外刊打卡 第01期
今日導讀
時至年終，歐美等國即將迎來一年中最重要的聖誕新年假期，但今年的聖誕似乎並不輕鬆。
全球至少30個國家單日新增確診病例數均超過千例，據此前報導，美國在18日更是創下了驚人的日增超40萬例，以近一倍的增幅再次刷新單日新增確診病例數最高紀錄；而遠在西邊的英國，因其境內發現了一種傳染性更強的新冠變異新毒株，正面臨「失控」的局面，同一日，法、意、荷、比等多國緊急宣布應對措施。
雙語新聞
The latest development followed a Downing Street virtual press conference on Saturday during which British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned of a mutation of the virus which has quickly spread across London and the southeast of England.
上周六，唐寧街舉行了線上新聞發布會，英國首相詹森在會上警告稱，該病毒出現了變異，目前該病毒已迅速蔓延至倫敦和英格蘭東南部。
The announcement of a new Tier Four restriction for the British capital provoked a race to major rail terminals in London with thousands of people fleeing the capital to escape a lockdown over Christmas.
英國首都宣布實行新的四級限制，引發人們爭相湧向倫敦各主要鐵路終點站，成千上萬的人逃離首都，以逃避聖誕節期間的封鎖。
Johnson said that the previous plan to allow up to three households to meet during five days around Christmas will have to be scrapped.
詹森說，之前的計劃是允許最多三戶人家在聖誕節前後的五天時間裡見面，但這一計劃將不得不作廢。
According to Johnson, the newly identified strain of the virus may be up to 70 percent more transmissible.
詹森說，新發現的病毒毒株的傳染性可能比其他毒株高70%。
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Sunday criticised people who escaped London before the new Tier four lockdown came into force in the day as "totally irresponsible", the Evening Standard newspaper reported.
據英國《標準晚報》報導，英國衛生大臣漢考克周日批評那些在四級警戒生效前逃離倫敦的人是「完全不負責任的」。
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon effectively closed the border with England, announcing people could not enter or leave Scotland, Police Scotland said it had doubled the number of officers stationed on the English border.
蘇格蘭首席部長斯特金實際上關閉了與英格蘭的邊境，宣布人們不能進入或離開蘇格蘭。蘇格蘭警方表示，他們已經將駐英邊境的警員人數增加了一倍。
相關報導
Britain’s worsening coronavirus crisis presents a truly bleak midwinter outlook on the front pages with focus split between Europe shutting its doors to Britons and the threat that severe restrictions on everyday life could last for months.
英國疫情危機越發嚴峻，體現在報紙頭版，便是仲冬時節慘澹無望的光景，各家媒體的關注點分別聚焦在歐洲對英國人關上大門和影響日常生活的嚴格限制令有可能持續數月。
拓展學習
high and dry無人幫忙、孤立無援
雙語例句：When the time came to put up the decorations, Mary was left high and dry. 到開始要把裝飾品放上去時，就只剩下瑪麗一個人在幹活了。
bottle up圍困、封鎖、使陷入困境
雙語例句：Our warships bottle up the enemy fleet in the harbor. 我們的軍艦把敵人的艦隊封鎖在港口內。
chips are down到關鍵時刻、到緊急關頭
雙語例句：When the enemy opened fire, the chips were really down. 敵人開火時，才真到了關鍵時刻。
bring to the (a) boil處於危急關頭、達到緊急狀態。
雙語例句：The attack on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center brought to a boil the constant danger of domestic terrorism. 對世貿中心「雙廈」的襲擊使國內恐怖主義這一不斷發生的危險一下子變得緊迫起來。
打卡活動
英語學習，貴在堅持；
每日打卡，嚴格自律。
地道英文表達北京外國語大學陳德彰教授說過：「英語學習者往往達到中級水平後始終無突破性進展，說出來的英文雖語法正確，但總有牽強湊合之感，毫不地道。如果遇到這一瓶頸期，那你就該攻克習語了。」