Virus Imperils Commerce and Economy in Asian Hub

肺炎病毒危及亚洲中心的商业和经济

　　★imperil, “是陷于危险，危及，危害”：The whole project is imperiled by lack of funds. 整个工程因缺少资金而陷于危险之中。其近义词有endanger, jeopardize, hazard, compromise, jeopard等。hub, “central point of activity, interest or importance （活动、兴趣或要务的）中心”：He thinks that Boston is the hub of the universe. 他认为波士顿是世界的中心。相应的近义词有heart, seat, focal point, center等。

　　HONG KONG, April 1 - In the nearly six years since its transition to China, this former British colony has endured two recessions, an outbreak of avian flu, slumping confidence in government and a collapse in government revenues. But these setbacks are being dwarfed by this year's explosive outbreak of a new respiratory disease, which is spreading panic and rapidly undermining confidence in the future of one of the world's most dynamic cities.

　　香港，四月一日 – 在香港回归中国后近六年中，这个前英国殖民地已经历了两次衰退，一次是禽流感爆发，另一次是对政府的信任滑坡和财政收入锐减。但这些挫折与今年一种新型的呼吸系统疾病的爆发性流行比起来要逊色得多。这种疾病引起人们日益广泛的恐慌，并迅速动摇人们对于这座世界上最具活力之一的城市的信心。

　　★colony, “殖民地”：Australia is a former British colony. 澳大利亚是前英国殖民地。也指“殖民群体，侨民群体”：the American colony in Paris 巴黎的美国人区；或“住在同一地方有相同职业、兴趣等的人群”：an artists'colony 聚居的艺术家；以及“（生活或生长在同一地方的动物或植物的）群，集群，群体”：a colony of ants 蚁群。recession, “衰退，不景气”：Many businesses are failing because of the continuing recession. 由于持续的不景气许多行业都在萎缩。与之意义相近的有depression（萧条）, slump（衰退），stagnation（停滞）,meltdown（衰败，衰落）等。dwarf, “使（某人，某物）相比之下显得矮小，使相形见绌”：The old cathedral is dwarfed by the skyscrapers that surround it. 那座古老的教堂在周围摩天大楼的对比之下显得十分矮小。

　　In a sign of just how far public confidence has fallen, crowds mobbed supermarkets today to buy up rice and other essentials in response to a rumor, spread partly by an Internet hoax, that the entire city would be labeled an "infected area" and face an international quarantine. The stock market fell, and the Hong Kong dollar came under pressure in currency markets as government officials went on television to deny the rumor and appeal for calm.

　　有迹象显示公众信心的下降有多严重，今天有大群市民涌向超市购买大米和其他生活必需品，因为根据一则部分由因特网推波助澜的传言，整个城市将被宣布为“传染区”，而且要面临国际的检疫隔离。当政府官员在电视上出面辟谣并呼吁市民冷静的时候，香港股市出现下挫，港元在汇市也面临压力。

　　★mob, “（of a group of people） come around （someone） either because of interest or admiration, or in order to attack them 包围，围攻”：The visiting pop star was mobbed by his excited fans. 来访的流行歌星被狂热的歌迷们包围了起来。hoax, “恶作剧；骗局”：A telephone caller said there was a bomb in the hotel but it was just a hoax.打电话者声称旅馆里有一颗炸弹,但这不过是一场恶作剧而已。quarantine, “检疫隔离（期）”：Animals entering Britain from abroad are put in quarantine for six months. 从国外进入英国的动物要被检疫隔离六个月。

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