India’s Supreme¹ Court banned fireworks in the capital Delhi, in the run-up to the Hindu festival of Diwali.

排灯节将至，印度最高法院严禁市民在德里首都燃放烟花爆竹。

The court said it wanted to test if banning fireworks would make a difference to Delhi’s air quality, ranked among the worst in the world.

法院称，由于德里空气质量过去在世界上排名最差，此次禁令是想测试一下禁放烟花爆竹会对空气质量有多大影响。

The ban on the sale and distribution² of firecrackers will last until 1 November. Diwali falls on 18 October.

烟花爆竹销售和分销禁令将一直持续到11月1日方能解除，而今年德里排灯节将于10月18日开始。

Diwali, the most important Hindu festival in north India, celebrates the victory of good over evil³.

排灯节是印度北部最重要的节日，庆祝正义战胜了邪恶。

The Supreme Court order came in response to several petitions⁴, asking for a restoration of the ban it had first ordered in November 2016, before temporarily lifting it in September.

最高法院收到几次上诉，针对九月份之前临时发布的禁令，它们要求解除2016年11月份颁布的禁令。

It had said at the time that a complete ban would be an "extreme step".

据说，此次完全禁令在当时被认为是“极端做法”。

India’s Central Pollution Control Board told the court they also wanted the ban to be restored⁵.

印度中央污染控制委员会告知法庭，也希望恢复禁令。

However those who have already bought fireworks will be able to set them off.

但对于已购买烟花爆竹的人，将允许燃放。

Last year’s ban on the "possession, stocking and selling" of fireworks was ordered only after Diwali, when the city’s air quality had already reached hazardous⁶ levels.

去年只在排灯节后实行了烟花爆竹的“生产，存货和销售”禁令，当时市空气质量就达到了危险水平。

Choking smog had even forced the Delhi government to shut all schools for three days.

令人窒息的烟雾迫使德里政府关闭所有学校长达三天。

There have been several campaigns in the past asking people to use fewer fireworks during the festival, but these have not been very successful.

过去曾做过几次倡议活动，让人们在庆祝期间少放烟花爆竹，但结果不是很成功。