《中英對照讀新聞》Italians cry out over free funerals for politicians義大利人抗議政治人物葬禮免費
◎俞智敏
A free funeral is not everyone’s idea of a perk but some politicians in northern Italy’s Veneto region defended recently the right to expense their final send-off amid a public outcry about freeloading politicians.
免費葬禮恐怕不是一般人心目中的津貼項目，但義大利北部維內托省的部份政治人物最近卻在民眾一片撻伐政客揩油的聲浪中，辯稱他們有權由公家來替其人生最後的告別儀式買單。
Councilors elected to the regional government have voted themselves 7,500 euros worth of funeral expenses, on top of generous pay, free lunches, parking, daily expenses and other extras.
獲選為該省議員的民代除了享有高薪、免費午餐、免費停車、每日零用金及其他開銷等優渥待遇之外，最近竟又表決通過一筆高達7500歐元的喪葬費用。
"I don’t think it’s outrageous for Councilors to have their funerals paid for, as recognition for 10 or 15 years of public service," said Veneto regional council president Marino Finozzi of the right-wing Northern League party.
「我不認為議員們為民服務10年或15年後，由公家來支付其喪葬費用以示表揚是件很過份的事，」隸屬於右派北方聯盟黨的維內托省議會議長費諾吉表示。
Tackling reports that Councilors voted the perk months ago under cover of night, he said it was "not true we approved it at night because we were ashamed. It just happened to be late."
在面對有關議員們數月前是趁著夜黑風高悄悄通過這項額外津貼的媒體報導時，他說「我們絕非是覺得丟臉才在晚上通過這項表決，純粹只是因為時間拖得比較晚。」
But after the last rights reached the ears of the media in the midst of a national debate about the public’s lack of faith in Italy’s bloated political apparatus, other Councilors said they would vote to abolish the privilege.
但在這項最新福利的消息傳到媒體耳朵裡時，義大利正因民眾對過度膨脹的國家政治機構缺乏信心而引起激辯，其他議員們於是紛紛改口表示要投票廢除這項特權。
新聞辭典
perk：名詞，指津貼、額外補貼（口語用法）。如A company car and a mobile phone are some of the perks that come with the job.（公司配車和手機是這份工作連帶的一部份津貼。）
send-off：名詞，指告別、送行（常為單數）或新的開創機會，如We’ll have to give her a good send-off when she leaves the office.（當她離職時，我們得替她辦一場風光的送別會。）
freeloading：形容詞，指白吃白喝、揩油、不勞而獲的，名詞為freeloader，指不勞而獲的人。
《Sex A~Z》booty tax－性愛稅
一夜情的潛在支出，包括金錢及其他方面的損失（花費）：
a.花在喝酒、晚餐、買衣服上面的錢，見炮友預算（booty budge）；b.無法挽回的財產損失，如耳環、手機、內褲等，以及出來混的必要開銷，像買手機、內褲、保險套等；c.星期天晚上的憂鬱；d.星期二早晨的宿醉；e.染上性病（STD）的危險性；f.永恆的恐懼，擔心自己會一輩子找不到真命天子，然後孤獨地死去，身邊只有十五隻貓咪陪著你。（摘自《簡明性愛辭典》大辣出版）
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