新奇事件簿 古巴限购商品食物

Cuba's government has announced that it is starting the rationing¹ of food and other basic products. Cuba's Commerce Minister, Betsy Diaz Velazquez, said beans, chicken, eggs, rice, soap and other goods would be rationed². She said Cuba is facing a serious economic crisis. There are many shortages of food and other things in Cuba. Ms Velazquez said this was because the USA has changed how it is trading with Cuba. Velazquez said the U.S. trade embargo³ means it is very difficult for Cuba to buy a lot of food. However, many economists⁴ say there is a bigger reason for the shortages - the cut in fuel aid from Venezuela. The crisis in Venezuela has led to a two-thirds cut in shipments of cheap fuel to Cuba.

古巴政府宣布开始对食品和其他基本品实行配给。古巴商务部长Betsy Diaz Velazquez表示将对大豆、鸡肉、鸡蛋、肥皂和其他商品进行定额配给。她称古巴正面临这一场严重的经济危机。古巴出现了很多食物和其他商品短缺。Velazquez女士表示这是因为美国改变了和古巴的贸易方式。Velazquez称美国贸易禁运意味着古巴很难买到大部分食物。但很多经济学家表示食物短缺的一个更大因素是委内瑞拉削减了燃料援助。委内瑞拉危机导致对出口古巴的廉价燃料减少了三分之二。

Cuba imports about two-thirds of its food from other countries. A lot of this used to come from the USA. Cuba spent about $2 billion a year on importing food. The US embargo and the crisis in Venezuela means it is difficult for Cuba to import food. The shelves of many stores and supermarkets are empty. Many people have to stand in long lines when shops get a food delivery. The government has started rationing to stop people hoarding⁶ food. If people buy too much of one thing and then hoard⁵ it, there is less food for others. One store in the capital city Havana limited people to just four packets of powdered milk, four packs of sausages and five packets of peas per person. One shopper said life was "tough".

古巴三分之二的食物都是从其他国家进口。其中很多之前都是从美国进口。古巴每年花费20亿美元用于进口食物。美国贸易禁运和委内瑞拉危机意味着古巴难以进口食物。很多商店和超市的货架上都是空的。当商店送食物时，许多人不得不排很长的队。政府已经开始定量配给，以阻止人们囤积食物。如果人们购买大量的同一种商品，然后囤积起来，那么留给其他人的食物就会更少。首都哈瓦那的一家商店每人限购四袋奶粉，四包香肠以及五袋豌豆。一名顾客称生活“艰难”。

1 rationing   

n.定量供应

参考例句：

• Wartime austerities included food rationing and shortage of fuel. 战时的艰苦包括食物配给和燃料短缺。
• Food rationing was abolished in that country long ago. 那个国家早就取消了粮食配给制。

2 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。

3 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

4 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》

5 hoard   

n./v.窖藏，贮存，囤积

参考例句：

• They have a hoard of food in the basement.地下室里有他们贮藏的食物。
• How many curios do you hoard in your study?你在你书房里聚藏了多少古玩？

6 hoarding   

n.贮藏；积蓄；临时围墙；囤积v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• After the war, they were shot for hoarding. 战后他们因囤积而被枪决。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Actually he had two unused ones which he was hoarding up. 其实他还藏了两片没有用呢。 来自英汉文学