隨著疫情管制逐步解封，國內零售、餐飲業景氣逐漸恢復（recover），營業額創下疫後新高。本次就從產業景氣回溫的現況來學商機、旺季等相關英文用語，也會出現在TOEIC測驗中喔。
如何形容景氣？
要形容景氣繁榮、生意好，可以用動詞prosper或同義字bloom、thrive、flourish來表達，都是代表「繁榮、蓬勃發展」的意思。不同詞性的prosper還有prosperous (a)「繁榮的，興盛的」、prosperity (n)「繁榮，興盛」。
Photo courtesy of Pixabay 圖片: Pixabay
根據《天下雜誌》先前主題「半導體盛世企業100強」，報導標題為The ‘Prosperous 100’ leading Taiwan’s semiconductor industry into a decade of success.「半導體盛世企業100強帶領台灣半導體產業邁向十年盛世。」文中也提及：
The semiconductor industry is looking at a decade of prosperity.
（半導體產業看向十年盛世。）
The semiconductor industry is prospering/booming/thriving/flourishing.
（半導體產業正蓬勃發展。）
減緩、停滯
在經濟蓬勃發展（economic boom）後，如果成長減緩，甚至停滯，可以用形容詞stagnant「停滯的」來說明，名詞stagnation則表示「景氣蕭條」。或者也可以用grind/come to a halt/stop表示「（某事物）停止」。
The economy grinds to a halt.
（經濟陷入停滯。）
如果經濟開始衰退了，可以用recession、downturn表示「景氣衰退、低迷」。《經濟學人》在今年一月的文章標題，就用多個負面字詞來形容全球景氣，講述因地緣政治動盪、能源危機、大經濟環境不穩定，導致國際景氣衰退無法避免。
The looming global recession? Economic turmoil and instability beckon.
（全球景氣衰退逼近？經濟動盪和不穩定正要發生。)
動詞loom表示「（不好的事物）逼近」，因此recession looms代表「景氣衰退即將到來」。而loom的形容詞為looming，常見描述有the looming crisis（迫在眉睫的危機）。
名詞turmoil「動亂」的同義詞還有instability「不穩定」，反義詞為stability「穩定」，形容詞則是stable「穩定的」。
A Forbes article provides investors with ways to be confident when the stock market is in turmoil.
（一篇富比世的文章提供投資者在股市動盪時期保持樂觀的方法。）
動詞beckon指的是「（事情）有可能發生」。
When economic stagnation occurs, the prospect of an increasing unemployment
rate beckons.
（當經濟停滯時，失業率很可能會增加。）
「經濟大蕭條」
若景氣歹歹，可以用depression「蕭條」或economic slump「經濟不景氣」來表達百業蕭條。歷史上有名的「經濟大蕭條」時期，就是The Great Depression，要注意的是，因為當作專有名詞，字首要大寫。
COVID-19 caused the demand of air travel to slump/plunge/plummet.
（新冠肺炎造成搭機需求急遽下降。）
The airline industry has been in a slump, but is expecting a bounce back within two years.
（航空產業處在蕭條期，但預計兩年內景氣會復甦。）
商機、旺季怎麼說
隨著疫情趨於平穩，零售業與餐飲業景氣露出曙光，耶誕、跨年商機也帶動成長，兩種產業的總體營業額，均於去年12月創下近三年單月新高。商機、營業額、創新高的英文說法如下。
business opportunity是「商機」的意思，形容某人很有生意頭腦也可以用spot a business opportunity「嗅到商機」來形容。
Sam turned his interests in music into business opportunities, from which he made a fortune.
（山姆把他對音樂的興趣變成商機，也從中賺了一大筆錢。）
商業上的「營業額、收入」可以稱為revenue、turnover，revenue在此時要以複數形態為主。
The retail company’s annual revenues/turnover went up by a quarter.
（這間零售公司的年營業額增加了百分之二十五。）
要說明營收「創下新高」時可以說reach a new/record high，或是break a/the record「創下紀錄／打破紀錄」，若要用形容詞來描述，則可說record-breaking「破紀錄的」。
要說明某個景點的淡旺季，可以用peak season「旺季」與low season「淡季」來形容，例如寒暑假是旅遊旺季，除了用peak season，同義字還有high season、holiday season、tourist season，而「淡季」也可用off(-)season描述。甚至描述蔬果當季（in season）和非當季（out of season）的片語也能表示旺季和淡季。
Fruits are usually cheaper in season.
（當季水果通常較便宜。）
Hotels are less expensive out of season/during the off-season.
（飯店在淡季時比較沒那麼貴。）
【多益模擬試題】
1. Despite the inflation and economic instability, the catering industry ushered in the new year with ____ revenues.
(A) record-breaking (B) record-broken (C) breaking-record (D) broken-record
2. The hospitality industry is _______ since the number of foreign tourists is increasing with steady easing of COVID-19 measures.
(A) looming (B) booming (C) slumping (D) stagnating
【解析】
1. 正解為(A)。句意為「儘管通貨膨脹和經濟不穩定，餐飲業以破紀錄的營收迎接新的一年。」本題測驗考生對於複合形容詞的掌握。複合形容詞的動詞變化要擺在最後，主動使用現在分詞，被動則用過去分詞。record-breaking形容revenues，可以把想成revenues that broke the record，得知broke是主動動作，故(A)為正確答案。
2. 正解為(B)。句意為「餐旅業正蓬勃發展，因為隨著疫情管控措施鬆綁，外國遊客的數量增加中。」本題測驗考生文意與單字的掌握。四個選項皆是動詞。(A)逼近，(B)興盛，(C)衰退，(D)停滯。根據題意，外籍旅客增加和餐旅業發展呈正向關係，故(B)為正確答案。
SOURCE: https://www.toeic.com.tw/info/article/toeic-power/news/retail-prosperous
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