前言
外刊精读100天专栏
今天我们讲3月21日期《经济学人》一篇名为Down the drain的文章。这期期刊可在公众号后台回复“TE0320”获取哦。作者讲述了疫情带来的大小企业的资金短缺问题，并提示解决方案与对未来市场的预估。这篇文章中的词句、短语与考研英语阅读材料中的金融类题材相似度很高，推荐大家阅读。
这篇文章我们会分为两次来完成，今天先让我们来学习第1-2段。
食用指南
“外刊精读100天专栏”这个专栏的内容每日会由推送一篇精读文章，文章会从最新一期《经济学人》《新科学家》等外刊中选取与考研、中高考阅读题材相近的内容。
如果你是首次阅读外刊的同学，可先阅读每个段落的”词汇讲解“部分，打好词汇基础。再重新阅读原文与精读分析，查漏补缺。
如果你是较好的外刊阅读基础或的同学，可先阅读原文，并标记下生词和疑惑点，再看精讲与解析。很多考试的英语阅读材料常常会选自外刊，且有一些难度，长期跟下来对提高阅读理解与写作能力大有裨益。
原汁原文
真题yuzzzz
大家先独立阅读原文，有读不懂的地方不要紧，后面会有详细的讲解。
HOUSEHOLDS ARE frantically stocking upon essentials such as loo roll. But in financial markets, the staple that no one can do without in times of stress is cash—the flushing mechanism of the world economy. In theory, it should never dry up; money can be printed. But when firms are desperate for cash it puts a potentially devastating strain on the plumbing of the global financial system. That is why in the past week America’s Federal Reserve has unleashed a huge amount of liquidity. Foreign central banks have joined in. Many face the additional challenge of a strengthening dollar.
Unlike the 2007-09 financial crisis, when problems in the financial system caused an economic meltdown, the spread of the covid-19 disease has caused a health and economic crisis that has caught banks, financial markets and business in its weak. Big and small firms realise that they are facing— at the least—months of scant revenues, yet still have bills and debts to pay.
第一段阐述疫情带来的企业的资金困难大背景。精读咀华
①Households are frantically stocking up on essentials such asloo roll.
📒语篇分析：①句指出家庭正在疯狂地囤积诸如厕纸之类的必需品。用现在进行时开门见山地点明各地依旧处于“囤积”这种紧绷状态，总起全文
frantically义为“疯狂似的，狂暴似的任性的” (done in a hurried way and in a state of excietement or confusion)。
形容词形式为frantic。常用来形容疯狂而快速的行为，如 frantically try to figure out the problem 疯狂地试图弄明白问题。比如2015年考研真题的passage 3中，就曾出现过该词: Frantically, she shouted at a fisherman to come and fetch her. 她发疯似的叫渔夫过来救她。
《指环王》第一部中也出现过这个词：
households ['haʊs,hold] 指“ 家庭 ”，比如poor households贫困户
stocking up [stɒk] 指“储存”，stock用作名词时，表示股票，库存。文中用作动词，表示囤积，办货，比如◇buy stocking up 买年货
顺便扩展一下固定金融类短语，common stock 表示“普通股”，preferred stock"表示优先股"
essentials表示"生活必需品”(a basic thing that you cannot live without),比如◇essential condition必要条件
loo roll指“卫生纸卷”，Nicholas Allan的儿童启蒙绘本名字就叫做《The giant's lol roll》。顺便扩展一下短语loo roll还可以表示“蜗居”，比如◇Home in a loo roll, A woman sits back in her sitting room.管中蜗居：老妇人惬意地斜靠在客厅的椅子上，微风轻抚，窗帘拂动，猫咪陪伴在她的脚下。
②But in financial markets, thestaple that no one can do without in times of stress is flushing mechanism of the world economy.
📒语篇分析：②句作为①句的转折，从民众生活引入经济市场领域，强调没有人疫情压力下。
staple[ˈsteɪpl] 义为“主题，主要的”(a main product or part of something) 。这里指定律，其他用法还有◇Staple food ，主食。
flushing mechanism 本义是“冲水机制”，引申为“世界经济的流转机制”，
这里为什么要用洗刷这个词，实际上是与后文词汇形成鲜明比较，我们后文揭晓。
mechanism (a way of do somthing that is planned or part of a system)比如电影《人工智能》：
in times of 表示“在……时候”(during)。比如◇In such times of crisis 在这种危机时刻。◇In Times of Triumph 在胜利的时刻。
③In theory, it should never dry up: money can be printed.
📒语篇分析：③句接着解释②句的论点，指出论据——因为钞票可以印刷，金融市场不会干涸。同时③也用短语In theory 实现句间衔接。
in theory 指“理论上”，常用在句首，(a If something is possible in theory, it should be possible, but often it does not happen in that way:book, magazine etc)，比如◇In theory, this should not be happening 这件事从理论上来说不应该发生的。[写作推荐]
dry up 义为“干涸，枯竭”，(if a river, lake ,etc, dries up, the water in it disappears ) 用在金融市场，指流动性（liquidity)受阻，这也是上文为什么使用“floushing"这个词的原因，floushing与dry up在前后句中形成鲜明对比，给读者以强烈感知。dry up 不光可以形容金融市场，其他用法比如◇The main source of income, tourism, is expected to dry up completely this summer.她作为主要收入来源的旅游业预计将在今年夏天彻底枯竭。电影《猫鼠游戏》中也有类似表达：
④But when firms are desperate for cash it puts a potentially devastating strain on the plumbing of the global financial system.
📒语篇分析：④句接着做③句的转折，进一步讲述企业们对资金的渴求会给全球金融通道带来摧毁性断裂，strain这个词十分生动地展示了经济“紧绷”的状态。
be desperate for [ˈdespərət] ，意为“极度渴望”，(needing or wanting something very much ) 比如◇He was desperate to tell someone his good news. 他极度渴望别人告诉他一个好消息。这种渴望程度如下图。
potentially [pəˈtenʃəli] 意为“可能地，潜在的” (someone or something's ability to develop ,achieve, or succeed )比如◇potentially harmful 潜在的有害
devastating[ˈdevəsteɪtɪŋ] 意为“毁灭性的，全然的”(causing a lot of damage or destruction) 比如◇《The Avengers》复仇者联盟中有一句：
strain [streɪn]意为“张力，拉紧”(a force or influence that stretches, pulls, or puts pressure on something, sometimes causing damage）strain可用来形容人的紧张焦虑，常用短语有 put/place a strain on sb 使...焦虑，比如◇She was tired and under great strain. 它也可以形容（经济）形式或系统的紧张、紧绷状态，这也是它和nervous ，stress的不同点。
plumbing[ˈplʌmɪŋ]意为“管道”（a system that allows information, money, etc. to move easily from one place to another)表面义是水管管道，引申为某一体系渠道，用法如Is this a good plumbing for the video Internet?这是对视频网络的一个好的渠道吗？Efficient banks are an essential part of the financial plumbing of any developing country. 高效银行体系是发展中国家重要的金融渠道。
⑤That is why in the past week America's Federal Reserve has unleashed a huge amount of liquidity.
📒语篇分析：⑤句顺承上句，引出观点，因为经济市场的紧缩状态，美国联邦储蓄委员会在上一周释放资金流动性
America's Federal Reserve指“美国联邦储蓄委员会”，这段的背景是美国多家大型金融机构从美国联邦储备委员会借钱，以补充流动性。
Unleash 指“发泄，放开，解除束缚”（to suddenlyrelease a violentforce that cannot be controlled），与上文描述的经济“紧绷”相呼应。比如国家发展改革委、外交部、商务部联合发布了《推动共建丝绸之路经济带和21世纪海上丝绸之路的愿景与行动》的中，有一句◇We will discuss with countries and regions along the Belt and Road on opening free trade areas so as to unleash the potential for expanded cooperation.降低非关税壁垒，共同提高技术性贸易措施透明度，提高贸易自由化便利化水平。
liquidity [lɪˈkwɪdəti]指“流动性，流动资产”（the fact of being available in the form of money, rather than investments or property, or of being able to be changed into money easily）比如◇电影《蝙蝠侠》中，也用到这个词汇：
⑥Foreign central banks have joined in. Many face the additional challenge of a strengthening dollar
additional challenge.指“额外的挑战“
strengthening['strɛŋθən] 意为“加强，加固，走强”，可用于形容加强能力strengthening our capacity, 在这里a strengthening dollar 指"强势美元“，那疲软的美元怎么说呢？a weak dollar[写作推荐]
读完讲解之后，我们再把第一段的六句话连起来再阅读一遍：
“
HOUSEHOLDS ARE frantically stocking upon essentials such as loo roll. But in financial markets, the staple that no one can do without in times of stress is cash—the flushing mechanism of the world economy. In theory, it should never dry up; money can be printed. But when firms are desperate for cash it puts a potentially devastating strain on the plumbing of the global financial system. That is why in the past week America’s Federal Reserve has unleashed a huge amount of liquidity. Foreign central banks have joined in. Many face the additional challenge of a strengthening dollar (see article).
”
参考译文：很多家庭正在疯狂地囤积诸如厕纸之类的必需品。但在金融市场上的压力时期，金钱是不可或缺的，它是世界经济流转的核心机制。从理论上讲，它是不会干涸的：钱是可以印刷的。但当企业急需现金时，这就给全球金融体系带来了潜在的破坏性压力。这就是为什么在过去一周，美国联邦储备委员会释放了大量流动性。外国央行也加入了进来。许多人面临着美元走强的额外挑战。
第二段阐述本次经济重创与07年那次的不同。
①Unlike the 2007-09 financial crisis, when problems in the financial system caused an economic meltdown, the spread of the covid-19 disease has caused a health and economic crisis that has caught banks, financial markets and business in its wake.
📒语篇分析：①句提出观点，指出这次新冠病毒带来的危机与07年经济危机的不同在于造成了经济熔断，银行和金融市场的疲软。
meltdown [ˈmeltdaʊn]指“灾难、熔化、暴跌”（an extremely dangerous situation in a nuclear power station in which the nuclearfuel becomes very hot and melts through its container and escapes into the environment）与上文devastating 照应。
in its weak 指“衰弱，疲软”，比如◇The relative lagging of economic development of the western region Lies in mainly its weak foundation in talent resources 西部地区经济发展的相对落后，关键在于人才资源基础薄弱。
②Big and small firms realise that they are facing- at the least-months of scant revenues, yet still have bills and debts to pay.
📒语篇分析：②句具体陈述大小公司的资金困境
at the least指“无论如何，至少”，比如◇But it does point the way towards one—or, at the least, towards better therapies.但它的确为治愈癌症指明了方向——或者至少可以更好的治疗癌症。
scant[skænt]义为“不足的，缺乏的，减少”(very little and not enough）scant of rebenues 缺乏资金，scant of 表示“缺乏……”
我们再把第二段连起来再阅读一遍：
“
Unlike the 2007-09 financial crisis, when problems in the financial system caused an economic meltdown, the spread of the covid-19 disease has caused a health and economic crisis that has caught banks, financial markets and business in its weak. Big and small firms realise that they are facing— at the least—months of scant revenues, yet still have bills and debts to pay.
”
参考译文：与2007-09年金融危机不同的是，当金融系统的问题导致了经济崩溃，covid-19疾病的蔓延引发了人类健康和经济的双重危机，银行、金融市场和企业都因此陷入危机。大公司和小公司都意识到，他们正面临着——至少几个月的收入不足，但仍有账单和债务需要偿还。
回顾
今日回顾
再带大家复习一下我们在这篇文章学到的部分内容：
1.如何表达“囤积卫生纸”？
stock up loo rool
2.如何表达“金融市场的干涸和流动”?
dry up；unleash a huge amount of liquidity
3.我们学了哪个表示"理论上”的句型？
In theory
4.如何表达“极度渴望”？
be desperate for
5.如何表达“强势美元和疲软美元”？
a strengthening dollar, a weark dollar/in its weak
6.下面的单词分别是什么意思？
frantically, Households, stock up, essentials, staple, flushing mechanism, potentially, devastating, strain, plumbing, America’s Federal Reserve, unleash, liquidity, additional challenge, meltdown, scant
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今日的「外刊精读100天专栏」就到这里，感谢大家阅读，欢迎大家把本文分享给同样在学英语的朋友哦，你的“在看”和分享就是对我最大的鼓励
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