VOA慢速英语2020 因为疫情，香港花农春节销量大降

The Lunar New Year holiday is usually a busy time for flower farms in Hong Kong. The farms prepare to sell plum blossoms, orchids¹ and daffodils at flower markets during the cheerful season. But the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions³ on such markets this year has affected⁴ many farms. Farmers worry that they may be left with an oversupply⁵ of flowers.

春节假期通常是香港花卉市场的销售旺季。在此期间，农场准备在花卉市场销售梅花、兰花和水仙花。但是今年的新冠病毒大流行以及对此类市场的限制影响到了很多农场。花农们担心他们的鲜花可能会大量滞销。

Lunar New Year fairs – known as "flower markets" in Cantonese – are usually held before the holidays. Thousands of flower sellers and goods dealers⁶ sell their products to the public. This year, the Hong Kong government will place restrictions on such markets. They will only be permitted to operate with half the usual number of people and must shorten their business hours.

在广东话中被称为花市的春节交易会通常在节日前夕举办。成千上万名鲜花销售商和商贩向公众出售他们的产品。今年，香港政府将对此类市场进行限制。这些市场只能接待日常客流的一半，并且必须缩短营业时间。

The policy concerns farm owners like Yeung Siu-lung. He runs one of Hong Kong's largest orchid² farms. He had grown over 30,000 pots of orchids in 10 greenhouses in Hong Kong's rural New Territories area to prepare for the Lunar New Year holiday.

该政策让杨小龙等农场主感到担忧。杨小龙经营香港最大的兰花农场之一。他在香港新界乡郊地区的10个温室种植了3万多株兰花以迎接春节的到来。

Yeung had first planned to have 16 selling spaces in flower markets. Now, he is planning other ways to sell his supply of orchids, including selling them online or urging buyers to visit the farms directly.

杨小龙最初计划在花市开设16处销售点。现在，他正在规划其它销售兰花的方式，包括在网上销售兰花或是鼓励买家直接造访农场。

Lunar New Year traditionally brings an increase in sales for some businesses in Hong Kong. There is usually a big seasonal⁷ sale of goods such as holiday foods, gifts and home decorations, which often include flowers.

春节历来能为香港的一些行业带来销量增长。通常会有季节性商品的大卖，例如节日食品、礼物和家庭装饰品，其中通常就包括鲜花。

Flower farms like Yeung's usually make about 50 percent of their profits from the Lunar New Year season alone, says business expert Francis Lun.

商业专家弗朗西斯·伦表示，像杨小龙这样的花卉农场通常仅从春节就能赚到他们大约50%的利润。

Pinky Chan is one of Yeung's customers who drove an hour to his farm to buy orchids. Chan thought it was still important to create a cheerful atmosphere during difficult times.

陈平是杨小龙的客户之，他开车一个小时到他的农场买花。陈平认为，在困难时期营造愉快气氛仍然很重要。

"We Chinese people feel happier if our homes are filled with red and green during the Lunar New Year," Chan said. "Because of the pandemic, we are all not very happy, we are not able to meet with our families. So I hope buying a pot of flowers for my parents can make them feel a bit happier."

陈平表示：“我们中国人在春节期间喜欢用红红绿绿的鲜花装饰家里。由于大流行，我们都不是很开心，我们无法与家人团聚。所以我想为父母买一盆花，能让他们感觉稍微开心一点。”

1 orchids   

n.兰花( orchid的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Wild flowers such as orchids and primroses are becoming rare. 兰花和报春花这类野花越来越稀少了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She breeds orchids in her greenhouse. 她在温室里培育兰花。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 orchid   

n.兰花，淡紫色

参考例句：

• The orchid is a class of plant which I have never tried to grow.兰花这类植物我从来没种过。
• There are over 35 000 species of orchid distributed throughout the world.有35,000多种兰花分布在世界各地。

3 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

4 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。

5 oversupply   

n.供应过量；v.过度供给

参考例句：

• The market softened because of oversupply.市场因供过于求而疲软。
• Overexpansion of tea fields has led to oversupply.茶园过度扩张，使得市场上逐渐供过于求。

6 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

7 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。