找Hi家教學17種外語
Say Hi to the World！

◎陳維真

Thailand’s worst floods in five decades are bearing down on the capital just as the high season for tourism gets under way, putting this year’s official target of 19 million visitors in doubt, government and tourist officials said on Tuesday.

泰國50年來最嚴重的水災正逼近首都，而此時觀光旺季正要開跑，觀光客人數能否達到官方原先統計的1900萬人，也因此畫上問號，泰國政府與觀光官員週二表示。

While Bangkok is braced for the worst, Phuket, Pattaya and Samui, Thailand’s biggest draw cards for tourists, have escaped the deluge that has swamped central and northern provinces, including the ancient city of Ayutthaya.

正當曼谷為最嚴重的情況做足準備時，普吉島、芭達雅、蘇美島等泰國最吸引觀光客的度假勝地，逃過被洪水淹沒的命運。這場洪水已淹沒北部和中部省份，包括古城大城。

Most of Bangkok’s tourist attractions and shopping areas have not been affected by flooding but the Chao Phraya river that winds through the city is high and canals have burst their banks in some northern districts.

曼谷大多數的觀光景點和購物區尚未受到洪水影響，但蜿蜒穿過曼谷市區的湄南河水位高漲，而且在曼谷北邊的一些區域，運河的河水已經漫上河岸。

“ We had a good number of bookings earlier this year but from this point on, if the floods get worse, we expect a drop of at least 20 percent. There have already been cancellations in some markets, like Taiwan, ” president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents（ATTA）said. “ India, Russia and mainland China are still coming. But Europe less and less. ”

「今年稍早前的預訂人數不少，但從現在開始，如果淹水情況越來越嚴重，我們預期觀光客人數將會滑落至少2成。某些市場的觀光客已經有人取消行程，像是台灣。」泰國旅行社公會（ATTA）會長表示：「印度、俄羅斯、中國觀光客還是會來。但歐洲的旅客人數越來越少。」

新聞辭典

bear down on：片語，逼近，接近。例句：Extreme heat is forecast to bear down on the eastern United States by the end of this week.（極度高溫預計將在本週末逼近美國東岸。）

draw cards：名詞，賣點，吸引人之處。例句：Sydney’s world-class events and festivals are drawcards for tourists around the world.（雪梨世界一流的活動和慶典是吸引全球觀光客的賣點。）

Deluge：名詞，大雨；暴雨；洪水。例句：In the drought-ravaged cities of the Southwest, however, the deluge is cause for celebration.（在乾旱肆虐的西南部城市，大雨反而讓居民慶祝。）