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VOA慢速英语--巴基斯坦担心中国疫情影响其经济

时间:2020-02-23 23:53:52

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The economic effects of the new coronavirus outbreak have spread from China all the way to the West Bank city of Hebron.

Hebron is the largest Palestinian city. It is also the business center for the Palestinian territories. And, Chinese-made goods have flooded markets there for more than 20 years.

Now, traders in Hebron are worried that they may have to change to more costly1 products if China's economic output falls because of the disease outbreak. If that happens, the traders will have to pass on higher prices to buyers in what is already a weak economy.

China exports more goods than any other country. But the outbreak of the new coronavirus threatens to affect trade almost everywhere.

The new coronavirus disease, recently named COVID-19, first appeared in central China's city of Wuhan in December. Since then, it has spread to more than 20 countries.

No cases have been identified in Israel or the Palestinian territories. But merchants there have felt the economic effects of the disease.

Samer Abu Eisha sells children's clothes to stores in Hebron. He has been importing Chinese-made products for more than 20 years. He has a permit from Israel that lets him travel from Israel to the Chinese city of Guangzhou every two months. There, he orders products and oversees2 production.

But business came to a halt last month as travel bans took effect in China. Israel and neighboring Jordan suspended all flights to China. Product orders have been delayed or frozen. And, Abu Eisha told the Associated Press, his agent in China has been ordered to stay inside his home because of the virus.

Abu Eisha said if the situation continues, he will have to explore other choices. He said he might try Turkey. But business would not be the same.

"It's hard because all the raw materials also come from China, so things will be more expensive," he said. Abu Eisha estimates he will have to raise prices by 30 percent. But a poor economy and limited development mean that many Palestinians depend on low-cost imports.

"The economy here is terrible. In Palestine, it's zero, or less than zero," Abu Eisha said.

Dependence3 on imports

In the 1990s, the Oslo Accord agreements between the Palestinians and Israel permitted the new Palestinian Authority to set trade policy in the territories. As a result, Palestinians bought Chinese goods.

In 1998, $33 million in goods were imported. By 2018, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reported that the total had grown to $425 million.

The imports hurt local manufacturers, including Hebron's well-known shoemaking industry. Abdo Idrees is the head of Hebron's Chamber4 of Commerce. He said the number of factory workers making shoes had gone from 35,000 in the 1990s to fewer than 8,000 today.

A visit to the Old City shows just how common Chinese imports are in Hebron.

One seller said half of his souvenirs come from China. He recently went to a local trader to order more Chinese products, but none were available.

"He said China's closed. That will have a huge impact on my business if it continues," he said.

Another seller in the market admitted that he offers Chinese goods, but blamed them for the decline in local industries.

Words in This Story

confined –adj. put in a small space, unable to get out

souvenir –n. something kept as a reminder5 of a place visited

impact –n. a strong effect or result

outbreak –n. the appearance and spread of a disease

merchant –n. someone who sells products

expensive –adj. costly

decline –n. a decrease in something


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
参考例句:
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
2 oversees 4607550c43b2b83434e5e72ac137def4     
v.监督,监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网
3 dependence 3wsx9     
n.依靠,依赖;信任,信赖;隶属
参考例句:
  • Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
  • He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。
4 chamber wnky9     
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所
参考例句:
  • For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说,牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
  • The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
5 reminder WkzzTb     
n.提醒物,纪念品;暗示,提示
参考例句:
  • I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
  • It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知,她才付应该交的房租。

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