Pakistan’s new government, trying to appear determined to rein in escalating crime and militancy, has ended a ban on the death penalty, in a move condemned by international organisations as inhuman and retrograde.
巴基斯坦新政府為表現防制犯罪與好戰行為的決心，取消死刑禁令。國際組織譴責此舉是不人道和開倒車的作法。
Up to 8,000 people languish on death row in dozens of Pakistan’s notoriously overcrowded and violent jails.
巴國監獄因人滿為患和暴力橫行而惡名昭彰，目前有多達8000名死刑犯飽受煎熬。
Once a moratorium is in place, reinstatement of capital punishment is rare, with more than 150 countries having already either abolished the death penalty or stopped administering it.
各國一旦中止死刑，鮮少會恢復，全世界現已有150個以上國家廢除死刑或停止執行死刑。
Pakistan’s president must approve all executions. The government puts the number of people on death row at about 400. The method of execution is usually hanging.
巴國處決人犯一律須經總統批准，政府公布的死囚人數約400名，行刑方式通常為絞刑。
"Pakistan is part of a dwindling minority of States who continue to retain the death penalty and carry out executions," the International Crisis Group said.
國際危機組織表示：「巴基斯坦是繼續維持死刑並執行死刑的國家之一，這些國家已是少數且不斷減少。」
There is, however, no firm evidence showing the practice can serve as a deterrent to crime or extremism, according to the United Nations and human rights groups.
不過，根據聯合國與人權團體，並沒有強而有力的證據可證實死刑可遏止犯罪或極端主義。
Papua New Guinea, one of the world’s poorest and most corrupt countries, reinstated the death penalty in May and repealed its sorcery laws after a string of gruesome "witch" killings and gang-rapes.（Reuters）
巴布亞紐幾內亞是全球最貧窮、最腐敗的國家之一，一連串恐怖的弒巫女及輪暴案發生後，5月時恢復死刑，並廢除其巫術法。（路透）
新聞辭典
retrograde：形容詞，後退的；逆行的；退化的。例句：It’s a retrogade step for human rights.（這是人權倒退的一步。）
dwindling：形容詞，逐漸減少，變小。例句：Dwindling tourists means less income for vendors.（遊客減少，攤販的收入也變少。）
deterrent：名詞，威懾力量；制止物。例句：Cameras are considered by many to be a major deterrent to crime.（攝影機被許多人視為是遏阻犯罪的重要工具。）
資料來源 http://iservice.libertytimes.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=696953&day=2013-07-16
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