panic buying

2020/02/04 04:12:44 網誌分類: 生活

04 Feb

        　　The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Do you know what this means and who said it? It is one of the most well-known political quotes in recent history. American president Franklin D. Roosevelt said this during his 1933 inaugural speech after being elected president. He said it at the time of the Great Depression, a severe 1930s worldwide economic recession which started in the US. Roosevelt urged Americans not to be afraid, to spend money if they can, and to help their neighbours. The meaning of his quote is that people should not let fear scare them. They should not be afraid of the Great Depression. They should be brave and fight their fear.

        　　I remembered this famous quote last Wednesday when I went to the supermarket near my home. I just wanted to buy a few basic essentials. This means ordinary things people need, such as rice, bread, vegetables, and fruit. What I saw when I entered the overcrowded supermarket shocked me. People were full of fear about the new Wuhan virus. There was panic buying. Everyone was stockpiling even perishable items. The expression "panic buying" means people suddenly buying more than they need because they fear something bad will happen. The word "stockpiling" means keeping a large supply of something. The word "perishable" means things, such as vegetables, which will go bad very quickly.

        　　It is stupid to stockpile perishable things such as vegetables and fruit. There is panic buying in Hong Kong for facemasks. But everyone must remember they can protect themselves much better from the Wuhan virus if everyone has facemasks. If people stockpile facemasks, others will not have any. Even if you wear a facemask you will not be fully protected if a person with the Wuhan virus, but not wearing a facemask, coughs or sneezes near you. You will be much better protected if that person is also wearing a facemask. So please do not stockpile facemasks. We can all protect each other by making sure everyone has a facemask.

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        　　我們唯一要恐懼的就是恐懼本身。（The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.）你可知道這句話的意思，而它又是誰說的？這是近代歷史上其中一句最知名的政治名言。美國總統富蘭克林．羅斯福當選為總統以後，在他一九三三年的就職演說中說了這句話。他說的時候正值經濟大蕭條（Great Depression）時期，就是一九三○年代由美國開始，繼而席捲全球的經濟大衰退。羅斯福力勸美國人毋須驚惶，可以的話就去花錢，以及幫助他們的鄰舍。他這句名言的意思是，人不應讓恐懼嚇怕自己。他們不須害怕經濟大蕭條（Great Depression），而應當勇敢，戰勝恐懼。

        　　我上星期三到住所附近的超市時，就想起這句名言來。我只是想買幾樣basic essentials，就是基本的日用必需品，例如米、麵包、蔬菜和水果。當我踏進那擁擠的超市時，觸目所及實在令我震驚。人們都對武漢新型病毒憂心忡忡，恐慌性地搶購（panic buying）各種貨物。人人都在儲備物資（stockpiling），即使是易變壞（perishable）的物品。習語panic buying意即人們突然瘋狂搶購某物，多於他們所需用的，因為他們害怕會有不好的事情發生。Stockpiling是指儲備和囤積大量的貨物。Perishable則指物品如蔬菜，很快便會腐爛。

        　　囤積（stockpile）易變壞（perishable）的物品如蔬果是愚蠢的。現在香港也在搶購（panic buying）口罩。但每個人都應謹記，只有在人人都戴口罩的情況下，他們才能更好地防禦武漢病毒的侵襲。若人們囤積（stockpile）口罩，其他人就缺貨了。若有一個感染了武漢肺炎而沒有戴口罩的人在你附近咳嗽或打噴嚏，即使你戴了口罩，你仍然沒有得到全面的防護；惟有那人也戴了口罩，你才得到更好的防護。因此，別再囤積（stockpile）口罩了。只要我們確保人人都有口罩，便可互相保護對方。

        mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯：七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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