近日台灣新冠肺炎(COVID-19)疫情嚴峻,確診人數急遽上升,使得快篩需求大增,為了確保民眾權益,政府於4月28日起實施快篩實名制政策,但仍有不少民眾抱怨買不到快篩試劑。今天就讓我們從快篩缺貨的相關報導學英文吧!
shortage短缺
The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and several Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) mayors on Tuesday urged the government to do more to address the shortage of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests in the wake of the recent surge in domestic cases. (CNA)(反對黨國名黨和許多民進黨的市長在週二紛紛督促政府採取更多措施,以因應近期國內病例激增後,產生的新冠肺炎快篩短缺問題。)
address(v)代表「應付、處理」,重音放在第2音節,而這個單字更常見的意思為「地址」,重音在第1音節;另外,address還可以解釋為「對⋯⋯演講、致詞」,當名詞時,可搭配動詞give。而不論是做動詞或名詞使用,都是用介系詞to,兩個都是多益測驗會出現的用法。
The issue of funding has yet to be addressed.(資金問題尚未得到解決。)
He addressed a few introductory remarks to the audience.(他向觀眾說了幾句開場白。)
She gave an address to the Royal Academy.(她在皇家藝術院發表了演講。)
shortage(n)「短缺」來自於形容詞short,加上「-age」變成名詞用法,若缺乏的物品多於一個單字,則通常是用the shortage of N代表某件事物短缺,如快篩的英文COVID-19 rapid antigen tests包含5個單字,即可這樣使用。描述缺水時,則可簡單寫成water shortage。
There's a shortage of food and shelter in the refugee camps.(難民營裡缺少足夠的食物和住處。)
The long hot summer has led to serious water shortages.(這個夏天漫長而炎熱,導致嚴重缺水。)
in the wake of解釋為「隨之而來」,這個介系詞主要表達在某件事情發生後隨之而來的結果,of要接所發生的事情,因此結果要寫在前面,與中文的思考邏輯相反,要特別注意;和動詞wake up「起床」意思完全不同。
Airport security was extra tight in the wake of yesterday‘s bomb attacks.(繼昨天的炸彈襲擊後,機場安檢變得格外嚴格。)
surge是「急遽」的意思,本身可做動詞和名詞,英文解釋為a sudden and great increase「突然而劇烈的成長」;介系詞用in,後面接名詞,代表上升的事件。
An unexpected surge in electrical power caused the computer to crash.(突然出現的電壓遽增導致電腦當機。)
The company's profits have surged.(公司的利潤激增。)
另外,domestic是「國內的」意思,多益常見用法如domestic airlines/flights(國內航空公司/航班)。此外,它也有「家庭內的」意思,如domestic chores/duties/arrangements(家務瑣事/家庭責任/家務安排)。
Domestic opinion had turned against the war.(國內輿論已轉而反對戰爭。)
name-based實名制
The government must boost test capacity, outline the schedule for its name-based rationing scheme for tests, and allow the import and sale of a wider range of tests as soon as possible.(政府必定要增加檢測量,定出實名制快篩分配的時間表,並且儘快允許一個更廣泛測試的進口和販賣。)
boost test capacity代表「增加檢測量」,boost(v)有「增強、改善」的意思,也可用作名詞使用,用作名詞時,增強的對象需加上介系詞to。此外,boost to confidence「增加信心」是英文中很常見的說法。
The theatre managed to boost its audiences by cutting ticket prices.(劇院設法透過降低票價來增加觀眾數量。)
The lowering of interest rates will give a much-needed boost to the economy.(降低利率將為經濟注入急需的推動力。)
Passing my driving test was such a boost to my confidence.(通過了駕駛執照考試使我自信心大增。)
capacity是「容量、生產力」的意思,要用介係詞of來接容量的數字。此外,這個字也可以形容一個人的「辦事能力、才能」,要表達一個人的能力時,則是接上介係詞for。
The stadium has a seating capacity of 50,000.(這個體育場能容納5萬人。)
She has a great capacity for hard work.(她特別能吃苦耐勞。)
name-based是「根據姓名的」意思,因此可解釋為「實名制」。
ration可用做動詞或名詞,意思都是「分配」的意思,分配的物品要接上介系詞of,要表達分配的量則用to。
During the war, no one was allowed more than their ration of food, clothing, and fuel.(戰爭期間,所有人得到的食物、衣服和燃料都不得超過其配給量。)
Do you remember when petrol was rationed to five gallons a week?(你還記得以前每週配給5加侖汽油的時候嗎?)
多益模擬試題
1. The teachers' association has announced that the food and drinks ________ supplied at the annual conference will not be provided this year.
(A) usually
(B) hugely
(C) evenly
(D) strictly
2. All passengers should present their ________ documents at the check-in counter.
(A) boarded
(B) boarding
(C) to board
(D) boards
3. Mayor Williams proudly described the city as a place where the citizens are ________ for their hospitality.
(A) returned
(B) known
(C) taken
(D) held
解析:
1. 正解(A)。語意為「教師聯合會已經宣佈,今年將不再提供年會上通常會提供的食物和飲料。」形容詞子句supplied at the annual conference中省去了關係代名詞which,意思就是往年通常的作法在今年有所變動,因此usually才是最合理的選擇。故(A)為正確答案。
2. 正解(B)。語意為「所有的乘客應該在報到處出示登機文件。」登機證、護照等皆可稱作登機文件,是機場慣用語。故(B)為正確答案。
3. 正解(B)。語意為「Williams市長驕傲地將這座城市描述為市民以熱情好客而聞名的地方。」本題要考動詞片語be known for「以⋯⋯聞名」的說法,故(B)為正確答案。
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