Rationing is a government limit on how much of something scarce you may have — food, petrol, medicine, sometimes water or electricity. The idea is that if everyone grabbed freely, some people would get none.

RationingRationing（配給） is a government limit on how much of something scarce you may have是政府對稀缺物資訂出你能擁有多少的限制——food, petrol, medicine, sometimes water or electricity像是食物、汽油、藥品，有時候也包括水或電。The idea is that if everyone grabbed freely這個想法是，如果大家都自由搶著拿，some people would get none有些人就會什麼都拿不到。

Often you receive coupons or a number, and the shop will not sell you more. Many countries used rationing in wartime; older people may still remember the feeling.

Often you receive coupons or a number通常你會拿到配給券或一個限定數字，and the shop will not sell you more店家不會多賣給你。Many countries used rationing in wartime很多國家在戰時都實施過配給制；older people may still remember the feeling上了年紀的人可能還記得那種感覺。

Though actually, a shop saying "two per customer" is a cousin of the same idea, but we save the word rationing for the serious, official kind, usually from the state. The word can name the system ("wartime rationing") or the act ("they are rationing petrol").

Though actually, a shop saying "two per customer" is a cousin of the same idea不過其實，店家說「每人限購兩件」也算是同一種概念的親戚，but we save the word rationing for the serious, official kind但 rationing 這個字我們留給比較嚴肅、官方的那種，usually from the state通常是國家發起的。The word can name the system ("wartime rationing")這個字可以指整套制度（"wartime rationing"），or the act ("they are rationing petrol")也可以指配給這個動作（"they are rationing petrol"）。