Take to the Nanjing Metro these days and find that it is an increasingly quiet place. That’s because our city is apparently leading the way on cracking down on so-called uncivilised behaviour. And it’s got a lot of people in other cities calling for the same.
这几天坐南京地铁，发现这里越来越安静。因为我们的城市在打击所谓的不文明行为方面显然走在了前列。其他城市的很多人也有同样的呼吁。
The incident in fact occurred a month ago, on 26 May. That’s the day when officers patrolling a Metro Line 1 train came across a lady watching a movie on her phone.
该事件实际上发生在一个月前，即5月26日。当天，巡逻地铁一号线列车的民警遇到一位正在用手机看电影的女士。
At the time, the train was travelling from Baijiahu Station to Xiaolongwan Station. Problem was, the movie’s soundtrack was being routed to the phone’s loudspeakers as opposed being “on silent” or routed to headphones, as required by metro regulations nationwide.
当时，列车正从白家湖站开往小龙湾站。问题是，电影的配乐被传送到手机的扬声器，而不是按照全国地铁法规的要求“静音”或传送到耳机。
The officers chose to intervene, issuing the lady with an on-the-spot fine, just as the doors of the train opened at Xiaolongwan. That the incident, reported by Southern Daily (南方日报) on 24 June, has attracted so much attention suggests the lady in Nanjing in fact received the first such fine in the country. And from the reaction of the internet, citizens all over China are praising Nanjing and want more of this kind of a fine issued.
当火车门在小龙湾打开时，警察选择介入，当场对这位女士处以罚款。南方日报6月24日报道的这起事件引起如此广泛的关注，这表明南京女士事实上是全国首例收到此类罚款的。而从网络反应来看，全国民众都在为南京点赞，希望多开这样的罚款。
Li Bin heads up one of the law enforcement brigades for Nanjing Metro. Speaking with reporters, Li said, “In April, 2020, the Ministry of Transport issued measures for the management of passenger transport organisation and service on urban rail transit. Article 36 stipulates that passengers shall not behave in any way that affects the operation order of urban rail transit, including the use of electronic equipment to emit sound”.
李斌是南京地铁执法大队的队长。李告诉记者，“2020年4月，交通运输部印发了《城市轨道交通客运组织与服务管理办法》。第三十六条规定，乘客不得有任何影响城市轨道交通运营秩序的行为，包括使用电子设备发出声音”。
The Nanjing Metro is indeed a quiet and orderly environment, thanks in part to extensive efforts aimed at making it so. For some years now, the use of loudspeakers on phones has been outlawed. Trains today feature prominent signage stating, “No Using Loudspeakers”.
南京地铁确实是一个安静有序的环境，这在一定程度上要归功于大量的努力。多年来，在电话上使用扬声器已被禁止。今天的火车上有醒目的标牌，上面写着“禁止使用扬声器”。
Noise pollution as a whole has been a problem in China for decades. While progress has been made in many areas, changes in society have brought about new challenges. Sales staff screaming promotions into megaphones, for example, have been replaced by cacophonies of barking dogs.
几十年来，噪音污染一直是中国的一个问题。在许多领域取得进步的同时，社会的变化也带来了新的挑战。例如，销售人员对着扩音器大喊促销的声音已经被狗吠的刺耳声音所取代。
Just as well then, that from 5 June, 2022, China’s “Law on Noise Pollution Prevention and Control” was officially implemented. The Law stipulates that families and their members should cultivate a good habit of reducing noise, as well as keeping pets and undertaking other daily activities in such a way as to avoid noise pollution affecting those around as much as possible.
恰逢2022年6月5日起，中国《噪声污染防治法》正式实施。该法规定，家庭及其成员应当养成减少噪声的良好习惯，饲养宠物和进行其他日常活动时，尽量避免噪声污染影响周围人。
According to China Justice Observer (CJO), “The [term] ‘noise’ refers to the sound that adversely affects the living environments in surrounding areas. ‘Noise pollution’ occurs when such noise exceeds a prescribed standard and causes harm to the lives of people (Art. 2)”.
据《中国司法观察报》报道，“‘噪声’是指对周围生活环境产生不良影响的声音。当噪声超过规定标准，对人民群众的生命造成危害时，即为‘噪声污染’（第二条）”。
While one lady in Nanjing is likely now bringing along headphones for her daily commute, CJO also observes that others, namely those choosing to spend their evenings outside dancing to music, need not worry, so long as the volume be “set within a reasonable level”.
虽然南京的一位女士现在可能会在日常通勤时携带耳机，但 CJO 还观察到，其他人，即那些选择晚上在户外伴着音乐跳舞的人，不必担心，只要将音量“设置在合理的水平”即可。
