【原文】
Bitcoin, the four-year-old virtual currency, was once dismissed as something of a fad, but in recent weeks, it has found new sources of credibility.
Bitcoin is volatile, but its price has gone up more than 30-fold this year.
Virtual currencies are believed to have the potential to promote more efficient global commerce though they aren't backed by a central bank.
比特幣,這個年方四歲的虛擬貨幣,一度被視為淺薄的時髦小玩意兒,但最近幾周,它卻獲得了來自各方的全新信任。
比特幣市場一直波動劇烈,但它今年的價格已經大漲了30多倍。
盡管沒有獲得央行的支持,一些人士依然認為虛擬貨幣具有潛力推動更多有效的全球貿易。
【講解】
文中的bitcoin就是“比特幣”的意思,它是一種P2P(peer to peer,點對點對等)形式的數(shù)字貨幣,與其他虛擬貨幣最大的不同在于其總數(shù)量是非常有限的,具有極強的稀缺性。
文中virtual的基本釋義是“實際上的,實質上的”,如:Our deputy manager is the virtual head of the business.(我們的副經理是公司的實際負責人。);在計算機領域中,virtual解釋為“虛擬的”,如:virtual space(虛擬空間)、virtual pet(虛擬寵物)。