Pump-priming is when a government, a bank, or a rich backer puts money in first, hoping a business, an industry, or a whole country will start moving on its own after that. The picture comes from an old water pump: you had to pour a little water in (prime it) before it would draw more water up.

Pump-primingPump-priming is when是指 a government, a bank, or a rich backer政府、銀行或有錢的金主 puts money in first先把錢投進去， hoping希望 a business, an industry, or a whole country企業、產業或整個國家 will start moving on its own after that之後能自己動起來。 The picture comes from an old water pump這個畫面來自老式的手動抽水機： you had to pour a little water in你得先倒一點水進去 (prime it)（這動作就叫prime）， before it would draw more water up它才會把更多水抽上來。

In newspapers it is almost always about money and the economy, not about real pumps. It belongs to finance, politics, and development talk, and it often carries a hopeful “this should get things going” tone.

In newspapers在報紙上， it is almost always about money and the economy這個字幾乎都是在講錢和經濟， not about real pumps不是在講真正的抽水機。 It belongs to finance, politics, and development talk它屬於財經、政治和發展相關的用語， and it often carries a hopeful "this should get things going" tone而且常常帶著一種「這應該能讓事情動起來」的樂觀語氣。

Though actually people disagree about whether it works: some say the first money starts a real engine, and some say it only buys a short splash.

Though actually不過其實， people disagree about whether it works大家對它到底有沒有用意見不一： some say the first money starts a real engine有人說第一筆錢能啟動真正的引擎， and some say it only buys a short splash也有人說它只是買到短暫的一陣熱鬧。