A resident in the town of Matara, 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of Colombo, said young couples were sometimes acting intimately on the beach as many could not afford the privacy of hotels.

一位居住在马特勒市的居民说，情侣之所以会在街上亲密，是因为他们没钱去旅馆开房间。

youdao

Over lunch in Matara a few days before the poll Mr Rajapaksa accurately described this, while admitting that General Fonseka's campaign had struck fear into his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

ECONOMIST: Sri Lanka's election

My son informs me from Matara, Sri Lanka, that there was a great hissing sound from the sea around 10 a.m. and the sea seemed to be caving in.

CNN: Tsunami tragedy: Your e-mails