VOA慢速英语2021 供应和能源短缺伤害亚洲经济增长

Many Asian countries that depend on exports are facing supply shortages, power cuts and other problems.

许多依赖出口的亚洲国家正面临供应短缺和停电等问题。

Information released Thursday showed that Japan's factory production has slowed and expectations for China's manufacturing have weakened.

周四公布的信息显示，日本工厂生产放缓，对中国制造业的预期减弱。

Japan's Suzuki Motor Corporation became the latest automaker to freeze production lines for several days because of a lack of parts. Suzuki said it expected to suspend operations at a factory in central Japan. Another factory is also expected freeze production for two days.

由于缺乏零部件，日本铃木汽车公司成为最新一家生产线停产数天的汽车制造商。铃木称预计将会暂停日本中部一家工厂的运营。另一家工厂预计也将停产两天。

Japan's emergency coronavirus measures ended on September 30. But other countries have put restrictions¹ back in place. This has made experts unsure about economic conditions.

日本的新冠病毒紧急措施于9月30日结束。但是其它国家已经重新实施限制措施。这让专家对经济状况没有把握。

Pandemic-related shutdowns have affected² manufacturers across Asia. In Japan, factory production in August fell by 3.2 percent from the month before. Automakers and producers of information technology products and other electronic equipment were the hardest hit, the Japanese government reported.

大流行相关的停工影响到了亚洲各地的制造商。在日本， 8月份的工厂生产比前一个月下降了3.2%。日本政府报告称，汽车制造商以及信息技术产品和其它电子设备的生产商受到的打击最大。

Other automakers also have slowed operations. They say shortages of computer chips and other parts are interfering³ with normal production.

其它汽车制造商也放慢了运营速度。他们表示，芯片等零部件的短缺开始影响正常生产。

Shortages may last longer than expected

短缺持续时间可能超出预期

Retail⁴ sales in Japan fell 4.1 percent from a month earlier. That was more than expected. Weak demand for clothing and appliances were blamed for the decrease.

日本零售业较上月下降了4.1%。这超出了预期。服装和电器的需求疲软是造成下降的原因。

In a commentary, Harumi Taguchi of research company IHS Markit warned: "Risks of semiconductor⁵ and other component⁶ shortages could persist for an extended period." Semiconductors⁷ are very important part for electronics. Taguchi blamed new coronavirus infections in some countries and slow vaccination⁸ campaigns in Southeast Asia.

调研公司IHS Markit的田口晴美在评论中警告称：“半导体和其它组建短缺的风险可能会持续很长时间。半导体是电子产品中非常重要的部分。田口晴美将原因归咎于一些国家的新冠病毒感染以及东南亚疫苗接种迟缓。

In addition to Japan, an official study of factory managers showed that Chinese manufacturing also slowed in August.

除日本外，一项对工厂经理的官方研究表明，中国制造业8月份也有所放缓。

The Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index is a widely-used measure of business activity. For China, the index number fell from 50.1 in August to 49.6 in September. An index value of less than 50 means that business activity is decreasing while a value over 50 means it is expanding.

制造业采购经理人指数是一项广泛运用的商业活动衡量指标。对中国而言，该指数从8月份的50.1%跌倒9月份的49.6%。指数值低于50意味着商业活动正在减少，而指数值高于50意味着它正在扩张。

The study was carried out before power shortages began causing factories in some parts of China to suspend operations.

该研究是在电力短缺开始导致中国部分地区工厂停工之前进行的。

Julian Evans-Pritchard of researcher Capital Economics said in a report that the chemical and metal industries, which are energy intensive, showed the most weakness. Pritchard said that business leaders "noted⁹ that material shortages and transportation delays were still holding back output."

凯投宏观研究员朱利安·埃文斯-普里查德在一份报告中表示，能源密集型的化工和金属行业表现最弱。普理查德说，商界领袖注意到了原材料短缺和运输延误仍在阻碍产出。

Increasing demand for computers for people working from home instead of the office has resulted in limited supplies of computer parts.

居家办公人士的计算机需求不断上升已经导致计算机部件的供应受限。

Shortages of shipping¹⁰ containers and temporary shutdowns of ports because of COVID-19 outbreaks also have led to slowdowns in bringing products to market.

由于新冠疫情爆发，集装箱短缺和港口临时关闭也导致产品上市速度放缓。

The Dutch bank Rabobank said in a report on the shipping industry that closures of ports have had long-term effects.

荷兰合作银行在一份关于航运业的报告中表示，港口关闭已经造成了长期影响。

Rabobank reported: "Chinese and South-east Asian ports are still suffering the consequences of those earlier closures, with record queues of ships waiting to unload." Queue means a line of people or things in waiting.

荷兰合作银行报告称：“中国和东南亚港口仍在遭受早期关闭的后果，等待卸货的船只排起长队。”长队是指排队等候的人或物。

It estimated that 10 percent of shipping containers around the world are on ships waiting to be unloaded at a port.

据估计，全球10%的集装箱都在港口等待卸货的船上。

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 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。

3 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

4 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

5 semiconductor   

n.半导体

参考例句：

• In the beginning,engineers hoped to use semiconductor lasers.在开始时，工程师们希望能够利用半导体激光器。
• The main agent of the company brand semiconductor sales.本公司主要代理各品牌半导体销售。

6 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

7 semiconductors   

n.半导体( semiconductor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Crystals may be insulators, semiconductors, or conductors. 晶体可以是绝缘体，半导体，或导体。 来自辞典例句
• Semiconductors containing such impurities are called p-type semiconductors. 含有这类杂质的半导体叫做P型半导体。 来自辞典例句

8 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。