第1786期:Colombia to Vote on Bullfighting Ban

Colombia is one of just eight countries where bullfights remain legal. Many places in those countries are establishing restrictions on the activity. Courts and city governments in Spain and Mexico have issued rulings that have discouraged the events. In December, Colombia’s Senate approved a measure to ban bullfighting nationwide. Lawmakers in the House of Representatives could take up the legislation when it returns from its three-month break. Bullfights have been a part of life in Colombia for hundreds of years. But much of the public now disapproves of the practice because of ethical concerns.

哥伦比亚是斗牛仍然合法的八个国家之一。这些国家的许多地方都在限制这项活动。西班牙和墨西哥的法院和市政府已经发布了阻止这些事件的裁决。去年 12 月，哥伦比亚参议院批准了一项在全国范围内禁止斗牛的措施。众议院的立法者可以在三个月的休假结束后讨论这项立法。数百年来，斗牛一直是哥伦比亚生活的一部分。但出于道德方面的考虑，现在很多公众都不赞成这种做法。

“We are talking about living and feeling beings,” said Andrea Padilla. She is a recently elected senator and longtime animal rights activist who wrote the anti-bullfighting law. “These are mammals…who shouldn’t be exposed to a slow and painful death.” Padilla’s law proposes banning all bullfights within three years. It also demands immediate reform of bullfighting shows. It bars the use of some weapons and the killing of the animal. Bullfighting supporters say those measures would effectively end the tradition.

“我们谈论的是生活和有感觉的存在，”安德里亚·帕迪拉 (Andrea Padilla) 说。 She is a recently elected senator and longtime animal rights activist who wrote the anti-bullfighting law. “这些是哺乳动物……不应该让它们缓慢而痛苦地死去。”帕迪拉的法律提议在三年内禁止所有斗牛。它还要求立即改革斗牛表演。它禁止使用某些武器和杀死动物。斗牛支持者表示，这些措施将有效终结这一传统。

In bullfights, the bull is fought and taunted in three stages that last about six minutes each. First, a horseman injures the bull with a long wooden weapon with a metal point. Then, assistants rush up to the bull to push sharp sticks into the animal’s upper back. Lastly, the bullfighter stabs and kills the bull. Supporters of bullfights say the ban would destroy an art form. They also say it will cause job losses. They argue that politicians like Padilla are trying to force their beliefs on others. Studies suggest bullfighting supporters are a small percentage of Colombia’s population. In a November public opinion study by research company Datexco, 85 percent of Colombians said they agreed with a ban on bullfights. Just 13 percent said they were against a ban.

在斗牛中，斗牛和嘲讽分三个阶段进行，每个阶段持续约六分钟。首先，骑手用带金属尖头的长木头武器伤害公牛。然后，助手们冲到公牛身边，将锋利的棍子插进它的上背部。最后，斗牛士将公牛刺死。斗牛的支持者表示，该禁令将摧毁一种艺术形式。他们还说这会导致失业。他们争辩说，像帕迪拉这样的政客正试图将自己的信仰强加于人。研究表明，斗牛支持者只占哥伦比亚人口的一小部分。在研究公司 Datexco 于 11 月进行的一项民意调查中，85% 的哥伦比亚人表示他们同意禁止斗牛。只有 13% 的人表示他们反对禁令。

However, in Colombia’s House of Representatives many politicians have been unwilling to ban it. Some lawmakers say they prefer a bill that “moderates” bullfights by making some of the weapons used in these events less violent. In some parts of Colombia, like the city of Manizales, bullfights still interest thousands of people each year. The local Red Cross owns the bullfighting center in that city. Its yearly bullfighting celebration raises thousands of dollars for a children’s hospital. “It’s sad that people who don’t know anything about our sector want to make laws about us,” said Sergio Alzate. The 22-year-old hopes to become a bullfighter, or matador. He attends the city's bullfighting school.

然而，在哥伦比亚众议院，许多政客一直不愿意禁止它。一些立法者表示，他们更喜欢一项法案，该法案通过降低这些事件中使用的一些武器的暴力程度来“缓和”斗牛。在哥伦比亚的某些地区，例如马尼萨莱斯市，每年仍有成千上万的人对斗牛感兴趣。当地红十字会拥有该市的斗牛中心。它一年一度的斗牛庆典为一家儿童医院筹集了数千美元。 “令人遗憾的是，对我们行业一无所知的人想要制定关于我们的法律，”Sergio Alzate 说。这位 22 岁的年轻人希望成为一名斗牛士或斗牛士。他在市里的斗牛学校上学。

Still, Senator Padilla and thousands of others in Colombia argue that there is no ethical reason for events where animals are killed for show. She added that her bill directs the government to help create new sources of money for people working in bullfights.

尽管如此，哥伦比亚参议员帕迪拉和其他数千人认为，为了表演而杀死动物的事件没有道德理由。她补充说，她的法案指示政府帮助为从事斗牛工作的人创造新的资金来源。