Macau Casinos Face Tough Times
澳門賭城面臨艱難時期
本則英語影音新聞及出處：新唐人電視台英語新聞
http://english.ntdtv.com/?c=145&a=6081（可線上觀看）
STORY:
Local and mainland Chinese workers in Macau are worried about their jobs during these tough economic times.
澳門當地及中國大陸工人擔心經濟困難時期沒工作。
This former Portuguese colonial backwater has enjoyed a golden streak as a casino town since 2002. But now it seems luck has run out for this gambling paradise.
這個前葡萄牙殖民的荒僻地自二零零二年來一直享受著賭城的金礦，但是這座賭博樂園的好運好像快完了。
On Macau’s dusty Cotai strip, the cranes at the Las Vegas Sands’ construction site stand idle. Last week most of the 11,000 workers on two construction sites were laid off. Some of these workers are blaming the government for a casino glut.
澳門佈滿灰塵的金光大道上，拉斯維加斯沙灘工地的吊車閒置在旁。上週兩個建築工地一萬一千個工人中的大部分都被解僱了。其中有些工人責怪政府賭場過度供應。
【新聞關鍵字】
1. casino: n. 賭場
2.tough: adj. 不幸的
3. backwater: n. 荒僻處
4. streak: n. 礦脈
5. gambling paradise: n. phr. 賭博樂園
6. construction: n. 建築； 建造
7. lay off: v. phr. 解雇
[Ng Sek-Io, Construction Worker]: “I am a Macau person and all of Macau’s half million people are angry with the government.”
建築工人Ng Sek-Io說：「我是澳門人，五十萬的澳門人都很氣政府。」
They say there are too many casino licenses, and land was given to developers in shady deals.
他們說賭場執照太多了，土地都以見不得人的交易賣給了開發商。
[Ng Sek-Io, Construction Worker]: “It’s a corrupt and incompetent government and it hasn’t considered our current livelihood difficulties.”
建築工人Ng Sek-Io說：「政府貪污無能，沒有顧慮到我們的現在生活的困難。」
And migrant workers from China are facing an uncertain future.
從中國來的流浪工人面臨不確定的未來。
【新聞關鍵字】
8.glut: n. 過度供應
9. developer: n. 開發者
10.shady deal : n. phr. 見不得人的交易
11. corrupt: adj. 腐敗的
12. incompetent: adj. 無能的
13. uncertain: adj. 不確定的
[Chai Chang-Po, Migrant Worker]:
“I don’t know the arrangement for compensation for people working here, as there wasn’t even a contract termination letter. I don’t know whether we can get any compensation.”
流浪工人蔡璋柏說：「我不知道這裡的工作補助怎麼安排，因為連一張合約終止信都沒有。我不曉得是否可以拿到任何補償。」
One mainland worker was hoping to make enough to rebuild his house destroyed in the Sichuan earthquake.
一位大陸華工希望賺夠錢好重建四川大地震時毀壞的房子。
[Xi Yong-Hwa, Migrant Worker]: “I feel very sad now; the financial crisis has hurt us really badly. We’ve lost our jobs and lost our income.”
流浪工人紀永華說：「我現在非常難過，金融危機真的害慘了我們。我們工作沒了，收入也沒了。」
While Macau has yet to see other major casino operators keel over, analysts say the dream here of transforming the Cotai strip into another Las Vegas may be put on hold.
雖然還沒看見澳門其他主要賭場經營者倒閉，但是分析師說金光大道變成拉斯維加斯的夢想可能就此打住。
【新聞關鍵字】
14. contract: n. 合約
15. crisis: n. 危機
16. keel over: v. phr. 傾覆
17. transform: v. 改觀； 改變
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