Larangan merokok di PRANCIS

Perancis mulai bergabung dengan barisan negara-negara Eropa yang memberlakukan larangan merokok di bar, kafe, dan restoran. Larangan itu mulai berlaku tengah malam menjelang Tahun Baru 2008. Sebagian besar warga tampaknya menerima pelarangan itu tidak bisa dihindarkan, meski ada penentangan kuat di kawasan pedesaan Perancis. Wartawan BBC Hugh Schofield mengirimkan laporan berikut:.

Dengar ceritanya

Here in the Point du Jour bar in the town of Cosne sur Loire in Burgundy the tobacco ban has, shall we say, not quite yet come into effect. There's a group of four or five men beside me here at the counter and they're all busy puffing away. Have no fear though, this does not mean that the ban is without teeth. The fact is that the government has given a twenty-four hour reprieve for people to bring in the New Year. And from tomorrow, everyone here concedes they will be respecting the law. If they want a ‘cloppe’ or a fag, it'll be outside on the pavement or in their cars.

It's in places like this deep in the heart of the French countryside that resistance to the smoking ban has been at its strongest. People see it here as an affront to personal liberty and as a threat to a traditional way of life centred on the village café. But the fines are large, the government says it means business.

And so from tomorrow here at the Point du Jour bar as across the rest of France, the morning coffee and cigarette will be a thing of the past.

Hugh Schofoeld, BBC News, Burgundy

Dengar kata-katanya

come into effect
mulai resmi berlaku

busy puffing away
(informal) menghisap rokok secara cepat

is without teeth
tidak membawa dampak, sanksi atau konsekuensi serius

reprieve
memberikan tenggang waktu, ketika anda membiarkan sesuatu terjadi selama satu jangka waktu tertentu

to bring in
mendatangkan, merayakan to celebrate

a fag
(informal) sebatang rokok

resistance
orang sangat tidak sependapat atau menentang ( di sini, larangan merokok)

an affront to personal liberty
langkah yang menyinggung atau melanggar kebebasan perorangan

says it means business
sangat serius tentang sesuatu

a thing of the past
sesuatu yang tidak lagi terjadi