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（在线收听）

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

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 vaccinations 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 enacted 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。

Economists with British-based banking group HSBC told Reuters news agency that low vaccination rates in several countries are threatening these economies. They pointed 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 restrictions 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 auto 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 labor. 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, spoke 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 isolated 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 maker 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 Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He said Malaysia's current quarantine rules have made it difficult for manufacturers of costly 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。