今天，2019年12月20日，澳门回归祖国整整20周年。
Macao's 20 years of economic progress
China Daily
By Colin Speakman
Congratulations to Macao, China on the 20th anniversary of its handover from Portuguese rule. The SAR celebrates on Dec 20, with the public holiday Macao Special Administrative Region Establishment Day, and a spectacular fireworks display is planned. The region will also welcome its new chief executive Ho Lat Seng to office that day.
表示“移交”，英文解释为“The handover of something is when possession or control of it is given by one person or group of people to another.”举个🌰：
The handover is expected to be completed in the next ten years.
移交预计在下个10年内完成。
Macao has relied on the gambling industry to sustain its economy, which made a strong contribution to its GDP. However, there is much more to Macao's economy than that. Nongaming contributions were expected to have grown 17 percent this year and many venues have shifted their focus to middle-class travelers by offering more retail and entertainment options at their resorts, making the mass market the major driver of profit growth.
表示“举办场所”，英文解释为“The venue for an event or activity is the place where it will happen.”举个🌰：
The International Convention Centre is the venue for a three-day arts festival.
国际会议中心是为期3天的艺术节的举办场所。
Family holidays in a resort environment are the growing focus. Development of full-feature resorts can also support MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) markets that can be developed in parallel to this. Surveys have shown that “event tourists” are primarily attracted by food offerings, geographic proximity and/or ease of travel, and to some extent heritage site opportunities, while being least attracted by nightlife entertainment and casino gambling.
1）牛津词典显示的类似表达为“in parallel (with sth/sb)”，表示“（与…）同时”，英文解释为“with and at the same time as sth/sb else”举个🌰：
The new degree and the existing certificate courses would run in parallel.
新的学位课程和现有的证书课程将并行开设。
2）parallel作动词，表示“与…媲美；比得上”，英文解释为“to be as good as sth”，如：a level of achievement that has never been paralleled 绝无仅有的最高成就。
表示“（时间或空间）接近，邻近，靠近”，英文解释为“the state of being near sb/sth in distance or time”举个🌰：
The area has a number of schools in close proximity to each other.
这个地区有许多学校比邻而立。
casino /kəˈsiːnəʊ/ 表示“赌场”，英文解释为“A casino is a building or room where people play gambling games such as roulette.”
Tourists, usually reaching 38 million people a year, come to Macao for many reasons, including to marvel at and photograph the historic Ruins of Saint Paul's in the Santo Antonio area, a 17th century Catholic religious complex destroyed by fire during a typhoon in 1835. The church remains one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World and forms part of the Historic Centre of Macao UNESCO World Heritage site.
表示“建筑群”，英文解释为“A complex is a group of buildings designed for a particular purpose, or one large building divided into several smaller areas.”如：a low-cost apartment complex 一个低价公寓楼群。
Ruins of Saint Paul's 大三巴牌坊
The overall economic development of Macao in the last 20 years has been outstanding. Between 1999 and 2018, Macao's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded rapidly from the equivalent of $6.1 billion in 1999 to $54.56 billion last year, representing an annual growth rate of 12 percent. With a modest size territory, Macao's GDP per capita reached $81,728 last year, ranking second in the world. In addition to the fast pace of economic growth, Macao has also maintained a high employment rate, strengthened levels of welfare, and achieved a high life expectancy at 84.12 years in 2018.
表示“预期寿命；预计存在（或持续）的期限；平均期望寿命”，英文解释为“The life expectancy of a person, animal, or plant is the length of time that they are normally likely to live.”举个🌰：
The average life expectancy was 40.
平均期望寿命曾是40岁。
The population of Macao has risen over 50 percent from 418,604 to 644,761 in last 20 years. This has led to Macao having a population density of 21,340 people per square kilometer, making it the most densely populated region in the world. Diversification of economic activity is planned, as is increasing usable land, which has tripled in the last century to stand at 32.9 square kilometers today. In addition, Macao residents have been offered increasing opportunities on the mainland since September 2018, with China no longer requiring work permits for Macao residents alongside those from Hong Kong and Taiwan.
表示“聚居了的；栖息了的”，举个🌰：
The southeast is the most densely populated area.
东南部是最稠密的居住区。
表示“成为三倍；使增至三倍”，英文解释为“to become, or to make sth, three times as much or as many”举个🌰：
Output should triple by next year.
到明年产量应增至三倍。
The progress of Macao over the last 20 years makes it a clear example of the value of the "one country, two systems" model, and its success reflects the reality that Macao's residents have fully embraced the model, with an important focus on the one country element. Looking ahead, Macao will be a key element in the maritime part of the Belt and Road Initiative and will benefit from the increased connectivity (symbolized by the 2018 opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge) and from the future expansion of the Macao international airport. All of these are set to further strengthen the connection between Macao and surrounding areas.
表示“海事的”，英文解释为“Maritime is used to describe things relating to the sea and to ships.”如：the largest maritime museum of its kind 同类型海洋博物馆中最大的。
The economic expansion within the Greater Bay Area project will be a major strength, as it offers integration of economic opportunities from Guangdong through Hong Kong to Macao, consisting of nine cities as well as the two special administrative regions. It's not just pyrotechnics that will light up the city and its skyline; Macao's future is also destined to be bright.
the Greater Bay Area project
相关背景：《粤港澳大湾区发展规划纲要》（The development plan for Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area）是，进一步提升粤港澳大湾区在国家经济发展和对外开放中的支撑引领作用，支持香港、澳门融入国家发展大局，增进香港、澳门同胞福祉，保持香港、澳门长期繁荣稳定，让港澳同胞同祖国人民共担民族复兴的历史责任、共享祖国繁荣富强的伟大荣光。
pyrotechnics /ˌpaɪrəʊˈtɛknɪks/ 1）表示“烟火表演；烟火制造”，英文解释为“Pyrotechnics is the making or displaying of fireworks.”举个🌰：
The festival will feature pyrotechnics, live music, and sculptures.
该节日将有烟火、现场音乐及雕塑表演。
2）表示“完美展现技巧”，英文解释为“Impressive and exciting displays of skill are sometimes referred to as pyrotechnics.”如：the soaring pyrotechnics of the singer's voice 这名歌手歌声的完美展现。
Colin Speakman is an economist and an international educator with CAPA: The Global Education Network.- END -
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