美国国家公共电台 NPR--On federal and state levels, plans are underway to enhance internet access

On federal and state levels, plans are underway to enhance internet access

Transcript¹

Oregon is among the states making unprecedented² investments in broadband access with money from the Biden administration's $1 trillion infrastructure⁴ package.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

On the federal and state levels, plans are underway to enhance internet access. Earlier this month, the Biden administration laid out a program to reduce costs for low-income Americans, and states such as Oregon are making unprecedented investments in broadband with money from the infrastructure bill. Katia Riddle⁵ reports from Portland.

KATIA RIDDLE, BYLINE⁶: When he immigrated⁷ to the United States, Fidel Ferrer had to learn to speak both English and the language of technology.

FIDEL FERRER: Like, when people would tell me internet, I would be like, what is that?

RIDDLE: Ferrer was a young adult when he found his way to the United States from Cuba 11 years ago.

FERRER: I didn't grow up with technology. I didn't grow up with a cell phone. I didn't grow up with a computer. So it was kind of, like, a really big shock.

RIDDLE: One thing Ferrer did have was ambition. But even to take a placement test at a community college, he needed to navigate⁸ a computer.

FERRER: I remember times when I was almost about, like, you know, to give up.

RIDDLE: Like, this is too hard.

FERRER: It's too hard. And it's been really hard. It's been really hard.

RIDDLE: Getting a job, participating in school, accessing government services - like unemployment benefits or health care subsidies⁹ - all require broadband access. Census¹⁰ data shows 15% of American households don't have it. That is why the Biden administration is making money available to states. It's not just for broadband, but to help people use the computers connected to it.

ANGELA SIEFER: This money is really awesome¹¹, and it's really going to make a huge dent³, but if we don't figure out how to change our systems...

RIDDLE: Angela Siefer is with a group called National Digital Inclusion Alliance.

SIEFER: You know, making sure that there's always tech support, making sure that there's always some place to go to get a lower-cost device, making sure we always have a subsidy¹² for broadband service - all of those things have to still happen, and we're not quite there yet.

SALEH KHALIL: If any problem, I call this number?

MARIA LARA: No, I will give you instructions.

RIDDLE: Maria Lara is a digital navigator at a nonprofit in Portland called Free Geek. On this day, she's helping¹³ Saleh Khalil (ph) with a computer for his son's schoolwork. Free Geek rehabs computers and then gives them to people who need them. They also help these recipients¹⁴ overcome obstacles to use.

LARA: I will show you where is the telephone number.

RIDDLE: Some of the infrastructure money will go specifically to community groups like this one.

KHALIL: I have another son.

LARA: Uh huh.

KHALIL: He did application, but I don't know what...

RIDDLE: It's not unusual for digital navigators to spend 3 hours with one person, helping them with their tech needs. The job Oregon is now facing is how to get these kinds of services to as many as 600,000 people across the state.

DANIEL HOLBROOK: It's a huge task.

RIDDLE: Daniel Holbrook is with the Oregon Broadband Office. Oregon is scheduled to receive at least $100 million to fortify¹⁵ broadband infrastructure.

HOLBROOK: Ultimately, we're trying to meet communities where they're at, and, you know, some of them are on different parts of their journey.

RIDDLE: Not every community has an organization like Free Geek in Portland. In some rural places, the public library or a school serves as the primary broadband access point. Fidel Ferrer received his first computer from Free Geek over a decade ago. He went to college. Now, he runs his own organization that helps underserved kids learn about technology.

FERRER: It's been an amazing experience to watch our kids from our community changing their minds around what they can do and what is actually possible.

RIDDLE: Ferrer had planned to try to help kids in Cuba, where he grew up, after he finished college. Then, he realized there were plenty of kids in the U.S. who he says need just as much help. For NPR News, I'm Katia Riddle in Portland, Oregon.

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1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

3 dent   

n.凹痕，凹坑；初步进展

参考例句：

• I don't know how it came about but I've got a dent in the rear of my car.我不知道是怎么回事，但我的汽车后部有了一个凹痕。
• That dent is not big enough to be worth hammering out.那个凹陷不大，用不着把它锤平。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 riddle   

n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜

参考例句：

• The riddle couldn't be solved by the child.这个谜语孩子猜不出来。
• Her disappearance is a complete riddle.她的失踪完全是一个谜。

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 immigrated   

v.移入( immigrate的过去式和过去分词 )；移民

参考例句：

• He immigrated from Ulster in 1848. 他1848年从阿尔斯特移民到这里。 来自辞典例句
• Many Pakistanis have immigrated to Britain. 许多巴基斯坦人移居到了英国。 来自辞典例句

8 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

9 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

11 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

12 subsidy   

n.补助金，津贴

参考例句：

• The university will receive a subsidy for research in artificial intelligence.那个大学将得到一笔人工智能研究的补助费。
• The living subsidy for senior expert's family is included in the remuneration.报酬已包含高级专家家人的生活补贴。

13 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

14 recipients   

adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器

参考例句：

• The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

15 fortify   

v.强化防御，为…设防；加强，强化

参考例句：

• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。
• This treaty forbade the United States to fortify the canal.此条约禁止美国对运河设防。