We all know that smoking does nothing good for our health. Oh well, maybe, it helps some people keep those pounds away. Still, it does so at the expense of our overall health. But did you know that certain individuals have made it their mission to help people all over the world quit smoking?
Yep, two people by the names of Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg, have donated a total of USD 500 million in between them. Their aim is to help promote a worldwide anti smoking campaign. The U.S. News reports:
Billionaires Bill Gates and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced yesterday that they’ll contribute a combined $500 million to a worldwide antismoking campaign, the New York Times reports. The new campaign, dubbed Mpower, will receive $250 million from Bloomberg’s foundation during the next four years, in addition to $125 million already donated. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation plans to give $125 million during a five-year period. Bloomberg has spoken out against smoking for years, but this is a new effort by the Gates Foundation, the Times reports. The campaign will encourage governments to raise tobacco taxes, ban smoking in public places, outlaw cigarette giveaways and kid-directed advertising, start advertising campaigns against smoking, and offer people help in quitting.
I have to admit, I admire these two people for giving this much to such a worthy cause. Smoking is a dirty habit and a very unhealthy one at that. I smoke and I know how hard it is to quit. I also know that quitting would largely depend on the individual himself. Then again, one would need all the help he can get to quit this nasty habit. Here’s one to Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg!
at the expense of 以…为代价
dub v.授予…称号；把…称为
outlaw v. 宣布..不合法；禁止
nasty adj. disgusting 恶心的，令人不愉快的
我们都知道吸烟对健康毫无好处。也许它能帮一些人花掉一些钱。然而，吸烟要的却是我们全部的健康。但你知道有人把帮助全世界人们戒烟当作他们的任务的人吗?
是的,这两位的名字是比尔·盖茨和迈克尔·布隆伯格，他们已捐赠了总共5亿美元。他们的目标是为了帮助推动全球禁烟运动。美国新闻报道:
纽约时报报道称，亿万富翁比尔·盖茨和纽约市市长迈克尔·布隆伯格于昨天宣布他们两位将为全球范围的反吸烟运动捐出一共5亿美元。这项被称为Mpower的新运动将在接下来的四年里收到布隆伯格基金捐出的2.5亿美元，加上已捐出的1.25亿美元，比尔·盖茨和梅林达·盖茨基金计划在一个五年期间内捐出1.25亿美元。据泰晤士报道，多年来布隆伯格一直反对吸烟，但这是盖茨基金的一项新成果。该运动将鼓励政府提高烟草税款，禁止在公共场合吸烟，取缔香烟赠品和对儿童指向性的广告，开始发布有关禁烟的广告并为戒烟者提供帮助。
我不得不承认，我佩服这两位人物为了这个运动捐赠如此大的金额。吸烟是个恶习且十分不健康。我吸烟所以我知道要戒烟是多么得难。我也知道戒烟很大部分是要*戒烟者自己本身。再者，一个人在所有需要的帮助下才能将这个恶习戒掉。这就是比尔·盖茨和迈克尔·布隆伯格想要做的! WebEnglish Blog
