VOA慢速英语2021 东南亚工厂受到新冠病毒和疫苗接种问题的严重影响

New research shows that factory activity across Southeast Asia fell sharply in July because of increasing cases of the coronavirus's Delta¹ variant².

新的研究表明，由于新冠病毒德尔塔变种病例的增加，7月份东南亚各地的工厂活动急剧下降。

The results were based on a series of business surveys completed this week. The economic difficulties were also linked to slow progress in coronavirus vaccinations⁴ in many Southeast Asian nations.

该研究结果是基于本周完成的一系列商业调查。这次经济困难还跟许多东南亚国家的新冠病毒疫苗接种进展缓慢有关。

Economic experts say the big drop in factory production threatens growth in some of the world's most resilient markets. Southeast Asia has survived several major economic crises in the past, partly because its nations have enacted⁵ economic reforms and the area is close to China.

经济专家表示，工厂生产的大幅下滑威胁到全球一些最具弹性市场的增长。东南亚在过去几次重大经济危机中都得以幸免，部分原因是这些国家实施了经济该国，并且该地区邻近中国。

But the continuing coronavirus pandemic –- driven by a recent rise in infections of the Delta variant –- is creating new problems.

但是最近由德尔塔变种感染率上升推动的持续新冠病毒大流行正在产生新的问题。

Economists⁶ with British-based banking⁷ group HSBC told Reuters news agency that low vaccination³ rates in several countries are threatening these economies. They pointed⁸ to low vaccination rates in Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand.

总部位于英国的汇丰银行的经济学家对路透社表示，几个国家的疫苗接种率低正在威胁这些经济体。他们指出越南、菲律宾和泰国的疫苗接种率较低。

"Populations in these countries could remain vulnerable not only to the current outbreak, but any future mutations that may develop," HSBC said in a statement. Virus-related restrictions⁹ are likely to continue, the bank said, leaving many factories without workers.

汇丰银行在一份声明中表示：“这些国家的人口可能不仅容易受到当前疫情的影响，还容易受到未来可能产生的任何突变的影响。”该银行表示，与病毒相关的限制可能会继续下去，导致许多工厂没有工人。

Thailand is Asia's fourth-largest auto¹⁰ exporter and a production base for major world car brands. But Toyota suspended production in July at three of its factories in the country because of parts shortages caused by the pandemic.

泰国是亚洲第四大汽车出口国，也是世界主要汽车品牌的生产基地。但是由于大流行导致的零件短缺，丰田公司在7月份暂停了它在该国的3家工厂的生产。

Siam Agro-Food Industry, a Thai processed fruit exporter, depends heavily on migrant labor¹¹. But it has only been able to fill 400 of 550 positions as workers return to their home countries and are not able to come back to work because of closed borders.

Siam Agro-Food Industry 是一家严重依赖外来民工的泰国加工水果出口商。但是随着民工返回他们的祖国，并且由于边境关闭无法重返工作岗位，该公司550个岗位只有400个岗位招满。

The company's president, Ghanyapad Tantipipatpong, spoke¹² to Reuters news agency. She said: "There are 350 tonnes of fruit per day, but now we can take only 250 tonnes because of not enough workers to process."

该公司总裁Ghanyapad Tantipipatpong接受了路透社的采访。她说：“现在每天有350吨水果，但是我们只能处理250吨，因为没有足够工人来加工。”

In Vietnam, several big international companies including Samsung, Foxconn and Nike, have production operations in the country. In the south, pandemic restrictions have forced some businesses to keep workers isolated¹³ at their production centers at night.

在越南，包括三星、富士康和耐克在内的几家大型跨国企业在该国都有生产业务。在该国南方地区，大流行限制迫使一些企业夜间将工人隔离在生产中心。

Vietnam's government said last week that industrial production fell sharply in several southern cities facing restrictions since July.

越南政府上周表示，自7月以来，南部几个面临限制的城市的工业生产大幅下滑。

Malaysia supplies about 67 percent of the worldwide rubber glove market. But pandemic restrictions forced much of those operations to halt production in June and July.

马来西亚供应了全球约67%的橡胶手套市场。但是大流行的限制迫使其中大部分业务在今年六七月份停产。

An appeal by the country's glove-making association led to eased restrictions that permitted 60 percent of the workers to return. The association is now calling for a full return.

该国手套制造协会的呼吁导致限制放宽，允许60%的工人复工。该协会目前呼吁全面复工。

Factory slowdowns in Southeast Asia have already caused problems in other countries, including in Germany. German electronics maker¹⁴ Infineon Technologies said it is expecting losses of millions of dollars from shutdowns at its Malaysia factory. The production problems will also affect Infineon's automotive customers, the company said.

东南亚工厂生产的放缓已经给包括德国在内的其它国家造成麻烦。德国电子制造商英飞凌科技表示，预计它在马来西亚的工厂的关闭将会造成数百万美元的损失。该公司表示，产量问题也会影响到英飞凌的汽车客户。

Daniel Bernbeck is head of the Malaysian-German Chamber¹⁵ of Commerce and Industry. He said Malaysia's current quarantine rules have made it difficult for manufacturers of costly¹⁶ products like computer chips to provide the needed technical knowledge.

丹尼尔·伯恩贝克是马来西亚-德国商会的负责人。他说，马来西亚目前的检疫规定使得计算机芯片等昂贵产品的制造商难以提供所需的技术知识。

1 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

2 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

3 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。

4 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

6 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

8 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

9 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

10 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

11 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

12 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

13 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

14 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

15 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

16 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。