又中又英
又中又英
又中又英

又中又英|Epicenter

2022/01/06 04:12:32 網誌分類: 生活
06 Jan
        
New York is again the epicenter of the US coronavirus pandemic, this time because of the Omicron variant. It was the epicenter last year when the pandemic spread from Wuhan to the rest of the world. At that time I was in Hong Kong, far away from the US epicenter of the pandemic. I now live in New York City’s Manhattan. Never in my lifetime would I have guessed I would be in ground zero, or the epicenter, during this new wave of the US pandemic. The word “epicenter” can be used in several ways. It can mean the point of the earth’s surface above an earthquake or nuclear explosion.

It can also be used to describe a place with the highest level of activity. New York has the highest level of Omicron in the US. That’s why it’s the epicenter of the US pandemic again. The expression “ground zero” has a similar meaning. The original meaning of ground zero is the site of a nuclear explosion but it is now used to describe the site of a violent event. The site of the 9/11 attack is called ground zero. It can be used to describe where something important happens. It is important that New York is where Omicron is spreading the fastest in the US. The expression “never in my lifetime would I have guessed” means I would never have guessed something would happen.

I never guessed I would be in New York when it once again became the epicenter, or ground zero, of the pandemic. Hong Kong friends have asked me to stay safe. I thanked them and said I know how to stay safe. I wear the Korean version of N95 facemasks and avoid crowded indoor and outdoor places. I go for long walks in Manhattan’s beautiful Central Park for exercise. If I am not exercising outdoors I hunker down at home. The expression “hunker down” means to stay in a comfortable place for a long time to be safe.
*
*

*

*

*

紐約又再一次成為美國新冠肺炎疫情的「震央」(epicenter),這次是因為Omicron變種病毒。上年當疫情由武漢傳至世界各地時,紐約就是爆發疫情的中心(epicenter)。當時我人在香港,跟美國疫情的震央(epicenter)相距甚遠;現在我住於紐約市的曼哈頓,萬萬料不到(never in my lifetime would I have guessed)我居然會在美國新一波疫情期間身處原爆點(ground zero),或說震央(epicenter)。Epicenter有幾個用法,它可以指地震時震源投影到地面的震央,又或核爆的中心點。

它也可以用來形容某地方的活動最為活躍、頻繁。紐約是美國中有最多Omicron感染個案的地方,因此它又再一次成為美國疫情大流行的中心點(epicenter)。習語「ground zero」的意思也相近。Ground zero 原初的意思是核彈爆炸的原爆點,但現在它也可以用來形容某一處遭受嚴重損毁的地方。九一一恐襲的遺址就叫作ground zero。它可用來形容一次重大事故發生的地方;紐約是Omicron在美國擴散得最迅速的地方,這就是一件大事。習語「never in my lifetime would I have guessed」意即我怎麼想也想不到某事會發生。

我事前完全預估不到,當紐約再一次成為疫情流行的震央(epicenter)或原爆點(ground zero)時,我正正身處此地。香港的朋友們都着我保持安全。我戴了韓國製造的N95口罩,且避免到人多聚集的地方,不論室內或室外。我會去曼哈頓優美的中央公園散很長的步,當作鍛鍊身體。若我不到戶外做運動,我就會在家 hunker down——習語「hunker down」即長期待在一處舒適的地方,以策安全。
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
又中又英|Epicenter
 又中又英|Epicenter 
回應 (0)
我要發表
user

網誌分類