Everyone curses the tax man, but Romanian witches angry about having to pay up for the first time hurled poisonous mandrake into the Danube River on Thursday to cast spells on the president and government.

虽然大部分人都不喜欢收税者,但罗马尼亚的巫婆们由于不满政府出台新税法对巫术征税,居然决定前往多瑙河边丢掷有毒的曼德拉草以集体做法,用古老巫术诅咒政府和总统。

Romania's newest taxpayers also included fortune tellers — but they probably should have seen it coming.

罗马尼亚的最新征税法案规定像巫婆、算命先生这些人都要纳税。

Superstitions are no laughing matter in Romania — the land of the medieval ruler who inspired the "Dracula" tale — and have been part of its culture for centuries. President Traian Basescu and his aides have been known to wear purple on certain days, supposedly to ward off evil.

迷信在罗马尼亚可不是闹着玩的,吸血鬼的传说自中世纪起就在这个国家流传,并已成为该国文化的一部分。总统特拉扬·伯塞斯库和其幕僚在一些特定的日子都会穿上紫色服装以驱避邪祟。

A witch at the Danube named Alisia called the new tax law "foolish." "What is there to tax, when we hardly earn anything?" she said。

一个名叫阿丽莎的巫婆称新税收政策是“愚蠢的”。她说:“我们自己根本赚不到什么钱,拿什么交税啊?”

Yet on the Chitila River in southern Romania, other witches gathered around a fire Thursday and threw corn into an icy river to celebrate Epiphany. They praised the new government measure, saying it gives them official recognition.

然而在罗马尼亚南部Chitila河边,一些巫婆聚集于此,往结冰的河里投掷玉米庆祝主显节。他们对政府的新举措高度赞扬,称这意味着他们的魔法天赋得到政府承认。

The new tax law is part of the government's drive to collect more revenue and crack down on tax evasion in a country that is in recession.

新征税法案是政府为增加财政收入,帮助国家摆脱经济不景气状态而实施的新举措。

Under the new law, like any self-employed person, they will pay 16 percent income tax and make contributions to health and pension programs.

罗马尼亚政府的税收新政策规定所有的个体经营者必须缴纳16%的个人所得税来支持医疗和退休金计划。

Some argue the law will be hard to enforce, as the payments to witches and astrologers usually are small cash amounts of 20 to 30 lei ($7-$10) per consultation.

有的人认为这项法律很难实施,因为巫婆收到的钱通常都是现金,每次只有7到10美元左右。

Queen witch Bratara Buzea, 63, who was imprisoned in 1977 for witchcraft under Ceausescu's repressive regime, is furious about the new law.

63岁的皇后级巫婆Bratara Buzea曾经因为作法反抗齐奥塞斯库残暴统治而于1977年被投入监狱,她对此项新政策十分愤怒。

Sitting cross-legged in her villa in the lake resort of Mogosoaia, just north of Bucharest, she said Wednesday she planned to cast a spell using a particularly effective concoction of cat excrement and a dead dog.

正在家中盘腿而坐的她说正计划周三用猫尿和死狗作法诅咒政府。

"We do harm to those who harm us," she said. "They want to take the country out of this crisis using us? They should get us out of the crisis because they brought us into it."

“对于伤害我们的人,我们绝不留情。”她说道,“政府想利用我们走出经济危机?应该是他们负责吧!我们还是被连累的呢!”

"My curses always work!" she cackled in a smoky voice, sitting next to a wood-burning stove, surrounded by potions, charms, holy water and ceramic pots.

“我的巫术可是很有效的!”坐在燃着木柴的壁炉旁边,周围被有毒药剂、护身符、圣水和陶壶包围的她声音听起来也很鬼魅。