Lockdown

新冠肺炎疫情日趨嚴重，短短數天全球又增加了十萬單確診。多國實施封城（lockdown）防疫，大家都留在家中，同心協力阻止病毒蔓延。

名詞lockdown解「封鎖」，指因緊急情況而封鎖建築物或地區，不允許人們自由進入或離開。由於是「強制實行」，lockdown常配搭動詞impose。例句︰The UK has finally imposed a full lockdown across the country to ensure social distancing.（英國終於對全國實行全面封鎖，以確保民眾保持社交距離。）A lockdown is imposed in France to slow the rate of the coronavirus disease contagion.（法國實施封城以減緩冠狀病毒傳播的速度。）

Lockdown也可以指監獄暴動時，將囚犯限制在其牢房內，以控制場面。例如，The prisoners were all put in a lockdown immediately so the casualties were kept to a minimum.（囚犯立即被限制在自己的牢房內，使傷亡人數降至最低。）Over 50 prisoners were placed on lockdown for three days following the protest last Friday.（上周五抗議發生後，超過50名囚犯被封鎖在其牢房內三天。）

（本欄逢周一、三、五刊登）