重庆英语翻译_香港：有朋自中东来不亦乐乎？.doc

Hong Kong vies for Muslim visitors to China
香港：有朋自中东来，不亦乐乎？

Hong Kong (CNN) - With the number of visitors from the Middle East to Asia on the rise, Hong Kong is re-examining what it has on offer to entice more travelers to its sights.随着越来越多的中东游客涌入亚洲，香港正在重新考量自己对这些中东朋友们的吸引力。

Since 2000, the number of visitors to Asia from the Middle East has surged from around 600, 000 to over 1.6 million annually.在2000年，亚洲接待了大约60万名中东游客，而现在，这个数字已经攀升到了每年160多万人次。

But Hong Kong only attracts a small portion of those visitors, a situation it is trying to change by promoting itself as a gateway to China for Mid Eastern travelers.不过香港，却只吸引到了这其中很少的一部分，面对这种情况，针对这些中东游客们，香港目前正绞尽脑汁的想要把自己包装成“通往中国的门户”。

The city already has a sizeable Muslim population. According to Mohammed Khan, one of 15 Muslim leaders of Hong Kong's Islamic Council Union, there are no firm estimates of the number of Muslims in Hong Kong but at his â guestimate, it's around half a million people.实际上，目前在港的穆斯林人口已经相当可观了，Mohammed Khan就是其中一员。作为香港伊斯兰联会15个委员之一，他表示，对于在港的穆斯林人数，目前并没有一个确切的统计，但据他估计，“大概有50万人”。

Hong Kong boasts five mosques that serve the city's Muslim inhabitants. Khan, a Hong Kong native, says he sees more Mideast visitors to the city now than in the past. 在香港，已经有了五座清真寺，专门为生活在这个地方的穆斯林提供服务。作为一个土生土长的香港人，Khan表示，和往年相比，现在来港的中东游客数量已经有所增多了。

There are a lot of individual visits – businessman, family visits and what not. They are mainly from the Middle Eastern countries from Kuwait, UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, he told CNN s Ramy Inocencio.“你会发现有很多自由行的游客，有商务旅行的，有全家旅行的，诸如此类的，这些人主要都是来自中东国家，比如科威特、阿联酋、沙特。”Khan对CNN记者Ramy Inocencio说。

Visitors are attracted by relatively cheaper shopping, Disneyland and Mickey Mouse, and business in mainland China.吸引这些游客的主要因素，是更实惠的商品，迪斯尼乐园和米老鼠，还有中国大陆的商机。

But keeping halal – steering clear of foods like pork and lard – is traditionally what makes it harder for Muslim tourists in Hong Kong.但是，对猪肉和猪油零容忍的清真传统，也给到港的穆斯林游客带来了诸多不便。

The city of 7 million only has an estimated 50 or so halal restaurants.这个拥有700万人口的城市，目前大概拥有50家清真餐厅。

Adjoining his mosque, Khan manages an Islamic canteen which serves Hong Kong's only halal dimsum. Being half-Chinese and half-Pakistani, he's helping residents and visitors bridge cultural divides.就在他的清真寺旁边，Khan开了一家伊斯兰餐厅，专门提供独特的港式清真点心。Khan有着一半的中国血统，一半的巴基斯坦血统，他正努力想要为香港的穆斯林居民以及游客们建立起一座跨越文化鸿沟的桥梁。

The portion of Mid East visitors to Hong Kong is growing. Since 1997, the number has risen nearly four-fold, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board.来港的中东游客比例正在逐年上升，据香港旅发局统计，与1997年相比，这个数字已经增长了4倍。

Even so – only 200, 000 Mideast visitors came to the city last year. That's less than a tenth of a percent of the city's total tourists.即使增长如此迅猛，可从去年的数据来看，香港也只接待了20万人次的中东游客，与到港游客的总人数相比，还不到千分之一。

The Hong Kong Tourism Board wants to change that.香港旅发局想要改变这种局面。

"We are committed to continue to conduct our marketing program and keep investing in the Middle East region because we believe it will continue to bring us growth, said Anthony Lau, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board.“我们将贯彻我们的市场计划，持续加大投资，吸引中东来港游客，因为我们相信，这会推动香港旅游产业的持续发展。”香港旅发局执行董事Anthony Lau如是说。

And Edwin Lau, Emirates Airlines Hong Kong vice-president, hopes to capitalize on the hoped-for increase.而对于阿联酋航空香港分公司副主席Edwin Lau来说，这样的前景则更多的意味着经济上的利益。

He says growth for the Dubai-based carrier to Hong Kong has been fantastic.他表示，迪拜到香港的航班销量增长非常可观。

In 1997 we were only operating one aircraft which was Airbus 330 – the configuration was about 220 passengers. And today, we are operating three flights out of Hong Kong every night. So the total capacity is about 1, 100.“1997年的时候，这条航线上我们还只配备了一架班机，是空客330，这种飞机可承载220名乘客。现如今，每天晚上，我们都有三个航班发往香港，每天的总运载量达到了1100人。”

Lau doesn't think Mideast visitors face any impediment in Hong Kong but he does suggest improvements.Lau并不认为中东游客在香港会遇到什么样的障碍，不过他还是希望能再有些改进。

We could think about building a few more mosques for the Middle East people and we should also set up some halal restaurants in Hong Kong, which suit the taste of the Middle East people.“我们可以考虑为他们多建一些清真寺，我们还应该多开一些清真餐馆，来适应他们的口味。”

All part of the quest to make this a more welcoming city and encourage people from the Middle East to answer the call from the Far East. 所有的这一切，都是为了让这个城市变得更加的友好，并鼓励那些来自中东的朋友们，对这远东的呼唤做出回应。

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