新西兰英语 335 Economic Impact of the Earthquake

　　86 staff from the Kaiapoi supermarket have lost their jobs because the building is so badly damaged it will be demolished¹. Kaiapoi was badly hit by the earthquake. About 200 homes there have been badly damaged. Building inspectors² will check 300 homes in the east of Christchurch tomorrow which was also badly hit. A red sticker on the house means nobody can live there.
Many buildings in the Christchurch central city will be demolished. If owners have insurance, the insurance company might pay for a new building. However, employers will lose business in the meantime. The government will help to pay workers for a few weeks until the business opens again. However, when a business moves to a new part of the city, it takes time to get new customers. Workers could lose jobs.
Farmers have lost buildings too, including milking sheds and large silos which store wheat. They have damage to their land too.
Rent for homes and businesses could increase because so many homes and buildings have been badly damaged.
Insurance premiums³ will increase throughout New Zealand because this earthquake will cost insurance companies so much.
The cost for taxpayers⁴ will be huge. Already the government is saying it will cost $4bn to repair public buildings, roads, electricity, water and sewerage systems. The government is also providing $7.5m to social services to help people in the community who are in need.
However, there is good news for the construction industry – builders, plumbers⁵, bricklayers, electricians, roofers, painters and all the other people involved in building. Recently many of these people have been out of work. Some of them talked about moving to Australia. There will now be plenty of work in Canterbury for a long time.
Questions
1. The earthquake will have an emotional impact on people as well as an economic impact. Can you explain what this is?
2. Children have also been affected⁶ by the earthquake. Why? What can parents do?
3. Many old and interesting buildings will be demolished. Should the Christchurch City Council control the design of new buildings?

1 demolished   

v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光

参考例句：

• The factory is due to be demolished next year. 这个工厂定于明年拆除。
• They have been fighting a rearguard action for two years to stop their house being demolished. 两年来，为了不让拆除他们的房子，他们一直在进行最后的努力。

2 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 premiums   

n.费用( premium的名词复数 )；保险费；额外费用；（商品定价、贷款利息等以外的）加价

参考例句：

• He paid premiums on his life insurance last year. 他去年付了人寿保险费。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Moves are afoot to increase car insurance premiums. 现正在酝酿提高汽车的保险费。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

5 plumbers   

n.管子工，水暖工( plumber的名词复数 )；[美][口]（防止泄密的）堵漏人员

参考例句：

• Plumbers charge by the hour for their work. 水管工人的工作是以小时收费的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Plumbers, carpenters, and other workmen finished the new house quickly. 管道工、木工及其他工匠很快完成了这幢新房子。 来自辞典例句

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。