結婚時人們本以為會白頭到老，但離婚時卻巴不得分手越快越好。為減輕分手壓力，縮短辦理離婚手續時間，節省費用，英國開始推行網上離婚，只要點擊幾下鼠標就可以結束婚姻。

Breaking up is never easy, as Abba sang, but the Ministry of Justice is so pleased with its online divorce pilot that it has launched the scheme nationwide this month.

就像阿巴樂隊唱的那樣，分手從來都不是件容易的事，但英國司法部對試運行的網上離婚系統很滿意，并于本月在全國推廣使用。

The latest initiative in the department’s ￡1 billion modernisation programme enables couples splitting up across England and Wales to complete their applications on a website without going to court.

這是該部門推行的10億英鎊（約合86億元人民幣）現代化項目的最新舉措，英格蘭和威爾士地區要分手的夫妻可以在網上完成離婚申請，不用去法院。

Language has been simplified for the digital form, allowing payments and evidence to be uploaded from home. More than 1,000 petitions were issued through the system during its test phase, with 91% of users, according to the MoJ, reporting that they were satisfied with the service.

數據表格使用了簡化語言，人們在家中就可以付費和上傳證據。該系統在試運行期處理了1000多起離婚申請，司法部稱，其中91%的申請者對處理結果滿意。

The system allows couples to terminate their marriage for ￡550 and upload official documents online.

準備離異的夫婦花費550英鎊（約合4750元人民幣）就可以在網上申請離婚并上傳正式文件。

Sir James Munby, the judge in charge of the high court’s family division, recently described online divorce as a “triumphant success” and “final proof positive that whatever people think, government can do IT [information technology]”.

英國高等法院家庭法庭大法官詹姆斯-芒比爵士近日形容網上離婚為“讓人歡欣鼓舞的成功”，并“最終證明，無論人們怎么想，政府都可以應用信息技術來解決”。

A refined version of the scheme was rolled out across England and Wales at the beginning of May. The department says there has been a 95% drop in the number of applications being returned because of mistakes.

經過改進的網上離婚程序已于5月初在英格蘭和威爾士推行。英國司法部稱，由于錯誤而導致的申請退回數量已下降了95%。

One woman responding to the MoJ survey said: “It was marvellous, pain-free and less stressful than the paper form which I tried several years ago but got fed up of it being rejected.”

一位參與司法部調查的女性回答說：“這太不可思議了，和我幾年前提交紙質文件申請離婚相比，更加無痛苦無壓力。我當年還被退回了好幾次，真是受夠了。”

The Courts and Tribunals Service cited the example of divorce applicant, Rebecca, who used the new online service and received legal confirmation of her divorce less than 12 weeks later.

英國法院和法庭服務機構引述了網上離婚申請人麗貝卡的例子，她在申請后12周內就收到了離婚判決。

Welcoming the change as a means of reducing the stress of parting, the justice minister Lucy Frazer said: “Allowing divorce applications to be made online will help make sure we are best supporting people going through an often difficult and painful time. More people will have the option of moving from paper-based processes to online systems which will cut waste, speed up services which can be safely expedited, and better fit with modern life.”

英國司法部長露西-弗雷澤對這一轉變表示歡迎，認為這是減少離婚壓力的好辦法。她說：“離異是人們走過的一段困難而痛苦的時光。允許人們通過網絡提交離婚申請將有助于確保我們盡可能支持他們。更多人選擇在網上系統申請而非遞交紙質文件也可以減少浪費，加速這一可安全迅速執行的服務，更好地適應現代生活。”

The quickening pace of court modernisation has, however, raised concerns in parts of the legal profession about funding for the ambitious programme which, it was revealed last week, will see 6,500 court and backroom jobs disappearing across England and Wales by 2022.

法庭現代化的加速也引發了一些法律界人士的不安，他們擔心資助這一雄心勃勃的計劃會使相關工作崗位減少。上周公布的數據顯示，這將導致在2022年之前，英格蘭和威爾士減少6500個庭上和庭下工作崗位。

英文來源：衛報、每日郵報

翻譯&編輯：yaning