新奇事件簿 委内瑞拉公务员一周工作两天

The government in Venezuela has taken a drastic step to try and deal with the country's growing energy problems. It has initiated¹ a two-day working week for all state employees. Public workers had already been working four days a week after officials made Fridays a no-work day two months ago. The country's 2.8 million public workers will now have five days off a week. President Nicolas Maduro addressed the nation in a televised statement, saying: "From tomorrow, for at least two weeks, we are going to have Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays as non-working days for the public sector²." Employees were told they would still be paid in full, despite the greatly reduced working week.

因能源问题不断恶化，委内瑞拉政府采取极端措施。公共部门员工每周上班两天。两个月前，政府宣布公务员周五休假，每周工作四天。如今，全国2800万公务员每周休息五天。总统马杜罗发表电视演讲，称：“从明天起，公共部门每周三，四，五休息，持续时间至少为两周。”尽管工作日减少，但员工工资照发。

The government is blaming the current energy crisis on droughts and El Nino weather patterns. Water levels in hydroelectric dams are dangerously low. Mr Maduro likened the Guri region, home to the nation's biggest dam, to a desert. Critics of the president say ineffective management, inadequate³ investment and corruption⁴ are behind the current mess. The country's 30 million people are facing daily disruptions to their lives. Women have been asked to use hair dryers⁵ less and shopping malls have to rely on their own electricity generators⁶. Electricity is being rationed⁷ in most of the country. The president even turned the clocks back thirty minutes to provide half-an-hour of extra evening sunlight.

政府将此次能源危机归罪于干旱和厄尔尼诺现象。水电站水位到达警戒低水位。马杜罗将全国最大水电站所在地古力地区比喻成荒漠。批评人士指出，造成此状况要归结于政府管理效率低，投资不到位以及贪污腐败。全国3000万民众日常生活受影响。政府要求女性少用吹风机，各大商店依靠发电机供电。全国多地用电为定量供应。为充分利用半小时夜晚自然光，政府甚至将时钟拨快半小时。

1 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

2 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

3 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 dryers   

n.干燥机( dryer的名词复数 )；干燥器；干燥剂；干燥工

参考例句：

• Men also have hair dryers and, if they suffer from baldness, they use a growth stimulator, buy hairpieces, or have hair transplanted from the hirsute part of the scalp to the bare areas. 男士也有他们的吹风机，而且如果他们秃顶的话，还会用毛发生长剂、买假发，或者把头发从密集的地方移植到谢顶的地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dryers can be automated. 干燥机可以自动化作业。 来自辞典例句

6 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 rationed   

限量供应，配给供应( ration的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• We were rationed to two eggs a day. 每天配给我们两个鸡蛋。
• The army is well rationed. 部队给养良好。