Tumble

港股由升轉跌，恒指昨日更一度跌穿25000點（tumbled to less than 25000 points）的重要關口。各大行紛紛預警樓價將於未來12個月下滑10%至20%。幸好，近年按揭上限調高，又有壓力測試，即使面對跌市和加息，市民應該仍然能夠應付供樓。

動詞tumble不單解「下跌」，而是「大跌、暴跌」，在短時間內貶值很多。例句︰The Hong Kong stock market has moved lower in consecutive trading days, tumbling more than 3.5 percent along the way.（香港股市在連續幾個交易日內下跌，跌幅超過3.5%。）The company has predicted that Hong Kong home prices will tumble as much as 20% from this month to the end of 2019.（該公司預計，從本月到2019年底，香港樓價將下跌20%。）

Tumble還可以解「跌倒、滾下、跌跌撞撞地走」，跌得很快，控制不了。例句︰He slipped and tumbled down the stairs.（他滑倒，然後滾下樓梯。）He lost his balance and tumbled off the edge of the balcony, falling to the ground below.（他失去平衡，從陽台邊緣跌落地面。）

（本欄逢周一、三、五刊登）