China’s major salt supplier, the China National Salt Industry Corp. (CNSIC), confirmed Thursday that there are adequate salt reserves to meet demand, and that hoarding and panic buying are unnecessary. A salt-buying frenzy hit Chinese supermarkets Thursday after claims that radiation leaks from the nuclear crisis in Japan could pollute sea water and therefore sea salt. There were also rumors that iodized salt can help to protect people from the effects of nuclear radiation.
上文的salt-buying frenzy 就是抢盐潮,“恐慌购买”的英语则是panic buying,例句:Major suppliers of pills which provide protection from radiation say they’re out of stock due to panic buying, even though experts say that the Japanese nuclear catastrophe poses no health threat to Americans. (虽然专家表示日本核辐射不会影响美国民众健康,但防辐射药物主要供应商表示,由于恐慌购买,药品已经断货。)
另外,文中的hoard一词指的是积蓄并储藏(某物),也可作名词,意思为“钱财、食物或其他珍贵物品的储藏、积存”。中文中的“奇货可居”可译成hoard as a rare commodity。
目前,食盐市场供应充足,“谣盐”不攻自破,之前大批抢购食盐的人已经考虑要去退盐(refund the hoards of salt)啦!