◎俞智敏
A German town has halted a scheme offering asylum seekers 1.05 euros an hour to carry luggage at a station after rail operator Deutsche Bahn refused permission due to a public outcry and criticism that the project harked back to colonial times.
德國一個小鎮決定中止以時薪1.05歐元代價僱用庇護申請者搬運行李的計畫，因為在公眾憤怒和批評此舉簡直像是重返殖民時代後，德國鐵路公司已拒絕准許這麼做。
The southern German town of Schwaebisch Gmuend started the scheme recently for nine asylum seekers to help passengers get up a steep flight of metal steps erected at the station due to construction work.
德國南部小鎮施瓦本格明德最近才啟用這項計畫，讓9名庇護申請者在火車站協助旅客爬上一道陡峭的金屬階梯，這道階梯是為因應車站附近的工程而設置。
The mayor originally said he hoped the programme would help the integration of the town’s 250 asylum seekers, but pictures of the refugees, mostly from African nations, in bright red T-shirts and straw hats unleashed an outcry.
鎮長原本表示希望這項計畫能幫助鎮上的250名庇護申請者融入社會，但當這些多來自非洲國家的難民身穿鮮紅色T恤、頭戴草帽的照片公開之後卻引來強烈抗議聲浪。
Complaints about the hourly rate - about eight times below the level German politicians cite for a minimum wage - poured into the mayor’s office and sparked a Facebook campaign.
有關庇護申請者時薪比德國政治人物引述最低工資低了8倍的抱怨不斷湧入鎮長辦公室，臉書上也出現抗議網頁。
Deutsche Bahn said it had not been aware of the conditions and would pay its own employees their normal rate to do the job. A spokesman for Schwaebisch Gmuend said that the conservative mayor was disappointed at Deutsche Bahn’s decision and blamed misplaced political correctness.（Reuters）
德鐵公司表示事前對此並不知情，未來會依正常薪資請公司員工搬運行李。施瓦本格明德鎮發言人則說，保守派鎮長對德鐵公司的決定感到失望，並把問題歸咎於不合時宜的政治正確態度。
（路透）
新聞辭典
hark back to sth：動詞片語，指回到或記起過去的某事、與過去的某事很類似，如The movie has a style that harks back to the golden age of Hollywood.（這部電影的風格讓人想起好萊塢的黃金時代。）
flight：名詞，指樓梯或台階的一段，如He fell down a flight of stairs.（他從樓梯上摔了下來。）
misplaced：形容詞，指不合時宜的、不得體的、不切實際的，如I’m afraid your confidence in my abilities is misplaced.（你對我能力的信心恐怕有點不切實際。）
本文引用至 自由時報電子報 http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/
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