俄士兵配給新變化：糖果換香菸

Russia will no longer include free cigarettes in its food rations for servicemen but will compensate by providing them with candy, a top general said Thursday.

"We are no longer buying cigarettes for the armed forces and are replacing them with caramel and sugar," lieutenant-General Dmitry Bulgakov was quoted by news agencies as saying.

He specified however that Russia was not banning smoking in the military.

"Naturally, if a soldier wants to smoke we can't forbid this. But now he'll have to buy cigarettes in stores," Bulgakov said. "If you want to smoke, then smoke. If you don't want to smoke, eat candy."

Bulgakov also announced defence ministry plans to provide military officers who work mainly indoors or in hot climates with new uniforms, including socks that let feet "breathe" and shoes "of high-quality leather."

However, after being issued a complete uniform kit at the start of service officers will afterwards have to purchase new uniform components themselves, albeit from special military stores open only to officers and their families.

The decision to introduce updated, higher-quality uniforms to Russian military personnel was made in 2007, which were scheduled to be issued this year.

However, while a few units have received new uniforms -- notably those that marched on the May 9 Victory Day parade on Red Square -- the project has been delayed due to defence ministry budget cuts.

Defence chiefs now planned to phase in the new uniforms over the next two to three years, Bulgakov said.

俄羅斯一位高級將領週四稱，今後俄軍士兵的食品配給中將不再有免費香菸，但是會發放糖果作爲補償。

通訊社援引中將德米特里•布爾加科夫的話：“我們將不再爲軍隊購買香菸，取而代之的將是焦糖和砂糖。”

不過，他明確說明俄羅斯並沒有在軍隊中禁菸。

“當然了，如果一個士兵想抽菸的話我們不能禁止。不過現在他需要自己去商店買，” 布爾加科夫說。“如果你想抽的話，就抽。但是如果你不想抽，那就吃糖吧。”

布爾加科夫還宣佈了國防部的計劃，預備向那些主要在室內或在炎熱氣候裏工作的軍官提供新制服，其中包括透氣性好的襪子和高質量皮鞋。

但是，在服役之初發到一整套制服之後，軍官們仍須自己購買新的制服配件，不過他們可以到專門向軍官和軍屬開放的特別軍品店購買。

俄羅斯在2007年做出決定，將向軍隊人員提供先進、質量更高的制服，按計劃今年將予以實施。

但是，目前只有幾個部門發到了新制服——特別是那些在5月9日勝利日參加紅場閱兵式的士兵，這個計劃由於國防部財政預算削減而被推遲執行。

國防部的長官們現在計劃在接下來的兩到三年內逐步引入新制服，布爾加科夫說。

Vocabulary:

ration: 配給量，給養，口糧

kit: （士兵的）個人裝備

albeit: 儘管，雖然

phase in: 逐步引入