To lift 解除(封锁)
More than half the states in the US are gradually lifting lockdowns even as the health officials have warned of a second wave of infections.
(即使卫生官员警告解封恐引发第二波感染,美国过半数州仍逐步解封中。)
lift在此为动词,也可做名词使用,较常见的词义为「抬起;举高」,不过也有「解除」之意,通常后面可接lift a ban(解除禁令)、lift some restrictions(解除限制)等名词。
「解封」的英文也可使用reopen,为「重新开启」之意,名词为reopening。除了禁令与限制的解除外,限制的「松绑」也有许多动词可用,如to loosen/ease/relax the lockdown restrictions(放宽限制)。
The Prime Minister of Australia has unveiled the three-step plan to ease coronavirus restrictions.
(澳洲总理公布了三阶段解封计划,以松绑肺炎的防疫限制。)
另外,lift当名词用时也有几个生活化的词义,在英国lift有「电梯」的意思,也就是美国用的elevator一字,还有另一个实用的口语词义就是「搭顺风车」 。
I’m also going to the train station. Do you need a lift?
(我正好也要去车站一趟,你需要搭顺风车吗?)
Compulsory 强制的
The governments of Germany, Austria, and Slovakia have made mask-wearing compulsory on public transport.
(德国、奥地利与斯洛伐克政府皆强制规定搭乘大众交通运输时须配戴口罩。)
此处的compulsory为形容词,意思是「强制的;必须做的;义务的」,如义务教育compulsory education、必修课程compulsory。
Statistics is not a compulsory subject in the Foreign Language Department.
(统计学并不是外语系的必修课。)
其他同义词还有mandatory与obligatory,虽然这三个字意思都是「必须的」,但在使用情境上仍有些微差别。 mandatory较偏向「强制的;强迫的」,特别是指法律规定的命令或限制,与compulsory的互通性较高,而obligatory意思则较偏向于「义务的」,特别是指符合道德、社会规范或法律而必须做的事,不仅限于法律规定。
可通用的情况:必要的;强制的
A health examination is obligatory/mandatory/compulsory before employees start working.
(员工开始工作前必须先经过健康检查。)
Since 2019, wearing a helmet on all motorized vehicles including electric scooters is obligatory/mandatory/compulsory in California.
(自2019年起,在加州骑乘所有机动车辆,包含电动车,皆必须携带安全帽。)
不可通用的情况:义务的;道义的
When Mr. McAllen lost South Carolina, he at first refused to make the obligatory congratulatory call to Ms. Anderson.
(当麦克艾伦先生输掉南卡罗来纳州的选举时,起初还拒绝拨一通道义上的恭贺电话给安德森小姐。)
Resurgence 再现;复苏
The Lebanese government has reimposed a four-day nationwide lockdown after the resurgence of coronavirus cases.
(黎巴嫩政府在新冠肺炎疫情复燃后,重新实施为期4天的全国性封城措施。)
resurgence一词为名词,动词为resurge,字首re-有「重新、再次」之意,而surge本身就是「激增;蜂拥」的意思,-ence则为名词结尾。
同样可用来描述疫情复发、再现的还有reemergence,为「再度出现」。另外还可用spike一词来描述病例的「激增;上涨」,spike一字原为「尖状物;钉子」,像是庞克风的衣着常有的铆钉就可称为spike;用在描述数据图表时,spike可用来表示上升的曲线,也就是「激增」的意思。
The WHO warned countries that hasty reopening may fuel the second spike in coronavirus cases.
(世界卫生组织警告各国,仓促解封恐导致第二波肺炎案例激增。)