美国国家公共电台 NPR Furloughed Workers In Hard-Hit Community Organize Potluck During Shutdown

 

SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST:

We're going to turn now to the partial federal government shutdown, which is now the longest in history as we've entered day 22. We're going to hear from voices across the country during the program today about how the shutdown is affecting their lives. But we're going to start first in the Washington, D.C., area, which is disproportionately feeling the effect. Montgomery County, Md. is adjacent to Washington, D.C. It's home to over 75,000 federal employees. On Friday evening, hundreds of these furloughed workers packed into a local high school to share a meal. NPR's Rebecca Ellis reports from Montgomery Blair High School.

MCCAMMON: The line of furloughed workers and their families sneaks¹ across the cafeteria. Six hundred people have RSVP'd for tonight's potluck, but even more have showed up. Roberta Long came to get out of the house.

ROBERTA LONG: Oh, and it's been mad. It's just been, like, utter chaos².

MCCAMMON: Long works as an IT specialist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Her youngest son attends daycare on the property. A government shutdown means no work and no daycare. Long says 24/7 with the energetic youngster is stretching her thin.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Can I run around?

LONG: Well, why don't you...

REBECCA ELLIS, BYLINE³: After three weeks without work, many of those at the potluck are reaching their limits. Earlier that day, Melinda Batson, who works at the Food and Drug Administration, received a paystub with zeroes on it.

MELINDA BATSON: I mean, it does something to you mentally to look at a paycheck, and all you see is zeros.

ELLIS: Batson's worried what all these zeros mean for her mortgage, car payment and utility bill.

BATSON: I don't have no one to support me. I'm my own support system.

ELLIS: County Council member Tom Hucker organized the potluck. He says he was shocked at just how many federal employees poured in with their families. Tonight, county residents made it clear to him. The alternatives are grim.

TOM HUCKER: They are staying home every night. They haven't gone out to dinner, or they're eating the fish sticks in the bottom of the freezer, one of them told me.

ELLIS: Hucker says he wanted to provide his county with one night of levity⁴. High schoolers were brought in on the drums.

(SOUNDBITE OF DRUMMING)

ELLIS: A local musician crooned Elvis Costello.

UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST: (Singing) I walked on through troubled times.

ELLIS: And U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen blew out candles on his 60th birthday cake.

CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: So I want to thank Tom (ph) for not putting as many candles as years there so I can actually...

ELLIS: With so many federal employees living in the county, everyone knows someone impacted by the shutdown. Neighbors of furloughed workers streamed into the high school, food donations in tow.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: I bought a can - a can of ravioli.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: This is a vegan pizza.

PETER KARPOFF: OK.

ELLIS: Peter Karpoff (ph) is collecting and serving the donated food. There've been so many desserts handed over there's no room for them. Firemen gifted most of the pizza, which Karpoff now gives out.

KARPOFF: I'm a retired⁵ federal employee just trying to help out and give solace⁶ to these people. Pizza plain or pepperoni? I'll serve it.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Thank you. I'm sorry.

ELLIS: Mohammed Siddique (ph), another retired federal employee, sits at a table with workers he's just met. He came to show support.

MOHAMMED SIDDIQUE: We have their back, and that's why I am here for them.

ELLIS: To his right's a furloughed contractor⁷ and his wife, a hairstylist who says her business is drying up. Local clients aren't spending any money. Siddique says this is how it works in Montgomery County.

SIDDIQUE: I have lived in this community for over 25 years, and these people suffer. The community suffers.

ELLIS: For better or worse, he says the county's livelihood⁸ is intertwined with the fate of the furloughed.

Rebecca Ellis, NPR News, Montgomery County, Md.

1 sneaks   

abbr.sneakers (tennis shoes) 胶底运动鞋（网球鞋）v.潜行( sneak的第三人称单数 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状

参考例句：

• Typhoid fever sneaks in when sanitation fails. 环境卫生搞不好，伤寒就会乘虚而入。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Honest boys scorn sneaks and liars. 诚实的人看不起狡诈和撒谎的人。 来自辞典例句

2 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

3 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。

4 levity   

n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变

参考例句：

• His remarks injected a note of levity into the proceedings.他的话将一丝轻率带入了议事过程中。
• At the time,Arnold had disapproved of such levity.那时候的阿诺德对这种轻浮行为很看不惯。

5 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

6 solace   

n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和

参考例句：

• They sought solace in religion from the harshness of their everyday lives.他们日常生活很艰难，就在宗教中寻求安慰。
• His acting career took a nosedive and he turned to drink for solace.演艺事业突然一落千丈，他便借酒浇愁。

7 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

8 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。