HAIKOU - Political advisers in South China's Hainan province urged authorities to levy taxes on vacant homes in popular travel destinations to discourage speculation and cool the island's overheated property market.
——《中国日报》
在报道中,levy taxes on vacant homes指的是“对空置房征税”,那么,“房产空置税”就可以表达为vacant home tax。形容词vacant在这里的意思是“未被占用的、空的”,例如:There were many vacant seats in the theatre.(剧院里有许多空座位。)vacant可以指“职位的空缺”或“心灵的空虚、表情的茫然”,例如:He stared into space with a vacant expression.(他茫然地凝视着天空。)又如:vacant position(空职),相当于vacancy。
BEIJING - China's top food watchdog Friday ordered a national food safety overhaul of school dining halls in spring 2012, as the country increases its efforts to prevent food poisoning in schools.
——《中国日报》
在文中,food safety overhaul指的就是“食品安全检查”。 overhaul作名词的时候可以表示 “检查、大修”,例如:The car needs a complete overhaul.(这辆车需要大检修。)又如:an overhaul of the tax system(税收体系整顿)overhaul也可以作动词,意思是“大修、彻底检查”或“超过、赶上”,例如:I had no chance of overhauling him.(我没有赶上他的可能。)
Jiang Yan, a 30-year-old customer who tried the video hotpot, paid nearly 600 yuan for a dinner in the room, including the 200-yuan room expense, and said the price was a little bit high.
——《中国日报》
在报道中,video hotpot指的就是“视频火锅”。 video在这里指的是“视频、录像”,比如video clips(视频短片)、video player(录像机)、video on demand(视频点播)。video也可以指“电视”,例如:She is a star of stage, screen and video.(她是舞台影视三栖明星。) hotpot指的是“火锅”,chafing dish也是这个意思。
HAIKOU - Officials from South China's Hainan province on Thursday reiterated the island's "zero tolerance policy" toward price gouging at tourist attractions during the peak travel time and vowed a stern crackdown over the next three months.
——《中国日报》
在文中,price gouging指的就是“价格欺诈、哄抬物价”。 动词gouge在这里是“诈骗钱财、要价过高”的意思,gouge还可以表示“挖出、抠出”,例如:I wanted to gouge her eyes out then.(那时我想把她的双眼挖出来。)
三亚的两家海鲜店因fraudulent pricing practices(价格欺诈行为)、overcharging customer(宰客)而被revoke licenses(吊销执照)、处以heavy fines(重罚)。三亚有关部门表示,对价格欺诈将采取zero tolerance policy(零容忍政策),施以stern crackdown(严厉打击),不会让one rotten apple ruins the whole barrel(一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅汤)。