小三通出境行李直掛限重20公斤

Starting from Jun.1, people leaving for China via Mini-Three-Links could check their luggage all the way through. However, for maximum boatload(1) and safety reasons, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications(MOTC) decided to impose(2) a 20 kgs weight limit on luggage checked all the way through, beginning on Jun. 15. Passengers with overweight luggage will be charged for the exceeded weight, same as in air transport. The new measure will be tried for three months.
　金門小三通出境行李直掛自六月一日起試辦。但考量船舶載重安全，交通部將自本月十五日起對小三通的行李實施20公斤為限，超重比照飛機付費的措施。新措施將先行試辦三個月。

Previously, travelers going to China via Mini-Three-Links normally checked their luggage at an airport in Taiwan first. Then, upon their arrival in Kinmen, they claimed(3) their luggage at the Shang-I Airport, dragged it to catch a ride to Shueitou Pier, went through immigration with it, and hauled(4) it aboard the boat. It could be rather exhausting.(5) As a consequence, MOTC started the trial measure on Jun. 1 to allow people to check their luggage all the way through. People with reservations for both flights and connecting ferries are now able to check their luggage all the way through, travel light,(6) and will not need to pick up their luggage again until arriving at Xiamen or Shijing Port in China.
　利用小三通到大陸，旅客在台灣機場辦理登機手續及寄掛行李後，到達金門尚義機場後還需自行提領行李，搭車到水頭碼頭辦理通關檢驗手續，再提著行李上船，十分累人，因此，交通部自6月1日起試辦小三通行李直掛，旅客購買套票出境，在台灣各機場辦理行李托運，可直接到大陸廈門、石井港提領，輕鬆上「陸」。

Until now, there has never been a luggage weight limit in transportation by sea via Mini-Three-Links. However, as more and more people are traveling across straits via Mini-Three-Links, MOTC has taken the maximum boat capacity into account(7) and imposed the 20 kgs luggage restriction for safety reasons. MOTC would like to remind people that, same as in air transport, passengers with overweight luggage will be charged for each kilogram exceeded, currently set at 16 NT/kg. In the event that the total boatload surpasses(8) the stipulated(9) standard, the overweight luggage shall be handled separately. In other words, the passengers and their luggage may end up on different vessels.
　交通部也提醒民眾注意，目前，小三通船舶並未對旅客行李限重，因有愈來愈多民眾利用小三通往返兩岸，考量船舶載重安全，交通部也要求小三通的行李要有限制，先以20公斤為上限，超過的部分仿照飛機也要付費，暫時規劃超重部分每公斤加收16元，如果船舶總載重量超過標準，超重的行李將個別處理，也就是可能人和行李無法同一班船。

　Whether they are Taiwanese visitors, Mainland Chinese tourist groups or Taiwanese entrepreneurs(10) operating in China, people with reservations for both flights and connecting ferries can check their luggage all the way through to China during the trial period.
　行李直掛試辦期間，不論是台灣、大陸觀光團或是台商等，只要是購買套票出境，即享有行李直掛大陸的服務。
　As for inbound luggages, according to Director Ting-piao Yang of Kinmen Harbor Bureau, the check-through service will have to wait until the space of Shueitou Pier is improved and corresponding facilities are installed, probably in December. By then, it will be a lot more convenient for people traveling through Mini-Three-Links across straits.
　至於入境旅客行李直掛，金門港務處處長楊廷標表示，必須等水頭碼頭空間改善，以及相關配套設備到位，預計今年12月實施，讓旅客小三通往返兩岸更輕鬆自如。


■1. boatload—(n)船舶的載重量。
■2. impose—(vt.)將～強加於；徵（稅）。
■3. claim—(vt.)索取、領取。亦指「提出要求」，或「主張所有權」等。指涉「提領行李」時通常搭配此動詞。
■4. haul—(vt.)拖、拉；搬運。
■5. exhausting—(adj)使人精疲力竭的。
■6. light—(adv.)輕便地。輕裝地。light可以是名詞（指光線、燈光），動詞（點火、點燃），也可以是形容詞（輕快、明亮的），此處則是當作副詞，指旅途中不必再提著行李，可以輕便地上路。
■7. take ~ into account—將～列入考慮。
■8. surpass—(vt.)超過、大於。
■9. stipulate—(vi)規定、約定。
■10. entrepreneur—(n)企業家。此處是以「在中國經營事業的台灣企業家」來形容「台商」，這也是一般對「台商」一詞常見的英文翻譯。

資料來源：金門縣政府

本文原載於98年06月22日《金門日報》