双语精读 || 印度洋都哭了：这也要怪阿美利坚吗？

(1) consolidate：巩固，reinforce or strengthen (one's position or power)

(2) legislature：立法机构，the legislative body of a country or state

(3) crony：亲信，a close friend or companion

(4) thumping：极大的，very large, great

(5) parliamentary：议会的，relating to, enacted by, or suitable for a parliament

第一句的“ Until recently”句型在英文中属于取反写法。“直到最近...都...”意味着“最近情况有变”。因此，第一句其实可以直接理解成“他现在的位子不稳。”

Yet over the past few weeks Mr Rajapaksa’s hold on the country of 22m people has been slipping. Sri Lanka’s economy is in free fall. The rupee has declined by more than 30% against the dollar since the central bank abandoned its peg a month ago (see chart). Fuel and food have been in short supply for weeks. Sri Lankans wait hours in the heat to buy cooking gas at exorbitant prices—if they can get it at all. Power cuts of up to 13 hours a day have crippled businesses, including the budding tech industry. Exams have been postponed for lack of paper. Hospitals across the country are running out of essential drugs. Even well-off Sri Lankans, usually insulated from such crises, have found themselves facing shortages.

然而在过去的几周里，拉贾帕克萨正在逐渐失去对这个 2200 万人口的国家的掌控。斯里兰卡的经济在自由落体。自从央行一个月前放弃与美元挂钩以来，卢比兑美元已经下跌了超过 30%（见图表）。几个星期以来，燃料和食品一直短缺。斯里兰卡人在高温下等了几个小时，以高昂的价格购买烹饪用燃气——如果还能买到的话。每天长达 13 个小时的停电使包括新兴科技行业在内的企业陷入瘫痪。由于缺少纸张，考试只能延期。全国医院的基本药物都快用完了。即使是通常免受这类危机影响的小康阶级都面临着短缺。

(1) peg：标定点，a point or limit on a scale, especially of exchange rates

(2) exorbitant：过高的，(of a price or amount charged) unreasonably high

(3) insulate：隔绝、免于，protect from the unpleasant effects or elements of something

看上述图中，斯里兰卡与两个邻国的对比就能明白这个国家目前的经济状况有多糟糕。前段时间很多朋友抄底卢布赚了不少，但是现在斯里兰卡卢比的状态实在是无法激发对金钱的渴望。

All this is a product of long-running economic imbalances, external shocks and government mismanagement. An earlier Rajapaksa government headed by Mahinda, Gotabaya’s brother, borrowed heavily to finance infrastructure projects that have yet to generate returns. The current one slash ed taxes, which bash ed government revenue just before the pandemic halt ed tourist arrivals (a big source of foreign currency). It briefly banned fertiliser imports to save dollars, hitting food production.

所有这些都是长期经济失衡、外部冲击和政府管理不善的结果。戈塔巴亚的弟弟马欣达领导的前拉贾帕克萨政府曾大举借债以投资基础设施项目，但尚未产生回报。现政府大幅削减税收，导致政府收入大幅减少，而这恰恰发生在新冠疫情阻隔游客（外汇的一个重要来源）之前。政府曾短暂地禁止化肥进口以减少美元外流，但这打击了食品生产。

(1) slash：大幅削减， reduce (a price, quantity, etc.) greatly

(2) bash：猛击，strike hard and violently

(3) halt：突然停止，bring or come to an abrupt stop