curb

据国际风险评估机构RMS估计，"卡特里娜"飓风至少毁坏了美国十五万处产业，损失金额在二百五十亿至一千亿美元之间，已成为美国有史以来经济损失最大的一次自然灾害，而且对2006年全球经济都会产生影响。请看外电报道： The physical and psychological damage caused by Hurricane Katrina is likely to reverberate across the global economy in ways that will curb growth well into 2006, economists say. A spike in already-high energy costs in the United States and around the world tops the list of risks, especially since oil prices are unlikely to return to the levels of early 2004 when they were 50 percent lower than they are today, according to International Monetary Fund Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato. 句中的curb意思是 (to place) a control or limit on something which is not desirable，即"抑制；控制"。如：A child's development can be curbed by poor nutrition.（孩子的成长会因营养不良而受到抑制。）再如：The government should act to curb tax evasion.（政府应采取措施限制逃税现象。） （中国日报网站编）