The seven-year itch
七年之痒（陈继龙 编译）
Jul 27th 2006 | MACAU
From The Economist print edition
THE army of workers operating along what used to be Macau's waterfront is conducting “landreclamation[1]”: dumping sand into the water to create more land on which to build ever more casinos, resorts and hotels in the formerly Portuguese playground. Cranes and bulldozersbeaver away[2]throughout the territory, building new high-rises. Like most of China's boomingconurbations[3],Macau is paying an environmental price; the air is thick with smog and dust, and the Pearl River has transferred some of itsp_______①to Macau's seas. （1）But the damage pales when set against[4] the promise of growth, and billboards proudly herald the coming of “the Las Vegas of Asia”.
在过去曾是澳门码头的沿线地区，成群结队的工人们正在“填海造田”：把沙子倒进水中以形成更多的陆地，从而在这片曾经是葡萄牙人的一亩三分地上建造更多的赌场、度假村和饭店。起重机和推土机无处不在，全力以赴地建造着新的高楼大厦。同中国大多数飞速发展的大都市一样，澳门正在为此付出环境上的代价。空气中弥漫着烟雾和灰尘，一些来自珠江的污染物也流入了澳门附近海域。但是，放眼未来，这种损失算不了什么。一张张广告牌自豪地昭示着“亚洲的拉斯维加斯”即将来临。（译注：pale指“逊色、失色”，此处的when set against可以用“before”或“beside”来代替，意为“相比……”）
Amid all the buzz, the music from a boat docked at the inner harbour sounds a strange note. The red-robed musicians and their audience are Taoists engaged in a religious ceremony. As the musicians play their instruments, the believers on board burn incense ande_______②scraps of food into the water as an offering to the gods. （2）The contrast of ancient ritual with feverish modernisation is the story of modern Macau: the story of development transforming a once-sheltered nook[5].
内港码头边停靠的一艘小船上传来的音乐夹杂在一切喧嚣之中，调子听上去怪怪的。身着红袍的乐师及其听众们都是一些道教信徒，他们正在举行一个宗教仪式。乐师们演奏着乐器，船上的信徒们一边烧香，一边将供品倒进水中。古老的仪式与狂热的现代化之间的这种反差诉说着这样一个关于现代澳门的故事——让一个曾经偏僻的小地方面貌一新的发展故事。
Macau's stunning economic boom—2004 saw its GDP grow by 28%—has been powered by gambling, tourism and the construction necessary to support such endeavours. Since Stanley Ho, Macau's most famous casinomogul[6],found his monopoly on the gambling industry broken in 2001, American firms such as Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands Corporation have stepped in to build impressive newf_______③.（3）Visitors include rich and powerful Chinese, wishing to indulge in games of chance illegal on the mainland, as well as tourists from nearby countries like South Korea and Singapore.
赌博、旅游以及相关的支撑性建设推动澳门经济发生了令人瞠目结舌的增长——2004年其GDP增长28％。自从澳门最有名的赌场大亨何鸿燊对博采业的垄断在2001年被打破以来，永利度假村有限公司和拉斯维加斯金沙公司（注：建造了金沙会展中心）之类的美国公司逐步登陆澳门，建造了许多面目一新的设施。参观者中包括有钱有势的中国人，他们希望在赌博中碰碰运气，而赌博在内地是非法的。此外，还有来自邻近国家如韩国和新加坡的旅游观光者。There has been a price. Construction firms are eager to hire immigrants from Fujian, Guangdong and even Shanghai who are willing to work for lower wages than the local Macanese. （4）The ill-will thus created was evident last May 1st, when locals (quite a few of whom were also illegal immigrants when they first arrived) rioted.They protest that outsiders are finding jobs in the new economy while many middle-aged Macanese remainj_______④.
增长是有代价的。建筑公司都迫切希望雇用来自福建、广东甚至上海的移民，这些人要求的薪水要比澳门本地人少。当地人对外乡人由此萌生的敌意从去年5月1日当地人（其中相当一部分人初到澳门时也属于非法移民）发生的骚乱中就可见一斑。他们抗议说，在新经济形势下，外乡人都找到了工作，而许多澳门本地的中年人却仍然没有工作。
Ethnic tension is growing too. Macau is thoroughlycosmopolitan[6],with Nepalis, Brazilians and Filipinos working beside Portuguese and Chinese. But the relationship between them and the newly arrived mainlanders is problematic. “The mainland Chinese are rude and look down on us,” says a Nepali security guard, a sentiment echoed by many locals. And though the authorities have failed to keep mainlanders out, foreigners who have worked there since long before the handover are finding it hard to bring their families over. “My daughter won't be joining me because it's hard to get a workp_______⑤now,” says one Filipino, who has worked in Macau for 24 years.
种族之间的关系也日益紧张。澳门完全是一个“世界性的大家庭”，在这里工作的除了葡萄牙人和中国人之外，还有尼泊尔人、巴西人和菲律宾人。不过他们与最近到来的内地人之间的关系出现了问题。一名尼泊尔保安说：“内地人很粗野，还瞧不起我们。”这一观点引起了许多本地人的共鸣。还有，当局不禁止内地人进入澳门，可移交之前很早就在这里工作的外国人却发觉难以将其家人接过来。一名在澳门已经工作了24年的菲律宾人说：“由于现在很难拿到工作许可证，我的女儿不能来到我身边了。”
It is not only racial harmony that is under threat. Under Portugal Macau escaped many of the depredations of the Cultural Revolution, and it remains one of the lastr_______⑥of traditional Chinese culture.Figurines[7]depicting the god of wealth sit outside most doors, attended by burning sticks of incense. The temples of Tin Hau, Kum Iam and Pak Tai continue to draw the faithful, who take pride in pointing out that their religion has survived both the rule of Portuguese Christians and the handover to atheist China. （5）Such piety[8], however, sits uncomfortably with the gambling, the neon lights and prostitution that are forever gaining ground.
面临威胁的不仅仅是种族和睦。在葡萄牙的管辖下，澳门避免了文化大革命的破坏，它现在仍旧是传统中国文化最后的宝库之一。大多数人家门口都坐立着财神像，守护它的是一根根燃烧的焚香。天后庙（妈祖阁）、观音堂（普济禅院）和菩提禅院一如既往地吸引着虔诚的信徒，他们自豪地说，无论是在葡萄牙基督教的统治下，还是在移交给信奉无神论的中国之后，他们始终都能坚持自己的宗教信仰。然而，这种虔诚却艰难地与没完没了的赌博、霓虹灯以及卖淫共存着。
（6）The old order, at least, is not particularly pleased by the prospect.“It used to be just a sleepy fishing village when I was a child,” recalls a middle-aged resident. “We used to pump water up from hand-wells.” He sighs. “I have no idea what it's going to look like a year from now.”
至少可以讲，未来的发展与旧的生活秩序有一点格格不入。（译注：直译可为“至少可以说，未来的希望并没有让旧的生活秩序感到特别满意。”）一位中年居民回忆说：“在我还是一个孩子的时候，这里只是一个静寂的渔村。”他叹了口气说道：“过去我们常常从自己打的水井中舀水，不知道再过一年会是什么样。”
[QUIZ]
1. 根据上下文及英文解释，完成单词：
①p_______（n. substances that make air, water, soil etc dangerously dirty）
②e________（v. to remove everything that is inside something）
③f________（n. [often pl.] rooms, equipment, or services that are provided for a particular purpose）
④j________（adj. unemployed）
⑤p_______（n. an official written statement giving you the right to do something）
⑥r________（n. a place or container in which large quantities of something are stored）
2. 英译汉（将划线部分英文翻译成中文）：
[NOTES](LONGMAN)
1. reclamation n.开垦；改造（v. reclaim）
2. beaver (away) v.努力工作 n.海狸（毛皮）
3. conurbation n.有卫星城的大都市（adj. conurban大都市的；城市圈的；卫星城的）
4. nook n.僻静处；隐蔽处；犄角旮旯
5. mogul n.显要人物；大家；有权势之人
6. cosmopolitan adj.世界性的；全球的 n.四海为家之人
7. figurine n.小雕像；小塑像
8. piety n.虔诚；孝行
[KEY TO QUIZ]
1. ①pollution 污染物
〔附注〕
a.表示“good for the environment”:environmentally friendly环境友好的；不妨害环境的, eco-friendly生态友好的, sustainable可持续的, recyclable可回收的，可重复利用的, biodegradable生物可降解的, renewable能再生的, organic有机的
b.表示“people who want to protect the environment”: GREens绿色和平主义者, eco-warriors生态保护斗士
c.表示“things that cause harm to the environment”: pollution污染物, GREenhouse gases温室气体, global warming全球变暖, acid rain酸雨, deforestation森林采伐
②empty 倒
③facilities 设施
④jobless 失业的；无业的（表示“to not have a job”：not have a job/be without a job • be out of work • unemployed • jobless • be on the dole领取固定救济金的）
⑤permit 许可证（warrant，license）
⑥repositories 仓库；宝库
2.（见译文，仅供参考，欢迎指正）
