俄创意戒酒广告：松鼠撒酒疯

　　选择松鼠作为该宣传片的主角也不是偶然之举。在俄语俚语里，形容一个人醉酒后产生幻觉常用的一个表达是belochka，相当于英语中的a little squirrel(一只小松鼠)。

　　Russia’s health ministry¹ has rolled out an unlikely new weapon in its fight against rampant² alcoholism: a video of a drunken squirrel hallucinating。

　　The 'demon³ squirrel’ clip has become a smash hit on the Internet where it has been viewed more than one million times attracting a slew⁴ of critical and positive comments。

　　Part of the Kremlin’s toughest anti-alcohol campaign since the collapse⁵ of the Soviet⁶ Union, the video was released after President Dmitry Medvedev described the country’s drinking problem as “a national disaster。”

　　The animated⁷ squirrel featured in the video is meant as a cautionary tale about the effects of binging on alcohol and vodka, Russia’s national tipple⁸, in particular。

　　The advert’s creators did not choose a squirrel as their anti-hero by chance. In Russian slang, delirium⁹ tremens, the moment of inebriation¹⁰ when people start to get the shakes and to hallucinate, is known as “belochka” or “a little squirrel。” The squirrel in the video, who is red-eyed and bedraggled, is therefore shown ranting¹¹, singing, and delivering a nonsensical monologue¹²。

　　He talks about “chasing spiders up the walls” and finishes up by offering to kill his neighbour’s wife because she is “the devil。”

　　“Are you a boozer?” the deranged¹³ squirrel asks in the finale. “Then I am coming around to your place。”

　　The colourful ad campaign follows a decision to introduce a minimum price for a half-litre bottle of vodka of 89 roubles (1.78 pounds) and to reduce the amount of alcohol permissible¹⁴ in motorists’ blood to nil¹⁵。

　　Russians drink more than 18 litres (32 pints) of pure alcohol per capita per year, more than double the World Health Organisation’s recommended maximum。

　　At a time when Russia is trying to stem a serious population decline, encouraging people to drink less alcohol is being seen as a matter of self-preservation。

　　Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, and President Medvedev often try to set an example by being photographed sipping¹⁶ tea。

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