U.N. Upholds Ban on "Dwarf Throwing"

　　A tiny stuntman who protested against a French ban on the bizarre practice of "dwarf throwing" lost his case before a U.N. human rights body, which said the need to protect human dignity was paramount. Manuel Wackenheim had argued the 1995 ban by France's highest administrative court was discriminatory and deprived him of a job being hurled around discotheques by burly men. In a statement the U.N. Human Rights Committee said it was satisfied "the ban on dwarf-tossing was not abusive but necessary in order to protect public order, including considerations of human dignity." The committee also said the ban "did not amount to prohibited discrimination." The pastime, imported from the United States and Australia in the 1980s, consists of people throwing tiny stuntmen as far as possible, usually in a bar or discotheque. The stuntman wears a crash helmet and padded clothing which has handles on the back to facilitate throwing the human projectile. The Frenchman, who measures 1.14 meter (3 ft 10 inches), filed his case in 1999 with the U.N. committee made up of 18 independent experts who examine states' compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 


　　法国禁止了"投掷矮人"的怪异把戏，一位矮小的特技演员因此到联合国的一个人权机构进行抗议，而后者以保护人性尊严至关重要为由判他败诉。曼纽尔-瓦肯汉姆认为，法国最高行政法庭1995年的禁令是歧视性的，而且剥夺了他的工作机会--他的工作就是在迪斯科舞厅里被壮汉们抛来掷去。联合国人权委员会在声明中说，他们确信"对投掷矮人的禁令是维护公共秩序的必要措施，从人性尊严角度看来也顺理成章，不是对法规的滥用。"委员会还说这"不算是禁止性歧视。"这种娱乐在20世纪80年代从美国和澳大利亚传入法国，其内容是人们在酒吧或是迪斯科舞厅一类的地方把矮小的特技演员尽可能地往远处扔。特技演员戴着防撞头盔，穿着有衬垫的衣服，衣服背后有把手以便人们"发射人体炮弹"。这位身高1.14米(3英尺10英寸)的法国人于1999年向联合国人权委员会提出了诉讼，该委员会由18位独立专家组成，其职责是监督各国对《公民权利及政治权利国际公约》的履行情况。


　　Remarks：人们不都是安贫乐道的颜回，各人对尊严的看法想必也大相径庭，为保护"有尊严的生存"而危及生存本身是否有点舍本逐末呢？

来源：《英语学习》