又中又英——panic buying
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
2020-02-04 04:16 HKT
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The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Do you know what this means and who said it? It is one of the most well-known political quotes in recent history. American president Franklin D. Roosevelt said this during his 1933 inaugural speech after being elected president. He said it at the time of the Great Depression, a severe 1930s worldwide economic recession which started in the US. Roosevelt urged Americans not to be afraid, to spend money if they can, and to help their neighbours. The meaning of his quote is that people should not let fear scare them. They should not be afraid of the Great Depression. They should be brave and fight their fear.
I remembered this famous quote last Wednesday when I went to the supermarket near my home. I just wanted to buy a few basic essentials. This means ordinary things people need, such as rice, bread, vegetables, and fruit. What I saw when I entered the overcrowded supermarket shocked me. People were full of fear about the new Wuhan virus. There was panic buying. Everyone was stockpiling even perishable items. The expression "panic buying" means people suddenly buying more than they need because they fear something bad will happen. The word "stockpiling" means keeping a large supply of something. The word "perishable" means things, such as vegetables, which will go bad very quickly.
It is stupid to stockpile perishable things such as vegetables and fruit. There is panic buying in Hong Kong for facemasks. But everyone must remember they can protect themselves much better from the Wuhan virus if everyone has facemasks. If people stockpile facemasks, others will not have any. Even if you wear a facemask you will not be fully protected if a person with the Wuhan virus, but not wearing a facemask, coughs or sneezes near you. You will be much better protected if that person is also wearing a facemask. So please do not stockpile facemasks. We can all protect each other by making sure everyone has a facemask.
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我们唯一要恐惧的就是恐惧本身。（The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.）你可知道这句话的意思，而它又是谁说的？这是近代历史上其中一句最知名的政治名言。美国总统富兰克林．罗斯福当选为总统以后，在他一九三三年的就职演说中说了这句话。他说的时候正值经济大萧条（Great Depression）时期，就是一九三○年代由美国开始，继而席卷全球的经济大衰退。罗斯福力劝美国人毋须惊惶，可以的话就去花钱，以及帮助他们的邻舍。他这句名言的意思是，人不应让恐惧吓怕自己。他们不须害怕经济大萧条（Great Depression），而应当勇敢，战胜恐惧。
我上星期三到住所附近的超市时，就想起这句名言来。我只是想买几样basic essentials，就是基本的日用必需品，例如米、面包、蔬菜和水果。当我踏进那拥挤的超市时，触目所及实在令我震惊。人们都对武汉新型病毒忧心忡忡，恐慌性地抢购（panic buying）各种货物。人人都在储备物资（stockpiling），即使是易变坏（perishable）的物品。习语panic buying意即人们突然疯狂抢购某物，多于他们所需用的，因为他们害怕会有不好的事情发生。Stockpiling是指储备和囤积大量的货物。Perishable则指物品如蔬菜，很快便会腐烂。
囤积（stockpile）易变坏（perishable）的物品如蔬果是愚蠢的。现在香港也在抢购（panic buying）口罩。但每个人都应谨记，只有在人人都戴口罩的情况下，他们才能更好地防御武汉病毒的侵袭。若人们囤积（stockpile）口罩，其他人就缺货了。若有一个感染了武汉肺炎而没有戴口罩的人在你附近咳嗽或打喷嚏，即使你戴了口罩，你仍然没有得到全面的防护；惟有那人也戴了口罩，你才得到更好的防护。因此，别再囤积（stockpile）口罩了。只要我们确保人人都有口罩，便可互相保护对方。
[email protected]
中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
I remembered this famous quote last Wednesday when I went to the supermarket near my home. I just wanted to buy a few basic essentials. This means ordinary things people need, such as rice, bread, vegetables, and fruit. What I saw when I entered the overcrowded supermarket shocked me. People were full of fear about the new Wuhan virus. There was panic buying. Everyone was stockpiling even perishable items. The expression "panic buying" means people suddenly buying more than they need because they fear something bad will happen. The word "stockpiling" means keeping a large supply of something. The word "perishable" means things, such as vegetables, which will go bad very quickly.
It is stupid to stockpile perishable things such as vegetables and fruit. There is panic buying in Hong Kong for facemasks. But everyone must remember they can protect themselves much better from the Wuhan virus if everyone has facemasks. If people stockpile facemasks, others will not have any. Even if you wear a facemask you will not be fully protected if a person with the Wuhan virus, but not wearing a facemask, coughs or sneezes near you. You will be much better protected if that person is also wearing a facemask. So please do not stockpile facemasks. We can all protect each other by making sure everyone has a facemask.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
我们唯一要恐惧的就是恐惧本身。（The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.）你可知道这句话的意思，而它又是谁说的？这是近代历史上其中一句最知名的政治名言。美国总统富兰克林．罗斯福当选为总统以后，在他一九三三年的就职演说中说了这句话。他说的时候正值经济大萧条（Great Depression）时期，就是一九三○年代由美国开始，继而席卷全球的经济大衰退。罗斯福力劝美国人毋须惊惶，可以的话就去花钱，以及帮助他们的邻舍。他这句名言的意思是，人不应让恐惧吓怕自己。他们不须害怕经济大萧条（Great Depression），而应当勇敢，战胜恐惧。
我上星期三到住所附近的超市时，就想起这句名言来。我只是想买几样basic essentials，就是基本的日用必需品，例如米、面包、蔬菜和水果。当我踏进那拥挤的超市时，触目所及实在令我震惊。人们都对武汉新型病毒忧心忡忡，恐慌性地抢购（panic buying）各种货物。人人都在储备物资（stockpiling），即使是易变坏（perishable）的物品。习语panic buying意即人们突然疯狂抢购某物，多于他们所需用的，因为他们害怕会有不好的事情发生。Stockpiling是指储备和囤积大量的货物。Perishable则指物品如蔬菜，很快便会腐烂。
囤积（stockpile）易变坏（perishable）的物品如蔬果是愚蠢的。现在香港也在抢购（panic buying）口罩。但每个人都应谨记，只有在人人都戴口罩的情况下，他们才能更好地防御武汉病毒的侵袭。若人们囤积（stockpile）口罩，其他人就缺货了。若有一个感染了武汉肺炎而没有戴口罩的人在你附近咳嗽或打喷嚏，即使你戴了口罩，你仍然没有得到全面的防护；惟有那人也戴了口罩，你才得到更好的防护。因此，别再囤积（stockpile）口罩了。只要我们确保人人都有口罩，便可互相保护对方。
[email protected]
中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
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