禁煙の話題（３） ― most treasured vice

10月1日からのタバコ値上げは、米国でも話題なのでしょうか、ウォールストリートジャーナルでも取り上げられる様です。

下記の記事で、"the country's most treasured vice"という表現が目に留まりました。

"vice"とは悪癖、悪習と訳すのが妥当と思われます。このようなネガティヴな単語と、"treasure"（大切にする、珍重する、尊ぶ）という動詞のミスマッチは際立っています。


At a time when Japanese consumer sentiment continues to wane, an upcoming tax increase on cigarettes may be drastic enough for consumers to quit one of the country’s most treasured vices, according to a new survey.

Nearly 60% of smokers said they planned to quit because of the pending increase, up from 35% in 2006 when the last tax jump went into effect, according to a survey conducted by Johnson & Johnson’s Japan unit. Japan’s intent to raise taxes on cigarettes, set to take effect Friday, will lead to an additional cost of 3.5 (4 cents) yen per cigarette, one of the steepest changes in recent years.
(Yoree Koh. Are Taxes the Way to Beat Smoking in Japan? The Wall Street Journal. September 29, 2010.)