.”
　　　
羅勃莫瑞醫生是小兒科學院這項計畫的主要作者。他說︰「孩童不需要學校鼓勵他們多喝汽水。學校是學習的場所，所以學校應該提供對小孩健康最有益的東西。」
　
1) lead (a.) 主要的，帶頭的
2) author (n.) 作者，作家
3) encouragement (n.) 鼓勵
4) learning (n.) 學習
　
　
4.
Of course, soda companies think the 1)criticism is 2)unfair. They say that no food has to be completely 3)removed from our diets. The National Soft Drink 4)Association represents most soft drink makers in the U.S. Jim Finkelstein, the association's 5)director, said: “Soft drinks can be a part of a 6)balanced 7)lifestyle and are a nice 8)treat.”
　　
當然，汽水公司認為這項批評不盡公平。他們認為沒有哪種食物應該從我們的飲食當中完全去除。國家無酒精飲料協會代表美國大多數飲料廠商。協會董事吉姆芬克斯坦表示︰「汽水可以是均衡生活方式當中的一環，而且很好喝。」
　
1) criticism (n.) 批評
2) unfair (a.) 不公平
3) remove (v.) 移除
4) association (n.) 協會，同業公會
5) director (n.) 指導人，董事
6) balanced (a.) 均衡的
7) lifestyle (n.) 生活方式
8) treat (n.) 好吃的東西
　
　
5.
Some schools use money 1)earned from 2)vending machines to pay for student activities such as school dances and sports programs. This makes the schools 3)dependent on soft drink companies. Some schools even have 4)contracts with the companies. However, doctors 5)argue that schools should 6)avoid contracts with soft drink companies.
　
有些學校利用販賣機賺來的錢支付學生活動費用，例如學校的舞會及校隊訓練。此舉會造成學校依賴飲料公司。有些學校甚至跟這些公司簽了約。不過，醫生主張學校應該避免與飲料公司簽合約。
　
1) earn (v.) 賺
2) vending machine (n.) 自動販賣機
3) dependent (a.) 依靠……的
4) contract (n.) 合同，合約
5) argue (v.) 爭辯
6) avoid (v.) 避免
　
　
6.
Doctors 1)suggest schools with contracts should place 2)limits on the 3)sale of soft drinks to avoid encouraging kids to drink more soda. In 4)response, some schools have already 5)replaced soda with water, milk, 6)sports drinks and 100% juice drinks in vending machines.

醫生建議，跟飲料公司簽了約的學校應該限制汽水的銷售量，以避免鼓勵孩童喝更多的汽水。回應上述建議，有些學校已經將販賣機裡的汽水換成水、牛奶、運動飲料、以及百分之百純果汁。
　
1) suggest (v.) 建議
2) limit (n.) 限制
3) sale (n.) 販賣，銷售
4) encourage (v.) 鼓勵
5) response (n.) 反應，回應
6) replace (v.) 替換，取代
7) sports drink (n.) 運動飲料
　
　
7.
Big cities such as Los Angeles and New York City have already 1)banned soda in schools, and Philadelphia is about to do the same. Will soda-free schools be the 2)wave of the future?
　
大城市如洛杉磯和紐約都已經禁止學校販賣汽水，費城也即將跟進。學校禁喝汽水是否會成為未來的風潮？
　
1) ban (v.) 禁止
2) wave (n.) 波浪，浪潮
　
　
8.
Soda machines should be banned from schools, says 14-year-old Elizabeth Wagner from Pennsylvania. Wagner says she drinks a lot of water because it's the only drink that her body really needs when she's playing 1)soccer. “Even kids who don't play sports should drink more water,” she said. “I think banning soda machines in schools will help kids learn that 2)concept.” Maybe it's a concept whose time has come. (based on Time for Kids, Feb.10, 2004)
　
十四歲的賓州女孩伊莉莎白瓦那表示，應該禁止在校園擺設汽水販賣機。瓦那說她喝很多的水，因為當她在踢足球的時候，水是她身體唯一真正需要的飲料。她說︰「即使是不運動的小孩也應該多喝水。我認為校內禁止擺設汽水販賣機能幫助孩童學會這個觀念。」或許這個觀念的時代已經來臨了。
　
1) soccer (n.) 足球
2) concept (n.) 觀念