学习“三言两语杂货社”

 Out with the old, in with the new 辞旧迎新

The state helps old hawkers but not young ones, with predictable results

 hawk v. 沿街叫卖、兜售=peddle——hawker n. 演技小贩=peddler≈(mobile) vendor；hawker center 小贩中心

In these open-air food courts(餐饮区、美食广场) lined with stalls(摊位) and Formica tables it is possible to taste Singapore’s history. Dolloped unceremoniously on a plate or banana leaf or scooped(n. 一勺;v. 舀一勺) steaming into a plastic bowl, dishes such as Roti prata and Singapore laksa conjure up the Indian and Chinese migrants whose own cuisines, slowly over centuries, mingled with that of the indigenous Malays. And since one can eat one’s fill(=drink one’s fill 开怀大吃/畅饮) at a hawker centre for the price of a flat white(澳白咖啡、馥芮白), it is no surprise that eight in ten Singaporeans visit such establishments(n. 机构、经营场所) at least once a week.

 monument n. 纪念碑、丰碑——monument to sb./sth.；【抽象】不朽之作：e.g. This symphony is a monument to his talent as a composer. 这首交响乐曲是展现他作曲家才华的不朽之作。

 open-air a. 露天的——open air n. 户外

 dollop n. 一大团(软食)、些许；v. 随意添加

 unceremoniously ad. 粗暴地=un不+ceremonious讲究礼仪的+ly地

 conjure up 使想到、使呈现脑海——The song conjures up my childhood.

 mingle v. 混合——mingle A with B 混合A和B

 indigenous a. 本地的=native

 catalogue n. 目录、名录——Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Human《人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录》

The UN’s heritage inspectors(检察员) had better tuck in fast. … But young Singaporeans have little appetite for toiling(toil v. 长时间的辛苦劳作) in piping-hot(滚烫的) stalls for long hours and little pay. “It’s near impossible to get manpower(人力、人手) for this trade,” Mr Seetoh wrote in January.

 tuck in 痛快地吃、大快朵颐——tuck into sth.

 champion n. 冠军；~+of 拥护者；v. 捍卫[书面语]

 aspiring a. 有抱负的——aspire to sth./aspire to do sth.

The few young Singaporeans willing to put up with(忍受某人或某事=tolerate) such conditions often live hand-to-mouth.

 live (from) hand to mouse勉强糊口——hand-to-mouse勉强糊口的

 fusion n. 融合；聚变；混合烹调——Italian-Japanese fusion stall

 pocket n. 口袋；钱财——We have holiday plans to suit every pocket. 我们有适合各种消费水平的度假方式。He is said to have a deep pocket.据说他很富有。 He has to pay for the repairs out of his own pocket.他必须自己掏腰包支付维修费用。

Younger hawkers must pay market rates: $1,250 a month on average. But a report published by the Ministry of Trade in 2015 found that, even though younger hawkers pay more rent, and have on average 15% higher operating costs, they do not pass those costs on to their customers, probably because of stiff competition.

 lease  v. 出租、租借=rent——lease sth. from sb.从某人手中租得某物；lease sth.to sb.把某物借给某人；lease n. 租约——rent n. 租金

 rate of pay 报酬；reduced rates 特惠价格

 stiff a. 僵硬的；激烈的、严峻的——stiff opposition 强烈的反对，stiff fines重罚

Singapore’s welfare state(福利制度，类似于welfare systems，非“福利国家”) is parsimonious, and the authorities have long regarded hawker centres, with their “almost third-world prices”, as “one of our safety-nets(安全网，“社会保障”)”, as Ravi Menon of the central bank has said. … Many youngsters get noticed and thrive.很多年轻人都得到帮助并且在蓬勃发展。 Mr Ng won an accolade(n. 荣誉、嘉奖) from Michelin in 2016 and received a flood of(大量…) offers of investment. Others are not so lucky. Just over a year after Ms Yu’s stall opened, her hawker centre closed for renovations. She and Mr Ho had not managed to save enough to weather(v. 平安渡过) the three-month hiatus(n. 间断、间歇), so were forced to close for good(for good (and all) 永远地).

 cheap as chips 非常便宜

 parsimonious a. 吝啬的、小气的

 CPF，central provident fund 公积金

 renovation n. 翻新、修复——renovate v. 翻新、整修：The hotel has been renovated and redecorated.酒店已经翻新并重新装修。

 weather v. 平安渡过——weather the storm 渡过难关

地摊相关：hawker, peddler, vendor, stall, hawker center, food court, establishment, rent, lease, rate

食品相关：hawker food, street food, flat white, fishball鱼丸, fusion cuisine, Hainanese chicken rice